What is IT Advisory?

Information technology consulting (aka IT Advisory) as a field of management consultancy focuses on advising organizations on how best to use IT in not only achieving their business objectives but also in optimizing their current systems to maximize the output. Any IT firm is liable to the constant inevitable problems that arise in the sector (IT) that they focus on and hence it is essential to have an appropriate diagnostics and troubleshooting organization to identify the problems at genesis and provide apt solutions addressing to it then and there right away – this is where IT advisory firms come into play.

IT Advisory firms,

• Define the problems and their potential impact(s).
• Empower the clients with the current problem related knowledge to solve their own problems. And thus create memory incase a similar problem should arise in the future.
• Look into the pros and cons of the situation and advise an array of solutions from which the client can chose the best suited and imply by themselves.
• Provide indicative signs of potential problems that could arise so as to arrest them at spawn.
• Test all viable solutions and concepts for a given problem at stake to see which one fits the most appropriate.
• Analyze the systems present at hand (and prescribe additions – if any) and optimize them to the fullest.

These are the different scopes and areas that IT advisory encompasses:

Project scoping and planning

One of the most common problem is that a client doesn’t know the detail and depth of what the project is going to deliver until processes have begun. In most cases, the incremental effort invested especially in the beginning in some projects can cause severe financial losses to the corporation. IT advisories take into consideration all factors of the specific project and devise a well-laid plan of action for that project to cut through operational and functional costs and to also optimize the effort being put in.

Business process and system design

The scope of success a project lies intimately with the proposed and effective business processes and systems that the project utilizes and is going to deliver. Regardless of the ambit of the project, whether the project is to launch a new range of products in the market or to discontinue unprofitable and unresponsive parts of the business to cut losses, the change will bring about an impact on the business setting. Hence the documentation of your business processes and system requirements and the various impacts however small it has (on the system) are a fundamental necessity for any institution to thrive. This recorded ‘memory’ that is built upon patterns of the past help device suitable solutions in the future that are capable of visualizing all effects they are to bring about to the institution.

Project management support

The most successful projects are always those that are driven by an integral operative who has the authority, vision of the present and future of the project and influence to drive the required changes in a business. It is highly unlikely that an apex level decision maker will realize the changes unless one has one of these operatives in the taskforce. However, a project leadership role typically requires significant experience and exposure and a unique skill set which is not usually found within an institution primarily focused on day-to-day operations. Due to this internal requirement more significant business change their projects/programs and suffer with producing the desired output. These instances call upon the need of an IT advisory firm to bring in that specific skill set into the company and to device the most suitable and optimal plan of action so as to get the best results.

In order to device the most optimal plans of action and solutions every IT advisory firm must possess the following qualities that you need to look out for:

• Good advisory skills
• Expert technical skills and knowledge regarding the operational systems they are dealing with on the specific project
• Best management skills
• Language skills appropriate to the operational region

What is the difference between IT consulting and management consulting?

There is a relatively unclear or rather undefined border between management consulting and IT consulting. And to make it even more confusing there are sometimes overlaps between the two fields. A telltale way to say what IT consulting deals with lies in its name. As obvious as it may sound, IT consultancy often deals with degrees of computer science, electronics, technology, or management information systems. While management consultants often deal with degrees of accounting, economics or finance – they are related with the administration of the business.