An IT consultant requires a broad set of skills in business analysis, solutions development, network infrastructure, data, cyber security etc. You will use your consulting skills in order to advise clients on how to best utilise technology to meet their business objectives, overcome problems and increase productivity. You provide strategic guidance to clients with regard to technology and facilitate changing business processes through enhancements to technology solutions. You will provide technical assistance, and are often responsible for providing training.

Pre-requisite ECM3435 IT Consulting 1

The aim of this module is to extend your knowledge and skills in IT consulting with further exposure to real-world cases, addressing more advanced process and workflow design and improvement, enhancing your skills in dealing with clients and influencing others, and giving an introduction to support operations.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge.

1. Perform technical process improvement tasks in a range of environments to solve business problems.

2. Present optimised solutions to improve business process and workflows through improved technology.

3. Recommend options based upon risks, costs vs benefits, and impact on other business processes.

4. Participate in walk-throughs for IT, to identify and document key risks within a client’s organisation.

5. Support training of end-users in preparation for system activation.

6. Evaluate the success of a new system, process, initiative, etc.

7. Define system level business requirements by interviewing staff  

8. Prepare detailed specifications for all requests for development/modification to the system.

9. Perform scoping processes such as definition of approach, scope and resource requirements

10. Manage relationships and interact with multiple levels within a client organisation

11. Liaise with delivery project managers and manage client expectations

12. Ensure that implementation and support issues are appropriately escalated and that those problems are progressed in a timely manner

13. Evaluate the success of a new system, process, initiative, etc. applying measurements

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge

14. Understand how consulting ties into project management, business analysis and business management

15. Develop the barriers to solving problems or maximizing opportunities

16. Present recommendations and influence action

17. Apply the different structured process approaches for consulting

18. Frame/define business problems objectively before solving them

19. Understand the importance of setting and agreeing expectations

20. Discover hidden requirements using probing techniques to establish trust, using open- and closed-ended questions effectively, and avoiding leading questions

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge

21. Communicate orally and in writing

22. Solve problems creatively

23. Think analytically and critically

24. Organise your own work

25. Work to a deadline

26. Collaborate and negotiate

27. Make decisions

Introduction (2 weeks)

•          Introduction to case studies used throughout module

•          Advanced problem-solving techniques

Business process and workflow improvement (4 weeks)

•          Optimising processes and workflows

•          Change management; introducing improved technology solutions

•          Evaluating the success of a new system, process, initiative, etc.; measuring improvement

Managing client relationships (2 weeks)

•          Communication; interacting with multiple levels within a client organisation

•          Managing client expectations

Influencing (3 weeks)

•          Selling and negotiation skills

•          Presenting recommendations and influencing action

•          Addressing risks, costs vs benefits, and impact on business processes

Supporting system use (1 week)

•          End-user training e.g. in preparation for system activation

•          Dealing with and escalating implementation and support issues

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be deferred in the assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you may be required to sit a referral. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 40%.

ELE: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk

Reading list for this module: