Consultant IT / IT Consultant

In domeniul tehnologiei informatiei, foarte multi sunt cei care zic ca sunt consultanti IT.
Si eu zic asta!
Dar ce este, si ce face, un consultant IT? Sunt destul de sigura ca multa lume cu pregatire non-tehnica, atunci cand doreste sa apeleze la un consultant IT, nici nu prea stie la ce sa se astepte de la el/ea. Sa incercam in continuare o "fisa postului" si/sau o definire a acestui tip de specialist IT:

In the IT field, there are so many people calling themselves IT Consultants.

I also call myself as one.

But what is, and what does, an IT Consultant? I am quite sure that, many non-technical people, when they want to "use" an IT Consultant, don't really know what to expect from him/her. So let's try to post some job description and/or some definition of this type of IT specialist:

Cum s-ar defini activitatea de consultanta IT
Consultanta IT lucreaza in parteneriat cu clientul; este un domeniu care se concentreaza asupra altor tipuri de afaceri pentru a le sfatui cum sa utilizeze tehnologia informatiei pentru a-si acoperi cat mai bine necesitatile si obiectivele afacerii. In multe situatii, activitatea de consultanta IT ofera si partea practica, de achizitie, implementare si administrare a sistemelor informatice ale clientului. Aici intram deja in outsourceing.

What is IT consultancy

IT Consultancy works in partnership with the client; it is an area which focuses on advising other types of business regarding the use of information technology, in order to meet the business needs and objectives. Quite often, IT consultancy also offers the practical part, besides advising, like: aquisition, deployment/implementing, and administering of the client's IT systems. Here starts the outsourceing.

De ce sa folosim consultanta IT?

• Pentru a beneficia de o privire externa obiectiva asupra problemelor IT existente sau potentiale.
• Pentru a avea acces la anumite tipuri de specializari pe care le au consultantii.
• Pentru a rezolva probleme de tip proiect, pentru care nu are rost sa avem proprii nostri angajati permanenti.
• Nu in ultimul rand, pentru a externaliza parti din activitatea IT, sau chiar toata activitatea.

Why use IT consultancy?

• To benefit from an external, more objective glance over the IT existing or potential issues.
• To gain access to the consultant's special expertise.
• To solve project-based IT issues, when hiring our permanent employees is not recommended/not required.
• Last but not least, to outsource parts of the IT activity, or the entire IT activity.

Activitatea generala a consultantului IT (aici intram in zona in care ne intalnim cu "fisa postului")

• Se intalneste cu clientul pentru a-l cunoaste, a-i intelege necesitatile IT si a-i determina cerintele. Consultantul IT poate fi implicat atat in dezvoltarea afacerii clientului cat si in activitati strict tehnice. 
• Lucreaza cu clientul pentru a defini proiectul - scop, specificatii.
• Colaboreaza cu personalul clientului la toate nivelurile necesare.
• Planifica resursele necesare (inclusiv de timp) si cerintele de hardware si software care vor constitui solutia problemei.
• Prezinta solutia sub forma unui raport scris, precum si verbal in cadrul unei intalniri.
• Achizitioneaza sistemele (soft si hard) atunci cand este necesar.
• Pune in aplicare solutia oferita si agreeata (instalare, testare, monitorizare).
• Pregateste documentatia necesara, ofera training pentru personalul clientului atunci cand este cazul.
• Pastreaza legatura ulterioara cu clientul inclusiv pentru feed-back.

General activity of the IT Consultant (here we hit the "job description" area)

• Meets with the client in order to know him, to understand his IT needs and to determine his requirements. The  IT consultant can be involved in the client's business development and/or in strictly technical activities.
• Works together with the client to define the project - specifications, goals.
• Works together with the client's staff at any needed levels.
• Plans all required resources (including timescale) and the hardware and software requirements, which will be part of the solution.
• Presents the solution both as a written report, and orally, during a meeting.
• Purchases the new systems (hardware, software), when necessary.
• Implements the agreed solution (implementing, testing, monitoring).
• Prepares all needed documentation, offers training to the client's staff when needed.
• Mentains the "after-sales" contact with the client, including for feed-back issues.

Sursele pentru acest articol:
Propria mea experienta.
Wikipedia.

Sources for this article:

My own experience.

Wikipedia.