The Three Key Functions of Consulting Firms


Fundamentally, information technology firms and the solutions we provide fulfill the following three considerations:

  • Empowering businesses to be more effective at doing what they do best

  • Making access to information immediately available, ensuring the systems required to run the business become easier to use

  • Extending the reach of business solutions by providing access to business systems from a multiplicity of locations and devices

Let's take empowerment first: There is a dramatic need by businesses today for flexibility. The larger the corporation, the greater the need to be nimble in the face of challenging market conditions. As firms like Systech evolve the range of business-driven technology solutions for corporate America, companies are recognizing the great potential in those solutions for speed and autonomy. Empowerment of management and staff is key for the CEOs I speak with - leaders recognize that if technology can automate time-intensive tasks and suggest possible courses of action, the company as a whole is enabled to act and react in ways that suit them the best and allow them to be competitive in the marketplace.

Next, look at the issue of ease of use. Capability enhancement solutions have evolved significantly over the years, from database programs to enterprise systems like ERP (enterprise resource planning), CRM (customer relationship management), and business intelligence. The full degree to which easier access becomes a vital business element can be seen in the way ease of use and breadth of reach affect an enterprise. In ease of use, solutions have radically developed in just a few decades, from punch cards to character-based terminals, and then to GUI and video game-like interfaces in some industries. For example, a cockpit of the latest military or commercial jet uses this type of cutting-edge application, as pilots use virtual instruments on a screen that looks very much like the real instruments of yesterday's aircraft. These interfaces make it easier for people to intuitively use incredibly complex computer systems.

The third aspect of application development addresses reach, where we have gone from operator-based systems to client server, to Web browser, and now to wireless-based access. The Palm wireless and Blackberry devices represent the latest evolution of such solutions that have a widespread use. Today you can connect to a corporate Web site through a wireless Palm or Pocket PC computer. Blackberry devices have revolutionized the way businesses access their corporate e-mail. You don't have to be connected to a network computer to get access to corporate e-mail. Blackberry devices allow access to the e-mail over wireless, providing access to e-mail whenever or wherever you need.

Historically, every generation of solutions is a little better than the previous generation in having more capability, providing an interface that is easier to use, and extending the reach of the solutions.




The CTO Handbook. The Indispensable Technology Leadership Resource for Chief Technology Officers
The CTO Handbook/Job Manual: A Wealth of Reference Material and Thought Leadership on What Every Manager Needs to Know to Lead Their Technology Team
ISBN: 1587623676
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 213

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