The Chicken Bone Syndrome
If there’s one apprehension that virtually
all prospects and clients share when it comes to hiring a
technology consultant, it’s the Chicken Bone Syndrome.
Let’s explain.
You’ve seen the expert’s presentation. His capabilities have been demonstrated. The proposal is comprehensive and professional. He’s a personable sort with good references.
But the very reason you want to hire him causes you the most anxiety. He’s got the technology “chicken bones.” How often will you have to call on him to wave his chicken bones over the software to make it work? How much bone-waving is involved in setting up a new employee on the system? What if he goes on vacation and takes the chicken bones with him? What’s the one question or objective that’s not being considered that could double the original budget some time in the future?
Well, Project Management Solutions develops customized systems using Filemaker Pro, a database program that “handles typical database-administration tasks automatically – with little need for a trained administrator (i.e. “near lights-out administration”)” according to Aberdeen Group, a leading IT market analysis firm. So the program itself is stable. And our solutions have proven stable in multi-user environments processing thousands of records simultaneously.
But what about adding a new user, or changing a drop-down menu choice, or duplicating a form letter layout? As part of our service contract, or on an hourly basis, we’ll make the requested changes. There’s a short learning curve to these types of minor modifications and enhancements, and we could just as easily train a designated in-house database administrator to make them. The choice is yours.
It’s also part of your job to consider worst-case scenarios. What if the system malfunctions and the consultant is ill, on vacation, traveling or not returning calls? In our case, we’re associated with two other local Filemaker developers that are briefed on the structure and concepts behind our solutions should we need backup support.
And what about the questions you don’t know to ask, or the objectives yet to emerge? While it’s likely for issues to emanate in the course of development, they’re unlikely to alter the timetable, budget or primary objectives. Creating another report format or an extra database to separate prospects from clients may be part of the process of fine-tuning the solution.
So while we’re hired because of our expertise, we’re always willing to share it with our clients. We’re not inclined to “lock down” the software to prohibit user modification. We’ll be available to enhance the functionality, and empower our clients to do it themselves.
Chicken bones really aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, anyway.
(If you like our Chicken Bones essay, you'll love our Possum Bones...)
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