 O U R C O N S U L T A N T S
S A Y
A day in the life of a CDG consultant
Many of our consultants begin their consulting career with us.
Often they have worked in large companies, but have not performed
the role of an external consultant.
If you've never been a consultant, you may wonder what it's like.
To give you a taste of what the consultant's life includes, we asked
one of our consultants, Joan Bergstrom, to provide an account of
one of her weeks. During the week Joan describes, she is the only
CDG consultant at the account, and she is working with the client's
team.
Here's what she wrote.
D day minus 2
This is my first day returning to this client after a month's absence.
We spent months on this project. Then I took a brief hiatus (while
they made final preparations for the implementation). Now I am returning
for conversion ("D day").
After moving around to different clients and computers, sometimes
it gets a little confusing. I am trying to remember how to log on!
Ah, that's better, back in gear.
Get out that planning checklist and start checking!
Get ready for a status meeting. This is the final scheduled meeting
before D day. (My e-mail went kaput and I can't print any documents.
Did this PC know that today was a very important day?) I dash to
the meeting in a rush.
D day minus 1
Got to work early today. Since this is D day minus 1, I want to
be especially well prepared! Before I can pour myself a cup of coffee,
I bump into a manager. He is asking some tough questions. (These
are good questions.) I haven't had my first cup of coffee and haven't
even settled in yet. I must act alert and awake and return some
very good answers. I think I do okay. We have proved ourselves to
this client over multiple projects. He is still worried. Perhaps
I haven't reassured him enough? Perhaps it is Y2K mania?
Back to that checklist, still checking!
D day
It is pretty routine, yet exciting at the same time. We are very
well prepared. The planning was well worth it! We get the files
converted. Just a few minor glitches, but so minor they are less
than some of our "typical days."
D day plus 1
Yesterday's conversion took all day. We have reserved an entire
day (today) for post-conversion validation and shakedowns. This
is a fine team who have proven themselves in the past. I have confidence
in our crew. You can't expect perfection, but we expect to be mighty
close. The problems are minimal, but it is a busy, hectic day.
- I answer one question simultaneously while my fingers are running
tests to prove the answer to a second question, while I have notes
pinned to my shirt reminding me to get back to the folks in the
next room (I think they had some questions).
- My blood sugar is dropping and I gotta stop and eat.
- Hey, go back to that checklist, it has been working well so
far. Stick to the plan!
- The troops have been focused and flexible and reviewing conversion
data thoroughly all day long. The results have been looking pretty
good, not perfect, but 99% great.
- Management asks me to extend my engagement for another two weeks.
We decide to wait and see how the balance of this week turns out
before changing schedules.
- I must act with confidence. Perhaps I have gone too far and
even been a bit cocky. In truth, I will be on pins and needles
until we produce the first payroll, but I must have faith and
instill confidence in my client. Since we weren't the first Y2K
project we will be judged by someone else's standards (or problems).
Maybe I didn't do enough to make them comfortable. Perhaps reassuring
them has been the hardest part of the conversion.
- The troopers keep plugging. The questions get answered. The
minor mistakes get fixed.
- Folks are thanking me and shaking my hand. I've never had all
these people congratulate and thank me simultaneously, never.
Wow. It isn't even over yet and they are saying thank you! Golly,
I can't wait for that first payroll!
And yes, we all go home in time for dinner! Guess we did all right.
If you'd like to find out more about what it's like to be a CDG
consultant, contact
us.
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