You need to know, precisely, what you’re not capable of doing.

Do a Google search on “Statement of Work.” You’ll be hard pressed to find a definition that does not contain the phrase formal document. There’s a solid reason, and it has everything to do with success if you plan to partner with a world-class consultant for your next technology project.

Demand exceeds capacity when you’re an industry leader, especially in the IT consulting field. Studying project feasibility is like window shopping in front of a Starbucks at 7 o’clock in the morning. A barista isn’t going to wander out and ask you if you need assistance.

“Wow, that’s rude.”

What you just read may sound snobbish on the surface. So, the consultant I want to work with doesn’t want to give me the time of day unless I’m ready to write a check, huh?

It’s not about money. It’s about execution.

You’ll still undertake a considerable amount of planning and brainstorming after you engage a consultant. It’s their job to ensure that your technology project is successful. They’ll challenge your assumptions and poke holes in your plan.

But they need something to poke holes in. A concept isn’t enough.

Consultants—particularly those specializing in IT project implementation—structure their organizations to implement. They have a proven record of accomplishment for taking a Statement of Work and breaking it down into the recipe that delivers a project on time, and on budget.

The project often moves an organization outside its core capabilities.

Knowing what you are capable of doing

After you complete the Statement of Work for a project, you’ll have a document that defines the scope of your objective. It forces you to think all the way through, as you’ll define deliverables, costs, and your timeline.

The most important thing it forces you to do is figure out the resources—talent-wise—you need. This information is crucial for a consultant. They need to know what you can and cannot do.

At the macro level, it starts with knowing if the project moves your organization outside of its core capabilities—and there’s no better reason to partner with a consultant. Creating a detailed Statement of Work document focused on required resources takes you down to the granular level.

A consultant will still undertake due diligence, but you will have a document that lays the ground rules. You’ve identified the stakeholders. You’ve allocated company resources to support the project.

You are committed, to the point of your organization’s ability to support the project. Now your consultant can build the bridge that connects your resources with what they will provide to carry the project to completion.

The most successful Statement of Work documents are detailed and specific. They identify strengths, and call out deficits. They take the organization’s past accomplishment timelines into consideration to predict time and resources needed to complete the project. Even so, these documents are supportive of flexibility. That’s important. All projects must allow for evolution.

While you can’t predict that evolution, you should know your operating parameters. Those are things a consultant can’t help you with. You must bring those to the table.

The Consultis approach

We specialize in finding the talent that will take your project blueprint and turn it into a reality. We’ve been doing that for more than 32 years now, so we have a firm understanding of what we need to find that talent.

It’s why we consider a Statement of Work to be the critical “Do not pass Go” step you must complete at the very start of any technology project. IT-based projects often begin as fragile and interdependent efforts until the foundation is completed. Then the robust building and growth begins.

We need to know not only what technology talent you need, but why.

It’s how we execute.