Questions To Ask in the Selection Process

Where will my team's home base be? Even if the consulting firm has a local office, your team may come from elsewhere. This matters, since you may be asked to pick up T&E and it may take longer to schedule visits if consultants aren't local.

Can I see resumes for the key consultants? You are, in effect, hiring these people for a fixed period of time, so why shouldn't you review their qualifications ?

Are the consultants employees or subcontractors? Some of the smaller firms have very few employees and do most work through a network of subcontractors. There is nothing wrong with this approach, but employees tend to be better screened and better trained on the firm's tools and methodologies.

Can I change consultants if needed? Sometimes it just doesn't work out. You want to make sure you can swap personnel. Similarly, you may want to make sure that if you're pleased with your consultant, the service provider will not change consultants on you in the midst of the engagement.

What guarantees do you offer? Will the consulting firm commit to certain results or deliverables?

What industry experience do you have? While not always essential, it is nice to work with someone who knows your business and speaks your language.

Who owns the resulting product? In the course of implementing your solution, the team may create something new of value. Who has rights to it? This needs to be clear up front; usually it is spelled out in the contract.

Are you involved in any disputes over noncompete agreements? Often vendor consultants leave the vendor to create a professional services firm that does consulting on the vendor's product. However, this work may violate noncompete agreements. You don't want to get caught in the middle.

Will we sign mutual nonrecruit agreements? Sometimes the life of a consultant may look appealing to members of your team. You want to make sure the firm you hire doesn't leave with your key staff. By the same token, the consulting company wants to make sure you don't put their consultant on your payroll.

How many projects are consultants working on simultaneously? The best consultants are usually assigned to multiple projects at once, but there is a limit to how much they can balance successfully.

What is the on-site/off-site mix? In these days of bottom-line focus, it is sometimes desirable to minimize T&E costs and do most work by phone and Web conference. However, some companies prefer to have the consultants on-site for better team integration and monitoring. Make sure you agree on the plan up front.

How available will your consultant be after the project's completion? What happens if, a month after completion, you need to make major changes? Will you be able to rehire the consultant who is familiar with your system?