How To Find A Network Architect You Can Trust

Unless you are part of a large blue chip company with substantial profits, it is difficult to build an IT Department with enough expertise and experience to cope with every eventuality. With this in mind it is often much more cost effective to employ consultants and outside businesses to assist with your network infrastructure requirements when the needs arise. This isnt such a bad thing as there are some exceptionally qualified professionals out there providing very valuable services.

However, how do you ensure that your business is getting the level of consultancy that it deserves? Having experienced how the market operates I have put together these steps to help you find the best architect for your situation.

1. Be aware of the questions they are asking During the initial introductory processes; be aware of the questions they are asking. Are they genuinely interested in your infrastructure or are they just searching for enough ammunition to locate your pain points and close the deal. Of course, providing a service is a business for the consultants and they are looking to create revenue through their skills. Despite this, a good company will only provide a service where they know they can act in the best interests of the client and create a win-win situation for both parties.

2. Speak with the Architect directly Unfortunately a lot of deals get closed with the knowledge and expertise of a dedicated sales/ pre-sales team who dazzle the business owner in the meeting and prove beyond argument that they are the best choice for the contract. This is great; however they are not the ones who turn up on site to implement the solution. Consultancy firms with huge growth spurts have to go on employment drives to ensure enough engineers are available to meet the orders of the super slick sales force. In cases like this they may have to recruit personnel quicker than the time it may take to wait for a quality candidate. I certainly wouldnt recommend penalising a company because they are successful but be aware of this happening. By meeting the engineer who will attend site you will have a better idea of how the project will unfold and more direct input.

3. Expect Qualifications and Accreditation Does the consultancy firm fully invest in their staff training or do they get them up to speed with the minimal level required to do the job? A quality firm will take their company reputation much more seriously than their annual turnover. A strong foundation will always provide a base to grow a company and gaining a reputation for not providing a quality service will gradually lead to a bankrupt business.

4. What is the company structure? Times are improving and so is the level of service the customer is able to demand, however it is still not that uncommon to find reseller/ consultancy outfits with a sales team that has more members than the technical team. The question that you have to ask yourself here is how committed are they to providing you with a genuine service? How difficult will it be to call out a support engineer if they sell you a maintenance contract? What will happen if the project goes over time, will they leave an unfinished job to start another contract?

5. Be wary of Sales teams that haggle over price A significant factor for getting a contract completed is the price. This is the way of the world and is not an issue that I can make disappear. If I could find the same service for two different prices, would I take the cheapest? Of course I would. As an individual it isnt easy to part with hard earned cash and businesses are exactly the same. The most important factor here is not the bottom line, it is value. BMW and Mercedes will always sell loads of cars despite being an expensive choice. Why? Because they provide the customer with value that exceeds the financial deficit. A quality consultancy firm knows they cannot effectively deliver their promises on a tight budget, and will walk away from a deal if price is the key concern. They will position their proposal at the best value they can offer from the outset. When a salesman enters into negotiation and agrees to consider shaving off margins and reducing costs, always ask where are they going to make that money back? Will it come at your expense or will you be lucky and leave them to short change someone else?

Discussing projects and potential contracts with outside consultants can be a potential minefield but it really doesnt have to be. The key is to look for the value in the proposal. Does it deliver everything you required for the budget you planned? If not, which one is going to give, the budget or the specific requirements of the project? There is no right answer here as at any given time they could both be right. Just make sure you are completely aware of the situation and make your judgments accordingly.

Dean Grimshawe is Head of Marketing at Toranet Ltd - The Network Security Specialists. Toranet work closely with businesses to provide an intricate balance between access and security. By optimizing this relationship companies are able to secure their infrastructure while still experiencing efficiency. This scenario produces the greatest return on investment for the client. For further information visit http://www.toranet.net

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