Why do you need a Microsoft Dynamics Consultant?

By definition a consultant is a person who provides expert advice professionally, an expert within a specific field.  There are many types of consultants out there and companies sometimes employ or contract with many types of consultants.

Some reasons why companies really hire consultants:

1. Is your company dealing with an issue and you need an outside eye?
2. Do you need extra horsepower?
3. Do you need someone with a specialized skill?
4. Do you want someone with an unbiased eye to help make some decisions?

The Outside Eye

Have you ever had an issue where you went to friends and family to get their opinion?  Sometimes in the work world companies need to do this and it is most helpful when a company is trying to make a tough decision.  Consultants can offer help in these areas because consultants usually have experience working in many different companies and it is possible that the consultant could have experienced the issue with another company in the past and can offer valuable problem-solving ideas that someone in house would not have thought of.

Extra Horsepower

There are times where a company has a solution to a problem however they don’t have the man power to devote to solving and implementing the solution.  Companies and employees have to focus on their day to day operations and their cord job responsibilities.  Hiring new staff to work on a new project or task is not always cost effective either.  If a company is working on reducing their costs across the board or implementing software or product to make them more efficient this may take a team anywhere from 6 months to 2 years and hiring a team to do this and keeping the staff dedicated for this period of time is sometimes difficult and not cost effective.  In an instance like this a consultant would serve as a temporary, highly skilled employee.  Consultants work for various different companies so the learning curve to get them up to speed is not long and by doing this your employees are able to focus on their main job and your project is able to be completed in a timely manner.

Specialized Skills

Consultants usually have a specialized set of skills that do not exists in house.  By engaging with a consulting firm a company can have access to the specialized skills without the expense of hiring a full-time employee that they might not have the ability to keep buys for an entire year.

Unbiased eye

There are times that projects are challenging or controversial.  When this happens, it is helpful for a company to bring in an unbiased eye to get some of the dirty work done.  To have someone who’s only vested interest is the project’s success their ability to make decisions and suggestion are helpful to get things done.  An unbiased eye will help a company make decisions that are outside of the box and can truly push for change and project completion.

How do you find the right dynamics consultant?

Accounting in the modern day is not all debits and credits and balancing the accounts.  There is a drive toward using the numbers to drive better business decisions and transform the organization.  Selecting the right technology can help a company analyze, view and share information in ways that have never been imagined.  The impact of this can be drive success to the business.  A Dynamics consultant can be a part of this success.

What are characteristics of a dynamics consultant that will drive this success and change in your business?

1. Actions speak louder than words. You want a consultant that is going to make you look good.  When a project goes well the client should be the one that looks good and gets the credit A good consultant does not need constant praise they get satisfaction from a job well done.
2. Enjoy working with new people and make a difference: Consultants work in different environments and with all types of people.  Some are easy and some are not.  A successful consultant will be the one that can think positively and treat everyone with respect and patience.  This will build trust and make the job successful.
3. Don’t just get the job done, go the extra mile. A great consultant will exceed expectations and go the extra mile to make a project successful.  They will look for things that may have been overlooked and ask the questions that have not been asked and find ways to do better.
4. Solve problems: Some of the best consultants love a challenge and wont quite or give up.  They will look for other ways to get the job done when faces with problems.
5. Always learning: The more you know is a great motto to have.  With more tools you can solve more problems.  A great consultant is always adding skills to their toolbox.  They also know how to learn from mistakes.
6. Move forward when others want to stop: There are challenges with every project, either with people or technology or both.  A great consultant can find a way to push thru the challenges and get the job done.
7. Flexibility and focus on the finish line: There is always more than one way to do something and a good consultant knows and lives by this.  They can adapt to the business process, working styles and personalities of clients and are flexible but maintain the strictness to keep a project on track and meat deadlines and expectations.

These are all good qualities to look for in a consultant to bring someone in to help with a project of any type.  The best way to be successful with a project and maximize your ROI is to pull in a Dynamics consultant that can provide all the above skills and really maximize your business needs.