Class #2-4: Entry, Contracting and Proposal Writing

The Contract  What: a common understanding of help that will be provided by the consultant defines expectation the client and consultant have of each other - deliverables, needs, role each will play  Why: mutual agreement start the project off on the right track maximize efficiency of both parties avoid surprises

An Exercise (from a true story!) You are a junior at an engineering college. You are currently working your 3rd co-op block at a manufacturing company. Your current assignment is as a manufacturing engineer for a particular product. You have primary responsibility for the cost and quality of the product. Recently your products have been having problems in the assembly and test area. You decide to investigate to determine the nature and causes of the problems - procedures, design, training, tooling, methods, whatever. Your boss (Mfg Engrg Dept Head) has approved the study and asked you to report back to him once the study is complete. You spend 3 days in assembly and test collecting data. This is done through observation of the workers, reading documents, examining quality data, etc. You discover that productivity is below standard, procedures are not consistently followed, and corrective action for quality problems occurs inconsistently. These findings, along with recommendations to correct them, are documented in a report that is sent to key management personnel. Feedback from your boss on the report is positive, and he encourages you to implement the recommendations. The next day you begin working on the recommendations. What happens next?

The Contracting Meeting  Purpose is to define objectives and mutual expectations  Consultant controls meeting by leading client through a set of pre-planned questions - consultant talks little, listens carefully, takes notes  Consultant seeks to understand the problem, key issues, timeframe, etc.  Consultant may only get enough information to do an initial scoping, and come back later for a more complete contract

Consultant strives to manage both process and content issues:  Process how is the meeting going? am I getting answers? how does the client seem to feel about me being here? how am I feeling? (anxious, excited, concerned, optimistic?)  Content is the problem well defined? is there data? how long has the problem been visible? has anyone else worked on it? The Contracting Meeting

Some Additional Notes on Contracting  Re-contracting  Client identification

Who is the client? Boss ConsClient Boss Cons Boss Cons Client Boss Client Boss Client You get boss’s perception You get somebody else’s perception Middleman Client Did the boss and client talk? Don’t assume they did Selling mode, boss’s expectations may not be shared by client. Tough situation - work out with your boss Neither client nor consultant has chosen this activity

The solution to identifying the client  Recognize the situation  Explore each side of the triangle or rectangle  Make personal, direct contact with the client - this is a MUST “You cannot contract with anyone not in the room.” Who is the real decision maker? The user of the deliverable? The person accountable for the objective? Beware of the “boss behind the curtain”

Balancing Client’s & Consultant’s Needs  Consultants tend to think only of client’s needs, but....  consultants have needs too, for example: access to key people, information let me know of changes return my calls solve priority problems do your action items on time performance feedback  projects can suffer when consultant’s needs are not met  needs must be expressed, not assumed to be known by client

Expressing Needs  some “wants” may become “musts” as negotiations proceed: CONSULTANT: “the project team should meet weekly” CLIENT: “I want to meet on an ad-hoc basis” CONSULTANT: “we can agree to bi-weekly, but without planned meetings, decision making will not occur the way it needs to”

These steps tend to work well: 1. state your need clearly and simply (avoid justification at this point) 2. be quiet and let the client respond - listen for a yes or no Expressing Needs

Class Exercise Part 1: Doing your homework Using De Beers as your potential client, plan contracting meeting, sell your services, provide a post-meeting follow-up. –Ask questions to understand buyer needs, wants, vulnerabilities –Assess chance of success –What are your needs and wants? What do you need to know? –De-brief each other.