In the early days of consulting, on-site consultants directly contributed to project success. Like all work involving multiple teams, businesses saw in-person collaboration as the most efficient practice. But with technological advancements and the growth of the remote worker, this is no longer the case. Working with a remote consultant can be just as beneficial than working with one in the office, if not more so. We’ve done both at Ntegro, and we’ve seen these benefits firsthand. If you have any doubts about working with a remote consultant, we’ve compiled some of them here.
Talent Availability
Often times, the best consulting firm for a project is not in the immediate vicinity of a client’s office. This forces companies with consulting projects to settle for local consultants, even if they are under qualified. Working with a remote consultant allows companies to choose from a larger pool of companies, ultimately selecting the best consultant for the job.
Additionally, remote consultants are able to hire their staff from all around the world. Because they can source talent from virtually anywhere, they are able to compile all-star teams filled with subject matter experts. By working remotely, companies can staff flexibly and hire the all-around best employees.
Extended Hours
In addition to staffing efficiently, consultants who hire internationally often provide support for multiple time zones. While not completely necessary, it can be beneficial to be able to communicate with a consulting firm at any hour of the day. As soon as a company needs an update or an issue surfaces, companies can contact the consultant rather than having to wait until the next business day. For some projects that require extended timeframes for project monitoring and support, a consultant’s extended availability can be extremely beneficial.
Cost Savings
Another benefit of working with a remote consultant is that companies can save on overhead costs. Rather than paying travel expenses for a consultant to come on-site, they can spend this money elsewhere to help their business. Companies can also use the time saved on travel for productive means instead. In traditional on-site consulting projects, companies pay for every hour that a consultant is in the office, even if they aren’t actively working. This can happen when internal meetings are necessary to discuss the project while the consultant is left idle and waiting. With remote engagements, consultants will only bill for active working hours. Especially for extended engagements, the cost savings can be substantial.
Agile Project Methodology
While traditional consulting used a very straightforward waterfall project methodology, the agile method has recently grown in popularity. In the past, consultants would meet with a client on-site to gather requirements and lock them in, delivering at a later date. Paying for the consultant to remain on-site for prolonged periods of time was expensive and inefficient. However, this often resulted in companies rushing and providing incomplete requirements, causing the overall project to suffer.
With the agile methodology, consultants engage with their clients in a continuous feedback loop. Consultants gather and deliver a portion of the requirements before moving onto the next iteration. This allows the company to adjust the deliverable early on, making it easier to apply these adjustments in real-time. However, agile is much friendlier towards remote consulting, as requirement meetings and feedback sessions can be held online. The alternative would be to either pay for the consultant to be in the office for the entire project or to be brought in every time an iteration finishes.
Working Like A Global Company
Many companies already employ remote workers or have offices in different locations. And as an industry, we are still discovering the best practices for working remotely. However, remote consultants must work in this space every day. As a result, they’ve already developed the tools to manage and work with remote teams. Working with a remote consultant can actually improve a company’s remote work abilities by introducing them to existing and proven methods. By simply experiencing how a remote consultant conducts its business, an organization can develop its own strategies for increased remote productivity. As a global business, Ntegro has faced many remote challenges, and we’ve developed techniques and procedures to deal with them so you don’t have to.
Work Remotely With Ntegro
If you’re looking for a Salesforce consultant to help you with implementation, integration, or custom development, Ntegro can help. We provide remote consulting services so you can benefit from everything listed in this article! We truly believe in finding the best people for our company so we can provide the best services to our customers. If you’d like to learn more about our offerings, check out our services or reach out to us online for a free consultation!
Have you worked with a remote consultant before? What were some of the unexpected benefits? Comment below to share!
