Top 4 considerations to choose the best IT consulting firms

As organizations worldwide are actively spending towards digital innovation, the need for IT consulting is more demanding than ever. Numerous reports indicate that the revenue of the global IT consulting sector is expected to continue increasing with an annual rate of 4,42%, estimated to reach a market volume of US$92.95bn by 2029 (Statista). 

With uncertainty and fast-changing evolved, digital transformation has become a new norm for every business. Aside from staying competitive, business leaders and strategists should develop an efficient strategy aligned with desired goals, rather than investing in unnecessary technology. That’s when IT Consulting Firm joins to help businesses get their digital journey on the right track. 

Among the thousands of choices, how should you pick the right one? Refer to the article below for recommendations from NTQ Solution’s aspect! 

What is special about an IT Consulting Firm? 

While most companies are familiar with technical services, IT Consulting Firm associates with long-term business goals and visions. As the word means, IT Consulting Firm focuses on delivering a strategic approach, recommendations, and relevant coaching sessions that help businesses achieve their desired goals through effective digital transformation. Some IT companies consider consulting as one of their services, while others are positioning themselves as pure consulting firms. 

IT Consulting Firm often covers the following aspects:  

• Assess the overall clients’ digital infrastructure and its alignment with current business models and goals.
• Analyze the areas that can be improved or innovated to leverage digital transformation efficiency
• Provide strategic consultant to overall DX journey or specific aspects of cloud development, new tech integration, legacy transformation… 
• Facilitate training & guidance for business leaders/strategists to get used with new digital transformation practices & culture. 
• Implement, monitor & evaluate the effectiveness of the new strategy upon adoption.  

It’s important to note that not all the companies cover the exact scopes mentioned, depending on resources, capabilities, targeted domains… Refer to the section below to learn some recommendations before deciding your pick! 

Some criteria to consider before landing selection! 

Not every consulting firm is the same, though they share the same expertise in providing strategic approaches. Among thousands of companies, the shortlisted ones will be the best match. If you’re not sure where to start or are overwhelmed by numerous choices, take a look at some suggestions below as a reference for your final decision: 

1. Identify the “Why” factor

It’s crucial to determine why you need an IT consulting firm. You can identify yourself by analyzing the current digital transformation trends in your industry, evaluating the current state of your business digital landscape, and then identifying the areas that you want to address or further innovate (Eg: Overall Digitalization Strategy, Cloud Infrastructure, New Tech Integration, Data-driven Platform…). The more you clarify your needs, the better you get insights into finding the right partners. 

Upon shortlisting the “Why” objectives, it’s time to move on to the comprehensive process of checking the company lists! 

2. Narrow the search areas

As you’re clear on your own goals, you will be able to have a first sight into the criteria for choosing IT consulting partners. Instead of endless searching, you should navigate your search into the companies with relevant competencies to your goals. Some companies provide comprehensive DX strategy/solution, while others might have in-depth expertise in specific areas, such as cloud adoption, new business model development, and customer experience enhancement, digital transformation in logistic, BFSI, eCommerce innovation….

Aside from the key scopes, be sure to explore their methodologies, frameworks, and approaches to project management. Ensure that you can provide scalable solutions that can grow with your business.

Just like any other IT companies, NTQ Solution cultivates an unique approach to IT consulting service. Aside from comprehensive DX strategy, we offer an tailored service models for Logistic, BFSI & eCommerce sectors – The areas that we have in-depth knowledge, experts and partnership networks. Explore NTQ Solution’s approach to business technology consulting HERE

Sticking with the oriented goals is the most important key to picking the best choice for your business’s digital transformation. 

3. Expertise is the key

Digital transformation is often associated with long-term progress and might impact almost every aspect of business operations. Finding the right IT consulting firms is not easy when considering expertise as one of the most important factors. 

To assess the expertise of IT consulting firms, there are various conditions that you should rely on before making decisions. Refer to some elements below as a reference to your evaluation: 

• Look into the certifications/qualifications that the firms have achieved, and be sure to check if it’s issued by credible organizations or relevant to the industry they’re focusing on.
• Take a look at the track records and the successful case studies to gain better insights into the effectiveness of methodology, service models, and approach. 
• Explore how well the company is partnering with leading organizations/vendors 
• Schedule a direct meeting to review the firm’s team members, communication style, responsiveness, and capabilities to align with your business’s culture. 
• Look back at some of the references from previous clients to have a realistic review of the firms’ service quality, and reputation. Aside from speaking directly with the representatives, you can refer to some credible B2B review platforms, including Clutch, Trustpilot, Goodfirms…

4. Consider the cost and ROI

Before making your choice, it’s important to look into the cost and assess the future return on investment (ROI). Ensure that your investment is capable of gaining long-term benefits and generating a positive impact on your overall digital transformation strategy. 

Some of the considerations to take into account include pricing models, project timelines, and cost against the value delivered. Be sure to check if the IT consulting firms offer transparent pricing and fully understand of cost implications. 

Conclusion 

Picking the right IT Consulting partners requires careful research and comprehensive assessment of different elements, including the alignment of digital strategy with business goals and operation models, cost efficiency, and the credentials of IT Consulting firms. With the mentioned information above, we expect to help you ease the process of looking for the most appropriate partner to accelerate your DX goals.

Explore NTQ Solution’s approach to business technology consulting HERE