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	Issue TOC Print full article Print this page Download as PDF E-Mail this URL Flame the author     In this article Introduction What do You Need? Specialists Only? Executive Summary Going Going.Not Gone Meet the Consultants: Comparison of Company Specs

Pop quiz: You're launching a major IT initiative, and you don't have the in-house expertise to get the project rolling. Do you (a) hire a consultant, (b) train your staff or (c) use some combination of the two? The decision requires some serious analysis of the time and expenses associated with all three options. Consultants may be pricey, but they may be the best choice when the future of your business is riding on the project's outcome.

In this third issue of our IT Agenda series, you'll find the tools to make the decisions and get management buy-in. The first steps are determining whether the project is sufficiently strategic to warrant a consultant's expertise, then defining the deliverables.

Next comes choosing the right firm. Often, this process involves research and recommendation. You'll want to learn about the candidates' areas of IT and vertical-industry expertise (see a rundown for 12 top firms in "Meet the Consultants"), how experienced their consultants are and the size of their businesses. You'll also need to learn, from experience and recommendation, how well the consultants are likely to get along with your staff. This last point is critical, as the consultants must ultimately transfer their knowledge. Otherwise, you'll keep paying the big bucks long after the hard work is done.