RE: Programmers VS Consultants -- MIDRANGE-L

My point may be invalid, but it's true.

So what have we learned?
That this list is full of good consultants, as one would expect...
That the buyer must beware...
That you get what you pay for...
That expectations should be clearly defined...
That consultants should be managed, not handed the keys...
And finally, that I wasn't very smart to vent about this in this forum!!
=)

So where's the problem?  Well, perhaps the problem often is that consultants
are brought in many times to do work the MIS staff just doesn't have time
for.  And therefore, due to said lack of time (read resources), much of the
above can sometimes be overlooked.  I know, I've seen it... over and over...
and then the programming staff are the ones who have to live with the
result... thereby further increasing their workload.  Well, if that were
true, it would all come back to the point I wanted to make in the first
place... MIS should be viewed as an integral part of your corporate
strategy, NOT as overhead to be minimized as much as possible.  Maybe I'll
just go back to sleep... if someone will wake me up the day that comes!!

ENDJOB(RANT) OPTION(*IMMED)

Roger Boucher
Standard Pacific Corp.
rboucher@stanpac.com
714-668-4326


-----Original Message-----
From: Lori Hainey [mailto:lhainey@hbs-inc.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 1999 10:11 AM
To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject: Re: Programmers VS Consultants


Your point in invalid however, because we as consultants must live with the
code
we create also. If we turn out bad code we do not receive repeat business
and
hence we are "out of business". Not much point in that now is there???? On
the
other hand if you value your future and the product you create - you do
receive
repeat business - not to fix your mistakes but to provide additional value.
We
have had repeat business from every client we have worked for with the
exception
of the one for which we would not code an RPGII based system for future open
system and web enablement. In one case the client has actually opted to use
our
firm for all their I.S. staff except the Help Desk person - due to the
quality of
our work.

Roger Boucher wrote:

> I hate to say this, and I don't want to generalize, but my time spent in a
> very large MIS shop led me to the conclusion that if you want something
done
> right, you do it with in-house programming staff.  If you want to slap it
in
> and not care what kind of mess is left behind, go ahead and use
consultants.
> If you need technical expertise you don't currently have in-house, hire a
> consultant as a technical resource and train an in-house person to
maintain
> and support the application (and preferably develop it, too!).  The
in-house
> staff needs to live with the results, but consultants often don't.
Success
> is viewed as did they get it in and does it work, end of review.  And
> remember... EVERYTHING needs maintenance... this is not a put it in and
> forget it kind of business we are in (unless of course you are on an
AS/400
> <g>).
>
> With all that said I know there are certainly very good consultants out
> there who care very much about the quality of their work and what they
leave
> behind.  There must be, because when I go out on my own some day I know
that
> I won't be the ONLY one out there who feels that way!!  It's just that I
> haven't run across very many... yet.
>
> But this brings me to a real pet peeve of mine:  RANT(*ON)
> The people who budget for hiring need to learn that MIS is where it's at.
> This is not a fad we are dealing with here, it is the future.  Stop trying
> to avoid head count and start trying to build a good solid staff of MIS
> personnel to allow you to grow without quite so much pain.  And you KNOW
the
> pain I'm talking about!  My experience, again, tells me that trying to
> minimize the headcount of an MIS department is the worst way to go about
> getting good results.  In the long run you will only double the work for
an
> already beleaguered staff.
>
> The bottom line is nobody cares more than the people who have to live with
> it.
>
> RANT(*OFF)
>
> Running for cover because I know there must be tons of consultants on this
> list,
>
> Roger Boucher
> Standard Pacific Corp.
> rboucher@stanpac.com
> 714-668-4326
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: JGracetri@aol.com [mailto:JGracetri@aol.com]
> Sent: Sunday, November 21, 1999 6:59 AM
> To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
> Subject: Re: Programmers VS Consultants
>
> HOW DOES A CONSULTANT MAKE MONEY? ANSWER. BILLING YOU FOR HOURS WORKED.
>
> *NOTE. UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMEONE TO OVERSEE THE CONSULTANT. YOU WILL GET A
> SHORT TERM SOLUTION(I.E. A PRGRAM OR SYSTEM THAT WILL REQUIRE THE
CONSULTANT
>
> AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, SO THE PROGRAM OR SYTEM IS DESIGNED TO BE OUTDATED
FROM
>
> DAY OF IMPLEMENTATION).
>
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