[oclug] Impressed!

[Raymond Wood]

On Fri, Jul 25, 2003 at 11:06:27AM -0400, Chris Herrnberger remarked:
> On Friday 25 July 2003 10:17, Raymond Wood wrote:
> 
> > Part of a consultant's job is to advocate for the *best*
> > solution, and if this means Debian over Redhat then that is
> > both "worthwhile", and "the right thing to do". 

> If you use this approach you will be very hungry, if you rely
> soley on your consulting engagements for income. 

My belly is full.  No I am not a full-time consultant  :)

> Reasons are simple. The best technical solution is not what
> the client requires in most cases unless specifically
> identified in a specification.  Typically its a blend of
> available budgets, expectations, defined requriements and
> other limitations imposed by both the operational and business
> environment of your client. In this arena, if bid fairley and
> competatively, opensource based solutions tend to be more
> successfull then propriatory solutions as they provides you
> the contractor with greater flexibility and capabilities to
> deliver. This does not however apply in all situation and
> settings and is soley determined by the specification. ie:
> what the client defines to you what they really want and have
> hired you to deliver.

I think it is simpler than that.  I think that these issues are
inevitably situational i.e. it simply depends on who you are
dealing with.  In the end you will be dealing either with those
clients who 'have ears to listen', and who will accept good
advice from their hired help, or else you are dealing with those
clients who are not interested in your opinion but rather demand
that you simply do a job as outlined.  Or somewhere in between ;)

So, one offers the best advice one is able, and that's that.

> A consultative engagement is not an immediate offering nor
> openning for advocacy. Integrity in the consulting world is
> achieved through compliance with a deliverable schedule, cost
> schedule, performance schedule and a specification. Doing the
> job right, means doing what the spec defines, within the
> limitations as defined, and adherance to budgets and cost
> schedules. (in short; job done to spec, a bit ahead of
> schedule, and a bit under budget.  Those are your targets for
> a definition of contractual excellence) This is the sole
> reason you have been retained from the clients perspective:
> your ability to "achieve excellence as defined by the client"

That depends entirely on the particular client.

If the client possesses a willingness to listen, then
consultants are in a position to offer more than the usual
'industry propoganda', and should attempt to do so.  If the
client 'has it all figured out', however, then of course a
consultant simply has to do 'paint by numbers' and deliver.

[snip]

Have Fun,
Raymond
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