Consultants are often seen as a necessary evil that is only going to make the project more expensive. They are seen as “experts” that take what you already know and twist it around to what they think you want.
Unfortunately this is true in some cases and some consultants deserve the reputation they have, especially in the entertainment industry.
Contrary to public belief, there are many consultants out there that actually do add value to projects.
I don’t need to tell you that technology is developing at a screaming pace and it has become very difficult to stay abreast of developments in your own field of speciality – never mind anything related.
This is where the consultant can add value – staying up to date with all the related fields.
Convergence is a reality, especially in the show control area. More and more we see lighting incorporating video, a single “Go” command triggering sound, lighting and visual effects and comms integrating with video and sound. All of it running on IP based networks.
Consultants, like everyone else, have areas of speciality, but they should also have a pretty broad knowledge of other areas and see the wider picture. They must also be aware of what new products and technologies are on the horizon – future proofing.
A wisely chosen consultant will be able to advise you on current trends, locally and internationally, as well as on known issues with products, especially when it comes to interoperability and after-sales support. Do you really want to invest heavily in what you think is the latest and greatest, only to find out six months down the line that it has been superseded or cannot be repaired? Who of us has not fallen into that trap?
Another misconception is that you only need a consultant for big (read expensive) projects.
Not true.
Most consultants do not work to a minimum fee, we are open to negotiation. We mainly charge for time as related to size of project and budget. For the large theatre, R 10,000.00 may be petty cash, but for the smaller organisation, it may represent the annual capital budget. As far as I am concerned, your R 10,000.00 budget is as important as the millions the next guy wants to spend. Making a mistake at a smaller budget level can be devastating, not only to your organisation, but to your reputation.
Another area that is often misunderstood is who the consultant actually works for. It often seems like the consultant is working for the supplier, which leads to rumours of kick-backs… I am not saying this does not happen, but it shouldn’t. Ever. Under any circumstances. The consultant MUST be independent of any supplier.
Depending on the project, the consultant should always have your, the client’s, best interests at heart – after all, you are paying him. That said, the consultant should also be a buffer between you and the supplier. It is the consultant’s job to ensure that delivery and/or installation is up to specification. It is also part of his job to ensure that the client does not take advantage of the supplier – yes, this happens, often, and all it gains anyone is a sour client/supplier relationship.
I see my job as having two distinct parts; During the quotation/tender stage, I am only working for the client and will push the suppliers as far as possible; Once the order is placed, I work for both parties, acting like an independent referee, settling disputes, catching potential problems and solving the little problems before they become major issues.
A good consultant also does not stop when the project is handed over or final delivery made, his responsibility carries on until, at least, the end of the warranty period and most will take an active interest for the life of the equipment. Your consultant should be your first call for any problem – he can kick butt with the supplier as no supplier wants to upset a consultant – this could lead to not so glowing recommendations in the future.
I am not going to go into how to choose a consultant, very often this is a personal choice based on past experience. All I will say is, choose wisely, look at past experience and talk to more than one and discuss your project and its importance to you in detail. Negotiate and ask for a full project methodology and time frame.
Your consultant is on your side and none of us want to walk away from a project not feeling good about it, but knowing that we added value and saved the client money, if not immediately, at least in the long term.
No comments:
Post a Comment