Consulting: New Approaches

With the arrival of Project Vincent on the Iowa State campus during the summer of 1990, came a tremendous consulting burden. It was imperative that they become innovative in their approach to end-user support if they were to survive. Built into Project Vincent ISU's implementation of MIT's Project Athena was a means of providing consulting via an electronic mechanism. Online consulting provided a mechanism for any Project Vincent user to submit an open question for the consultants . While online consulting use was gaining acceptance, Iowa State became faced with yet another dilemma: how were they going to meet users' needs for support for which they have no expertise, and no foreseeable resources to dedicate to that support?

They turned to a mechanism that had already gained international recognition as a means of finding answers: newsgroups. When a new laser graphics camera was installed on campus, the user services staff was already so overcommitted that it was impractical to assign support duties for the camera. Since the Computation Center had been actively advertising the advantages of newsgroups, a local newsgroup specifically aimed at the new camera was started. Instead of advertising a name or phone number where users could find help, users were instructed to follow the newsgroup. Besides being the platform for submitting questions and obtaining answers, postings to the newsgroup were also used as a means of documentation. After using online consulting for several months, systems staff is currently revising the software to provide a number of features missing in the initial implementation.

Computer Software Consulting

As the market for computerized accounting systems grows, many accountants have identified computer consulting as a possible sideline or even an independent business. Deciding to establish a computer consulting practice involves more than simply hanging out a shingle. It's a complex process that requires decisions. Accountants typically choose to resell software or turnkey systems, act as qualified installers, or recommend specific systems.

Setting up a computer consulting practice can seem like a daunting task to the uninitiated. The terms are foreign, the alternatives numerous and the risks seem hard to anticipate and analyze. Many accounting firms are also faced with the decision whether or not to resell software. But today's newcomers to the computer consulting business have an advantage. They can draw on the experience of pioneers for practical advice and guidelines to shorten their learning cycle.

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