Finding the Right Consultants for Your Team

In a previous blog post I wrote about the two most important success factors for SAP projects: upper management support for the project, and the quality of the people on the project teams. It's sort of odd, but I've found over the years that project managers often have a hard time sorting through consultant applications to find the right ones to bring on the project. Here are a few things I recommend to help make sure you get the best qualified consultants:

1. Try to avoid hiring consultants who are fairly new on the part of the system you need help with. Sure, every consultant is new at some point, and they have to learn not only by training but also experience. But, you don't have to be the one they get their experience from. Look for experience not only with the technical system but also with business processes and business terms; for example: if your Time/Payroll candidate doesn't know what FLSA is and how it affects you, it might be best to keep looking.
2. Just about every consulting position is important. It used to be that the least experienced consultants would get assigned to the Personnel Admin (PA) or Organization Management (OM) modules, since those modules are widely viewed as simpler than Benefits, Time, and Payroll. But that is a mistake: PA and OM form the foundation for the rest of the system, and you need experienced consultants to help make sure it is put together correctly.
3. Communication skills are critical! The consultant needs to be able to communicate well not only with their immediate project team, but also with end-users. If possible, include an end-user on your interview team (you need to have interview teams!). Communication is a two-way street - the consultant needs to be able to express themselves clearly as well as understand what others are telling them.
4. Be sure to check some references! Give them a call and talk to them about the consultant. If your phone call is not returned, that probably means the customer doesn't want to give a bad reference - so take that as the bad reference it is. In my experience, customers don't mind giving references for consultants that did a good job for them. It's amazing to see how many consultants get hired without even a few basic reference checks. And these reference checks are also a great way to start networking with others who have gone down the road you are about to travel!
5. If a consultant isn't working out, give them some feedback and a chance to improve - but be firm about setting a follow-up review. If they still are not working out, cut them from the project. Project teams can't afford to waste a lot of time and resources - or achieve an inferior work product - for very long, so move swiftly.

Eventually, you will find the right consultants for your team. Remember when negotiating rates, you get what you pay for. The penny-wise/pound-foolish maxim holds true for project teams. In fact, inferior consulting can hobble your SAP system for years, driving up maintenance costs while restricting flexibility to meet new business requirements.