Posted: April 22nd, 2022

“What do I really know about my personal ‘consulting’ activities?”

“What do I really know about my personal ‘consulting’ activities?”
Computer Sciences and Information Technology

“What do I really know about my personal ‘consulting’ activities?”
IT consultation covers a wide range of perspective ranging from personal traits, knowledge and skills in the field, and the relevant strength to achieve the highest levels of success. The IT consultant main role entails the integrating of information technology in organizations and business and directing clients on the way to use IT efficiently and effectively to achieve the organizational goals, targets and objectives. The tasks played by the IT consultant require them to be knowledgeable, have an appropriate understanding of the IT systems, having excellent organizational skills and having effective communication skills. Equally important, the MSITM students are presumed to have acquired the relevant knowledge of information technology and its management in meeting the organizational goals and responsibilities and thus effectively perform in the IT consulting duties. However, on top of having the relevant knowledge one requires the consulting techniques to ensure that the knowledge and skills gained in Information technology can be effectively passed to the clients and other relevant parties. Success in IT consulting is dependent on different factors that ensure that the skills and knowledge gained in information technology can be transferred to the clients.
Importance of the role of the IT consultant and the IT unit as a consultant to the organization
The IT consultation plays a great and vital role in organizational development to ensure that an organization can effectively meet its goals and objectives by incorporating IT in their normal operations. First, the IT consultants, are tasked with coming up with a plan of action to address issues related to time scale and management of resources (Luftman and Zadeh, 2011). Business and other organizations face challenges regarding time and resource management resulting in failure and inability to meet targets and set goals. The IT consultants enable the organizations to develop time schedules for the responsibility and to effectively use the available resources in the organizations to meet the goals of the organization. In this case, the IT consultant needs to have the relevant IT knowledge and understanding of the organization in question. Consequently, the IT consultants are tasked with the monitoring the computer network and systems within an organization to ensure they operate effectively in line with the objectives and goals of the organization (Choi and Yoo, 2010). The failure of computer systems and networks derail the operations in business and organizations thus leading to failure or delays whose outcome is losses and reduced revenue. The IT consultant needs to come up with solutions that effectively link the computer system and network with the core goals of an organization. This fact requires the IT consultant to understand the needs of the business and be keen to ensure that the computer system and network are prioritized to meeting such goals. Furthermore, the IT consultants are tasked with the responsibility of understanding the nature and practices of a business and organization and the role of IT in such organization (Mukkamala and Razmerita, 2014). The act of understanding the business operations and nature enables the consultant to integrate the operations and the nature of the business with the information technology. The organizations can capitalize on the use of Information Technology in its operations and business practices thus achieving high levels of success and excellence. The IT consultant, in this case, needs to be keen and sharp to recognize and secure opportunities in the business that can use IT to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Additionally, the IT consultants have the role of liaising with the IT support members, software engineers and the client or owners of the business to ensure that the IT system and networks are streamlined to meet the goals and objectives of the business. The consultation services, in this case, ensure that the consultant links the thinking and operations of all parties to the IT system and network to ensure that the goals of the organization are effectively and efficiently met.
Important characteristics of an IT consultant
The IT consultant needs to have defined and unique characteristics to ensure that they can effectively and efficiently perform their duties and responsibilities. IT consultants need to have excellent and effective points of view to enable them to develop business solutions and link them with information technology (Van den Berg, 2004). Having a point of view means that IT consultants can effectively create an opinion and devise the best ways of implementing solutions or technologies. Consequently, the IT consultant needs to have the ability to promote choice and flexibility in the course of their consultation duties. The IT consultant needs to objectively advise their client on the choices they make and offer better solutions and choices to solve different problems (Joshi, Kshiti and Kristine, 2007). Flexibility means that the IT consultants can easily adopt a choice or solution that has success impacts in their organization. Furthermore, the IT consultant needs to have appropriate experience to ensure they can achieve high levels of success. The IT consultant needs to have served many clients and industries meaning they have acquired the best experience and best practices such that they can offer effective solutions to any problems that occur in the course of normal operations.
Personal strength and opportunity to make improvements in IT consulting
In the course of practice, I have developed and gained strengths in handling consulting services as well as noting areas and opportunities that need improvement. In this case, my consulting skills are informed by effective business and management skills that make it easy to understand the nature and model of every business and organization and thus integrate information technology is organizations. Understanding different business models ensure that I can go on with IT consulting operations with confidence. Consequently, I have exemplary technical and advisory skills that enable to identify problems and areas of inefficiency and offer effective solutions to such issues. Having effective technical skills makes it possible for me to note and identify issues and operations that derail and adversely affect the organization in meeting the targets and desired goals. In identifying the challenges I can come up with an effective solution to turn around the negative impacts to a matter of success. On the other hand, there I need to improve some aspects to ensure that I can capitalize on every opportunity in the course of offering IT consulting services. In this regard, I need to improve my ability to solve business and organizational problems outside the confines of IT. This approach to problems ensures one to think outside the box and develop an organizational business that can later be incorporated with IT prospects to improve the operations in a business.
Conclusion
IT consultation requires more than just having the IT skills and knowledge but also a wide range of humans, economic and social factors to experiences the desired type of success in the field. IT consultations entail ensuring that the computer system and network and other aspects of information technology are effectively intertwined to ensure different business solutions are met. IT consultants play vital roles in ensuring that organizations effectively incorporate IT in their different operations this requires one to have all the relevant skills both in IT and in the respective business or organization that one works for. Personal strengths are vital for they enable one to implement different strategies and policies in the interest of the organizations or business in question.
References
Choi, S. Y., Lee, H., & Yoo, Y. (2010). The impact of information technology and transactive memory systems on knowledge sharing, application, and team performance: a field study. MIS quarterly, 855-870.
Joshi, K. D., & Kuhn, K. M. (2007). What it takes to succeed in information technology consulting: Exploring the gender typing of critical attributes. Information Technology & People, 20(4), 400-424.
Luftman, J., & Zadeh, H. S. (2011). Key information technology and management issues 2010–11: an international study. Journal of Information Technology, 26(3), 193-204.
Mukkamala, A. M., & Razmerita, L. (2014). Which factors influence the adoption of social software? An exploratory study of indian information technology consultancy firms. Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 17(3), 188-212.
Van den Berg, A. (2004). Interactive information consulting system for South African small businesses: part 1. South African Journal of Information Management, 6(2).

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