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Excel consulting services can be used to develop the use of information and other data flows in your business. Excel is a very versatile program that can be configured to specifically fit the needs and internal processes of your business. Efficient use of information has many advantages.
Using Excel consultants to review and develop your Excel usage can save you and your staff time and money, increase efficiency and productivity, give you a real-time picture of how your business is performing, and allow you to forecast future trends and see the effects of any changes you might be planning.
If you are thinking about using Excel consultants but feel you don’t know enough about computers and IT, would you know what sort of questions you should ask? Let’s look at a few basic pointers. Unfortunately, there is not currently any certified list or registered trade association that you look at to see if an Excel consultant is ‘approved’ or recommended. This does make the job of finding a reliable consultant more difficult because you have to do a bit of research yourself. Perhaps the best way to find good Excel consultancy services is by personal recommendation from another business in your sector or locality. You should still, however, perform some of the other checks below.
There is currently no specific qualification or certification for Excel developers and consultants. A good way to get an idea about the quality of services on offer is by checking out the consultant’s website. Look for examples of their work, feedback or previous client’s names, and any testimonials. Also, check for information on your potential consultants on professional social networking sites like Linked-in, Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus. It is also worth bearing in mind that many issues are a matter of agreement between you and the consultant. As an example, you will often not own the code the consultant uses for your company unless you agree on this in writing beforehand. Taking ownership of the code may increase the costs significantly, as the consultant will have to write code from scratch for your business.
In using Excel business consulting services, you should expect your consultant to fix any bugs in the Excel solution they provide. However, other services such as document management, training materials or help files are not always included. If you want these, you will need to agree on it beforehand. An Excel management consultant will train you to use the software, but it is often up to you to provide training for other users. In the same way, unless you agree on it in advance, it is unlikely that on-site support will be provided unless a service contract is agreed. Many consultants may only agree to provide on-site services for very large and complex contracts.
There is no guide to how much an Excel consulting project will cost. It will be affected by many factors such as the total time it takes to complete the job, whether or not the job is urgent or if the consultant will need to work outside office hours. A good Excel consultancy will learn about your project, and what problem you are looking to overcome so they can build up a full picture before producing a quote. Similarly, the better the job description that a consultant builds up in discussions with you, the better the estimate of the completion time will be. Many consultants will agree to take on urgent projects but will often charge a premium for this service.