| Process Components (that are produced or used by this Process) | Assignment Arrangements
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 2 - Co-ordination
- Potential Issues:
Arrangements have not been agreed, or some ambiguity is left hanging, which in turn sets up obstacles to a successful service delivery. For example, does everyone now where and how the consultant will be working - client workstation or own laptop? And if the latter, are there means of transferring work (models, deliverables)? And also, if the latter, does the consultant have the correct version of the software?
- Evaluation: 3
- Feedback Notes:
Ensure that each consultant has a checklist of things to check when arranging an assignment. Make sure that, based on assignment feedback, this is kept up-to-date.
Assignment Feedback
- Category: Output
- VSM Role:
- Potential Issues:
- Evaluation:
- Feedback Notes:
Client & PreSales Collateral
- Category: Input
- VSM Role: System 1 - Operations
- Potential Issues:
Pre-sales, as the name suggests, is before a sale and is focused on supporting the sale. The problem is that demos will usually be carefully crafted to show the software in the best light. However, the reality may be very different, and the actual consultancy assignment will end up not delivering what was promised. This is not only bad for the customer but also may lead to loss of future sales, while internally, it can lead to distrust which can undermine the company goals, especially collaborative working.
- Evaluation: 2
- Feedback Notes:
Feedback any of the following issues:- Badly-designed pre-sales materials- Misleading information given to client- How the pre-sales material was used, built-on or discarded. Also, make available any new artefacts or techniques (i.e. assignment outputs) that can be used for future pre-sales work
Client Requirements Fulfilled
- Category: Output
- VSM Role:
- Potential Issues:
- Evaluation:
- Feedback Notes:
Client Site Enabled
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 2 - Co-ordination
- Potential Issues:
Software is not installed, or certain features do not work (this might not be our fault, but unless it is resolved, the risk is the client will reject the software even before they have started using it).
More common is that the software is installed, but the licensing has not been sorted out. Even more of a problem is that licensing has been sorted out, but a consultant arrives and there is no license for them actually log-on. This should all be sorted out and agreed long before a consultant even arrives on site.
- Evaluation: 4
- Feedback Notes:
Feedback any of the following issues:- Missing or unlicensed software- Poor performance (probably due to client infrastructure issues)
Competent Consultant
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 4 - Intelligence
- Potential Issues:
Recruitment of poor-fit staff - e.g. Going for the wrong skill-set or worse, misunderstanding the actual role, i.e. what the person-in-post has to actually do.
- Evaluation: 2
- Feedback Notes:
There is no need to communicate with HR after every assignment. However, assignments should be monitored so that job requirements can be updated if the role is seen to be evolving. What might have been the ideal candidate five years ago might not be what is required now. These insights thus become an input into any competency models or recruitment guidelines that are maintained by HR.
Consultant's Toolkit
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 2 - Co-ordination
- Potential Issues:
Often new starters are left to sort this out for themselves and end up with key toolkit components missing. This can be a problem if the consultant only discovers this while on-site.
- Evaluation: 3
- Feedback Notes:
There is no need to communicate with Technical Support on this issue after every assignment. However, assignments should be monitored so that toolkit requirements can be updated if the demands of the job require it - e.g. updated software, higher spec hardware, new "non-standard" applications.
Ensure that each consultant has a checklist of what tools they should have (such as Virtual Machines, memory sticks, and backup capability) before an assignment.
Consulting Guidelines (internal)
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 3 - Cohesion
- Potential Issues:
These need to be substantive, relevant and practical. For example, there is little point prescribing some convoluted "methodology" or meaningless requirement to "always show the standard sales demo" if these edicts are simply ignored (often for good reason, i.e. it adds no value to the client!)
They should also set out "negative capability" scenarios, e.g. what to do if a consultant is assigned to an assignment they are simply not equipped to deliver.
- Evaluation: 1
- Feedback Notes:
Using assignment feedback, need to add to and maintain this knowledge resource. For example, what is written down might not actually be what is done - and for good reason. Also, as each client is different, standardized and overbearing prescriptions may well be counter-productive
Customer Records
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 4 - Intelligence
- Potential Issues:
As a database, it is useless unless it is up-to-date, the data is "clean" and unduplicated, and those that need access are given access.
- Evaluation: 3
- Feedback Notes:
Point out any missing or inaccurate client information. Add relevant data from the assignment feedback to the database.
Design Patterns
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 2 - Co-ordination
- Potential Issues:
Badly designed and/or poorly maintained intranet so that useful information is lost in the noise. This is symptomatic of a wider problem, namely: No understanding of, or commitment to, the idea of knowledge as an enabler - especially for a knowledge-intensive process like service delivery and consulting.
Consider two key principles of Human Performance Technology
- Does the consultant have access to relevant knowledge and information in order to do the job?
- Do activity standards exist?
Therefore, when evaluating this interaction, it should not be just a crude quantitative measure such as "Number of documents on an intranet", but more about the organisation and accessibility of those artefacts and how useful they are.
- Evaluation: 1
- Feedback Notes:
Provide anything useful from the Assignment Feedback or the Deliverables (e.g. Model Artefacts) to whoever plays the "Knowledge Manager" role (e.g. web site manager, designated web site editor).
External Contractors handbook
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 3 - Cohesion
- Potential Issues:
These need to be substantive, relevant and practical. For example, there is little point prescribing some convoluted "methodology" or meaningless requirement to "always show the standard sales demo" if these edicts are simply ignored (especially by external contractors who have their own expertise and way of doing things). There is a trade-off here between allowing the contractor autonomy and acting on behalf of the commissioning organization.
- Evaluation: 1
- Feedback Notes:
Identify those rules that are meaningless or outdated or inappropriate.
Goals & Objectives
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 5 - Identity
- Potential Issues:
Not clearly communicated, or they contradict actual ways of working.
- Evaluation: 1
- Feedback Notes:
Identify those goals that are meaningless or outdated or inappropriate.
Industry & Domain Library
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 4 - Intelligence
- Potential Issues:
No commitment to capturing and - more importantly - managing knowledge. For example, it is not done at all or, if it is, it is done in ad hoc manner with documents "dumped" on SharePoint or a shared drive with no organizing information architecture.
- Evaluation: 1
- Feedback Notes:
Provide anything useful from the Assignment Feedback or the Deliverables (e.g. Model Artefacts) to whoever plays the "Knowledge Manager" role (e.g. web site manager, designated web site editor).
Mobile Phone & Communication Devices
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 2 - Co-ordination
- Potential Issues:
It is left up to the consultant to obtain and set-up their phone. Obsolete phones are issued so that consultant is unable to tether or access internet. This can be a problem especially if the client has USB ports disabled so that the only means of transferring data is via email. Often, even the web version of the email system is not even communicated making consultants incommunicado when onsite. No guidelines on usage.
- Evaluation: 3
- Feedback Notes:
Model Artefacts
- Category: Output
- VSM Role:
- Potential Issues:
- Evaluation:
- Feedback Notes:
New or Enhanced Knowledge
- Category: Output
- VSM Role:
- Potential Issues:
- Evaluation:
- Feedback Notes:
Product Documentation
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 2 - Co-ordination
- Potential Issues:
New software is released - and installed on a client site - before the help is ready. Release notes are inadequate - especially when they try to put a "positive spin" on bugs and known issues. If a necessary, a non-sanitized version of the release notes should be made available.
- Evaluation: 4
- Feedback Notes:
Inform Tech Comms of any errors or omissions in the product documentation.
Product Functionality
- Category: Input
- VSM Role: System 1 - Operations
- Potential Issues:
If declared functionalities do not work properly or are not adequately communicated, they effectively do not exist for a consultant and as such the end solution is compromised.
Also, it is no good producing software that is unlikely to work in a client environment, e.g. supporting only certain operating systems or demanding super-high spec hardware. If so, then the functionality does not, in any practical sense, exist. There is an overlap here with Marketing & Sales. It is no good presenting the functionality as able to do things it cannot.
- Evaluation: 3
- Feedback Notes:
Product feedback is key, e.g.
- Bugs (especially those that Development consider minor but annoy clients)
- Design and usability flaws
- Enhancement requests.
In an ideal world, these will be used as inputs to the next product development cycle
Service Requirements
- Category: Input
- VSM Role: System 1 - Operations
- Potential Issues:
Service Request is vague, incomplete, inaccurate, or misrepresents the software capabilities, e.g.
- Does not specify what version of the software they are on
- Says client wants X (say, set up a process diagram template), when in fact X is only a minor component of the real requirement (say, set up a Process template, produce a set of diagrams, and simulate them)
- Uses jargon without any sense of work to be done (e.g. client wants a Process architecture in two days)
- Is misleading to client, e.g. set-up automated comparisons, complete with audit trail, between as-is and to-be models.
As suggested above, this can often lead to the client Requirements being completely unrealistic, suggesting failure, upstream, to manage expectations.
- Evaluation: 2
- Feedback Notes:
Any feedback reports should always be sent to the sales person. In addition:
- Any client issues
- Product weaknesses
- Misleading information given to client (e.g. promises that the software can do things it cannot)
- Misleading information in the service request
Strategy & Policies Technical Support Availability
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 2 - Co-ordination
- Potential Issues:
Technical Support working practices are geared to their own internal targets and not to "revenue generating" processes. For example, if a consultant on-site urgently needs a license, surely this is more important than more routine request that may be ahead in the queue.
- Evaluation: 2
- Feedback Notes:
Provide feedback on how useful any help given was. Also, if help was not available, raise this as an issue as it has a potential revenue cost.
Training, Workshops, & Seminars
- Category: Resource
- VSM Role: System 4 - Intelligence
- Potential Issues:
Training and knowledge development is seen as a luxury rather than an essential investment.
- Evaluation: 1
- Feedback Notes:
Identify knowledge gaps arising out of assignment, e.g. methodologies, notation, concepts, and where those gaps can be bridged.
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