IT Consulting in Tough Times

The core elements of a consulting organization are its people, clients and profitability. To have a thriving consulting organization, it’s important to have the right mix of these three elements. This book looks at these elements and defines 12 metrics that are important for the success of an IT consultancy. It’s aimed at both new as well as seasoned consultants. These include client satisfaction, utilization, people resources, average billing rate, accounts receivable, costs, discounts, pipeline, backlog, sales hit ratio, leverage, and risk exposure. 

S N   A   P   S   H O   T Price : Rs 249 Author : Sanjiv Purba and Bob Delaney Contact : Wiley Dreamtech India, Delhi.  E-mail : wdt@vsnl.net  Tel : 23260877, 23270877.

The book is divided into four parts, where the first covers the best practices of an IT consulting, second gets into selling client businesses and engagements, third gets into delivering client engagements successfully, and finally the last part is all about running an IT consulting group or practice. Some explanations in the book are very practical and useful, especially for new consultants. However, some are very text bookish, and would be better explained in other more marketing specific books. Seasoned consultants would probably be familiar with most of the information given in the book, but may find it as a good refresher. As the book’s name suggests, consultancy organizations that are surfing troubled waters may like to go through some of the advices given as an aid to determine where they’re going wrong.

Anil Chopra