Business Consultants

Archive for May, 2011

It doesn’t take a lot of research to find out that in this day and age, virtually every business of any real size has developed some form of internet presence.  Now, for many businesses, that may mean little more than an online business card that can be used to get the phone number and store location of the business into the mind of the prospective customer.  But in this new century, the idea of having a business without a corresponding web page to support it is pretty much out of the question.

But if you look at the two business worlds, the internet business environment and that outside of cyberspace, there are some pretty big differences.  While many companies like bookstores or concert ticket promoters have learned to build what might be viewed as parallel universes in which their business operations are just as sophisticated online as outside of cyberspace, other businesses have just not found that balance.

But as the legitimacy of the internet as a valid marketplace and business tool becomes more understood, more and more businesses are learning that cyberspace can become another valuable part of an overall marketing plan that drives business to the store shelves directly from their internet web presence.

So just as that billboard or newspaper coupon program are just as much part of the businesses corporate plan, that online effort out there in on the corporate web site can become a vital part of the stores operation so much so that the store manager will come to depend on the sales driven by the internet.  To that store manager they will look for cyberspace on aisle five as a vital part of their plan for business success.

There is a systematic process that businesses go through to use the internet as a way of capturing web traffic and turning it into store traffic.  Make no mistake, there is one principle that should seem evident but is the key to turning cyber visitors to in store shoppers and that is that – Internet Shoppers are People Too!

When a businessperson looks at those strange internet traffic reports that show that they web site has X number of “hits” and that Z number of web browsers went to Y number of web pages, all of that cyberspace mumbo jumbo just means that X number of PEOPLE were on your web site and looked at Y number of products or web page advertisements or services.  And those PEOPLE are the same living and breathing humans who will walk in the front door of your store and buy products and services from you.

All we need to do is devise methods to drive those internet shoppers off of their computers and into the businesses retail operations.  And more and more you are seeing a businesses trend of internet promotions that are geared to put the customers feet down in the retail space.  Some great methods for doing that are…

*    Online coupons that can be redeemed only in the retail store.
*    Online sales that can be picked up in the store.  Many online shoppers might prefer to have the product shipped to them.  So you will have to “sweeten the pot” by making shipping charges out of the question or by adding a promotion if the customer picks up his or her purchase in person.
*    Contests.  Need we say more?
*    By promoting special events that will occur in the store.  You can stage a major cyberspace promotional campaign for a book signing of an author or celebrity that will occur live at the store itself.  The costs of the promotion and having the in store event will be offset by the increased sales.

If your web site routinely uses promotions that result in positive incentives to the customer to come to the store, before long a customer base of loyal consumers will get used to first going online to see what this week’s big deal is and then going to the store to cash in.  That kind of ongoing momentum is what makes such a synergy such a success and what makes even customers come to your retail outlet and look for “cyberspace on aisle five.”

The project scope is the core of an individual project.  Without a project scope the project will just float.  Proper needs assessments and other intricate details will be overlooked.  Each project is designed to resolve issues the stakeholders are experiencing in their company.  These well meaning individuals will dump data and information charts, lists and figures presumptuously on the desk expecting it to all make sense.  The “here’s the problem, fix it” attitude can be frustrating.  There are numerous feature requirements which must be met.  It is unclear as to what to prioritize where.  Cost estimates may not be accurate.  Delivery dates are tentative.  It is enough to make someone through up their hands in desperation and say “I QUIT!”.  The trained business analyst will just grin and dive in.  He or she will know what is needed is a project scope.

The project scope is the outline of the project.  The project scope is considered the itinerary of an individual project program.  The project scope is the step by step guide to determine who, what, why, when, and where.  It will be able to define to the stakeholders what they want to have done.  It will be able to list who will be doing which job.  The project scope will list why each step is critical to success of the project.  It will also address the time frame as to when the project should be completed.

The project scope will detail for the stakeholders outside resources being utilized for completion of individual tasks.  Each development team will be able to view the project scope and see what is required of them.  The project scope will also detail needs assessment and cost estimates.

Each project scope will be able to address technical constraints the stakeholders may or may not be aware of.  Within the project scope a detailed report of end user requests will also be added.  This will allow the stakeholders to understand why certain aspects of the project program are different than anticipated.

The project scope is an itinerary listing short term and long term expectations.  Short term goals will be listed allowing the stakeholders to check each milestone.  The project scope will also include a prioritized listing of essential requirements or features needed for short term and long term success of the project program.

One of the most critical reports in the project scope is the vision statement.  The vision statement will define in clear and concise wording the project scope.  The vision statement will allow the stakeholders to understand the problem and the solution needed.  The vision statement will state the user needs in clear terms.  The program features will be outlined in the vision statement.

The project scope is the “do to” list of the program.  A sort of brainstorming, or in some cases, model storming which allows all parties involved to be able to follow along.  Each department along with the stakeholders will be able to refer to the project scope throughout the completion of the project.  Without the project scope the project has no start or end point.  The project will most likely fail.

No computer consulting business can afford to be sitting at a client site, running up a big bill, staring at a blue-screen-of-death, facing an angry mob of irate users and sitting on hold for two hours with tech support.

This scenario is your absolute worst nightmare in running a computer consulting business and can be the kiss of death to your client relationship.

The Need for Good Vendor Technical Support

Good vendor technical support will preserve your credibility as a computer consulting business during times of crisis.  No matter how experienced you are at PC hardware troubleshooting, calling on a specialist is a necessity.

Understand What Is Offered

Rather than get an unpleasant surprise when you need help the most, get the lowdown on vendor technical support before you make the purchase recommendation.  Although many top PC vendors have similar capabilities and services, ask about included technical support services, and preferably get a description of them in writing.

Ask Questions

As a computer consulting business, you will want to ask questions to determine the reliability of PC vendor technical support.  Find out if they are available by phone, if the technical support phone number is toll-free and if the support is free or not.

Also, find out if there are different technical support phone numbers for different products.

In operating your computer consulting business, you will also want to know if vendor technical support has 24/7 support in case you have a need for emergency support.  Ask if online tech support resources are available as well.

Deal With a Specialist

As a computer consulting business, you want direct, rapid access to a specialist who deals with nothing but that particular product all day.  So test the technical support group’s responsiveness at a time when your heart isn’t racing in the heat of a client server-down emergency.

Also, PC Magazine (http://www.pcmag.com/) regularly evaluates PC vendors’ technical support quality, so this is a good resource to look into.