Кубр Милан Консалтинг
13.4 Quality of information systems
The traditional measures of success in any business project are time, cost and quality; but what does “quality” mean in the context of information systems and how can consultants help with quality assurance?
A prerequisite for quality is a strategic and business analysis, as described in the previous section; but this is not enough. C. K. Prahalad and M. S. Krishnan4 distinguish three aspects of quality:
Содержание
- FOREWORD
- Plan of the book
- ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
- 1.1What is consulting?
- 1.3How are consultants used? Ten principal ways
- 1.5Evolving concepts and scope of management consulting
- THE CONSULTING INDUSTRY
- 2.1A historical perspective
- 2.2The current consulting scene
- 2.3Range of services provided
- 2.4Generalist and specialist services
- 2.6Internal consultants
- 2.7Management consulting and other professions
- 2.8Management consulting, training and research
- 3.1Defining expectations and roles
- 3.2The client and the consultant systems
- 3.4Behavioural roles of the consultant
- 3.5Further refinement of the role concept
- 3.6Methods of influencing the client system
- 3.7Counselling and coaching as tools of consulting
- CONSULTING AND CHANGE
- 4.1Understanding the nature of change
- 4.3Gaining support for change
- 4.4Managing conflict
- 4.5Structural arrangements and interventions for assisting change
- CONSULTING AND CULTURE
- 5.1Understanding and respecting culture
- 5.2Levels of culture
- 5.3Facing culture in consulting assignments
- 6.2The professional approach
- 6.3Professional associations and codes of conduct
- 6.4Certification and licensing
- 6.5Legal liability and professional responsibility
- ENTRY
- 7.1Initial contacts
- 7.2Preliminary problem diagnosis
- 7.3Terms of reference
- 7.5Proposal to the client4
- 7.6The consulting contract
- DIAGNOSIS
- 8.1Conceptual framework of diagnosis
- 8.2Diagnosing purposes and problems
- 8.3Defining necessary facts
- 8.4Sources and ways of obtaining facts
- 8.5Data analysis
- 8.6Feedback to the client
- ACTION PLANNING
- 9.1Searching for possible solutions
- 9.2Developing and evaluating alternatives
- 9.3Presenting action proposals to the client
- IMPLEMENTATION
- 10.3 Training and developing client staff
- 10.4Some tactical guidelines for introducing changes in work methods
- 10.5 Maintenance and control of the new practice
- 11.1 Time for withdrawal
- 11.3 Follow-up
- 12.1Nature and scope of consulting in corporate strategy and general management
- 12.2 Corporate strategy
- 12.3 Processes, systems and structures
- 12.4 Corporate culture and management style
- 13.1 The developing role of information technology
- 13.3An overall model of information systems consulting
- 13.4 Quality of information systems
- 13.5 The providers of IT consulting services
- 13.6 Managing an IT consulting project
- 14.1 Creating value
- 14.3 Working capital and liquidity management
- 14.5 Mergers and acquisitions
- 14.7 Accounting systems and budgetary control
- 15.1 The marketing strategy level
- 15.2 Marketing operations
- 15.3 Consulting in commercial enterprises
- CONSULTING IN E-BUSINESS
- 16.1 The scope of e-business consulting
- 16.4 Dot.com organizations
- 17.1 Developing an operations strategy
- 17.2 The product perspective
- 17.3 The process perspective
- 17.4 The human aspects of operations
- 18.2 Policies, practices and the human resource audit
- 18.3 Human resource planning
- 18.6 Human resource development
- 18.7 Labour–management relations
- 18.8 New areas and issues
- 19.1 Managing in the knowledge economy
- 19.2 Knowledge-based value creation
- 19.3 Developing a knowledge organization
- 20.1Shifts in productivity concepts, factors and conditions
- 20.2 Productivity and performance measurement
- 20.4Designing and implementing productivity and performance improvement programmes
- 20.5Tools and techniques for productivity improvement
- 21.1 Understanding TQM
- 21.3 Principles and building-blocks of TQM
- 21.6 ISO 9000 as a vehicle to TQM
- 21.7 Pitfalls and problems of TQM
- 22.1 What is organizational transformation?
- 22.2 Preparing for transformation
- 22.3 Strategies and processes of transformation
- 22.4 Company turnarounds
- 22.5 Downsizing
- 22.8 Joint ventures for transformation
- 22.10 Networking arrangements
- 22.14 Pitfalls and errors to avoid in transformation
- 23.1 The social dimension of business
- 23.2 Current concepts and trends
- 23.3 Consulting services
- 23.5Consulting in specific functions and areas of business
- 24.1 Characteristics of small enterprises
- 24.4 Areas of special concern
- 24.6 Innovations in small-business consulting
- 25.1 What is different about micro-enterprises?
- 25.3 The special skills of micro-enterprise consultants
- 26.1 The evolving role of government
- 26.5 Some current challenges
- 27.1 The management challenge of the professions
- 27.2 Managing a professional service
- 27.3 Managing a professional business
- 27.4Achieving excellence professionally and in business
- 28.2 The scope of client services
- 28.3 The client base
- 28.5 Going international
- 28.6 Profile and image of the firm
- 28.7 Strategic management in practice
- 29.1 The marketing approach in consulting
- 29.2 A client’s perspective
- 29.3 Techniques for marketing the consulting firm
- 29.4Techniques for marketing consulting assignments
- 29.5 Marketing to existing clients
- 29.6 Managing the marketing process
- COSTS AND FEES
- 30.1 Income-generating activities
- 30.2 Costing chargeable services
- 30.5 Fair play in fee-setting and billing
- 30.8 Billing clients and collecting fees
- ASSIGNMENT MANAGEMENT
- 31.1 Structuring and scheduling an assignment
- 31.2 Preparing for an assignment
- 31.3 Managing assignment execution
- 31.4 Controlling costs and budgets
- 31.5 Assignment records and reports
- 31.6 Closing an assignment
- 32.1 What is quality management in consulting?
- Box 32.2 Responsibility for quality
- 32.2Key elements of a quality assurance programme
- 32.3 Quality certification
- 33.1 Operating workplan and budget
- 33.2 Performance monitoring
- 33.3 Bookkeeping and accounting
- 34.1Drivers for knowledge management in consulting
- 34.4 Sharing knowledge with clients
- 35.1 Legal forms of business
- 35.2 Management and operations structure
- 35.3 IT support and outsourcing
- 36.1 Personal characteristics of consultants
- 36.2 Recruitment and selection
- 36.3 Career development
- 36.4 Compensation policies and practices
- 37.1 What should consultants learn?
- 37.3 Training methods
- 37.4Further training and development of consultants
- 37.6 Learning options available to sole practitioners
- PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
- 38.1 Your market
- 38.2 Your profession
- TERMS OF A CONSULTING CONTRACT
- CONSULTING AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
- WRITING REPORTS
- SUBJECT INDEX