Each
CHAPTER 5 n CREATING A BACKUP/RECOVERY PLAN 106
consulting company has a specific rate. Furthermore, a company can either bill hourly or
offer fixed-fee billing for a specific set of deliverables. However, when leveraging an external
consulting firm, monetary costs may be just the tip of the iceberg.
If you??™re already using a consulting organization you??™re familiar and comfortable
with, chances are you won??™t have too many additional items to deal with. Mutually beneficial
relationships have a way of managing themselves. However, if you??™ve just selected
a firm from a Request for Proposal (RFP) process and chosen based on price and the
perceived ability to complete the necessary task, you may have a lot of additional work
(read: cost) ahead of you.
Even if you have a consulting vendor you??™ve worked with before and trust, you
should always take the time to do due diligence to verify that the vendor can perform the
work you require. If this is a new business relationship, this verification process should be
much more thorough (remember, expect the worst). You should check references, verify
r?©sum?©s (where applicable), and conduct some sort of technical interview.
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