Telephone: (954) 683-3426 / (954) 977-5245
There are certain standards
and ethics that I believe in -
in my consulting practice. Being Honest, Reliable, and Dependable is
important in contracting or consulting for any kind of customer
and that includes working for Marine/Yachting Customers. This
page is about
Documentation and why I provide it on all projects. Documentation and
Supporting your Systems and Projects is in my opinion not only an
important, but a critical part of the System or Project. There's just
got to
be a drawing of what's installed, and instructions on how to operate
it, and probably some troubleshooting instructions. There should be a
minimal length of time that the contractor or consultant will support
the installed gear if you have questions or problems. There should also
be an option of ongoing support - and maybe general consulting offered
by the year. I've Been There - and I DO THAT. Have a look at:
http://www.marinetelecom.net/consulting.html
I provide full documentation on my projects or "jobs" on yachts (and the occassional home or small business) because it's the RIGHT thing to do. Some consultants leave things out or don't provide diagrams or drawings of what they've done because they believe that's a way to keep a customer. I believe the way to keep a customer is to do a good job, provide a good kit or system, support it for a resonable time (and offer yearly support at affordable rates), and always provide sufficient documentation and instructions so that someone else could work on it at a later date without having to call you on the phone. This includes all networking equipment IP Addresses, and Usernames and Passwords. This includes any support contact information and account names/numbers they may need to get help on their own.
So for my vote add GOOD DOCUMENTATION to the list of things a consultant may have that they should be giving a copy of, or the information of, to their customers. Customers should have the ability to change passwords if they want to (Although I recommend they let me know in case they do call me!) or anything else like Wireless Network Names and Wireless Security Protection Codes. Ok, so that having been said, the following has been derived from someone elses write up on consulting/contracting ethics and such. I've added my bit about providing good documentation.
Be Easy to Fire
There are several reasons why a customer might find it difficult to fire a consultant:
He does great work and is a tremendous asset
(He hasn't provided us documentation, only he knows how this stuff works?! -- added by Alan Spicer)
He has passwords for everything: will he give us the list?
He has all the source code: will we get it back?
He has access to everything: will he do bad stuff to us?
He hosts our DNS: will he screw with us?
Only the first is a valid reason to keep somebody around, and customers are unnerved by the subtle fear of "what happens if...?" for the others. Consultants ought to structure their arrangements to remove as many of these as possible, and instead rely on their own good work to be their best job security.
From time to time, I give customers "How to fire me" instructions: "Here are all your important passwords", "Your contact at the hosting center is who", "Source code is here", "Revoke my network access by (A), (B) and (C)", etc. Customers should ask for this from all of their consultants, not only to make them easier to fire, but as a contingency in case the consultant is hit by a bus. Sometimes customers do ask, and it must be met with immediate, full disclosure. It's not your data, you're not allowed to hoard it.
---
Alan Spicer
Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
http://www.marinetelecom.net
Email: communications (at) marinetelecom.net
Tel. Business Mobile: 954-683-3426
Business Office/Messages: 954-977-5245
Business Toll Free: 866-977-5245
http://www.marinetelecom.net/consulting.html
I provide full documentation on my projects or "jobs" on yachts (and the occassional home or small business) because it's the RIGHT thing to do. Some consultants leave things out or don't provide diagrams or drawings of what they've done because they believe that's a way to keep a customer. I believe the way to keep a customer is to do a good job, provide a good kit or system, support it for a resonable time (and offer yearly support at affordable rates), and always provide sufficient documentation and instructions so that someone else could work on it at a later date without having to call you on the phone. This includes all networking equipment IP Addresses, and Usernames and Passwords. This includes any support contact information and account names/numbers they may need to get help on their own.
So for my vote add GOOD DOCUMENTATION to the list of things a consultant may have that they should be giving a copy of, or the information of, to their customers. Customers should have the ability to change passwords if they want to (Although I recommend they let me know in case they do call me!) or anything else like Wireless Network Names and Wireless Security Protection Codes. Ok, so that having been said, the following has been derived from someone elses write up on consulting/contracting ethics and such. I've added my bit about providing good documentation.
There are several reasons why a customer might find it difficult to fire a consultant:
He does great work and is a tremendous asset
(He hasn't provided us documentation, only he knows how this stuff works?! -- added by Alan Spicer)
He has passwords for everything: will he give us the list?
He has all the source code: will we get it back?
He has access to everything: will he do bad stuff to us?
He hosts our DNS: will he screw with us?
Only the first is a valid reason to keep somebody around, and customers are unnerved by the subtle fear of "what happens if...?" for the others. Consultants ought to structure their arrangements to remove as many of these as possible, and instead rely on their own good work to be their best job security.
From time to time, I give customers "How to fire me" instructions: "Here are all your important passwords", "Your contact at the hosting center is who", "Source code is here", "Revoke my network access by (A), (B) and (C)", etc. Customers should ask for this from all of their consultants, not only to make them easier to fire, but as a contingency in case the consultant is hit by a bus. Sometimes customers do ask, and it must be met with immediate, full disclosure. It's not your data, you're not allowed to hoard it.
---
Alan Spicer
Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
http://www.marinetelecom.net
Email: communications (at) marinetelecom.net
Tel. Business Mobile: 954-683-3426
Business Office/Messages: 954-977-5245
Business Toll Free: 866-977-5245
 |
||||
 |
|
|
  |
|
 |
||||
