Standard consultancy packages
- Health Check
- Software Selection & Implemention

About consultancy...
STI is known to most clients as a provider of high quality service management training.

We have been running public courses since 1989. However, we have also been providing consultancy for the same length of time. The two activities often complement each other. Clients can lack the resource, or expertise, to implement the ideas and methodologies covered on courses.

One of our first consultancy projects was to carry out a Health Check for Yorkshire Water. This project was instigated after the Computer Service Manager attended one of our Helpdesk Courses.

Other notable consultancy clients have included Welsh Water, CGU Insurance, Norfolk County Council, BAA, Hambros Bank, NHS Supplies, Railfreight, DTI, Pfizer Ltd, West Mercia Police and Zeneca Pharmaceuticals.

Consultancy can vary from one days work to many months of effort. From sitting in on interviews, to full service implentation. We are totally independent - we have no tie to any software or other service suppliers.

Our consultants
Our consultants have all had years of experience in their specialist areas.

They recognise the difference between the "ideal world" and "real world". We have ITIL trained and certified consultants that have extensive experience of the private and public sectors. We also work as a team. If you have one of our consultants working for you, you have all of them working for you! We constantly share knowledge, experience and ideas.

Interested in consultancy?
We are happy to discuss any requirement with you - no matter how small. If practical, we will come and meet with you.

STI aims to provide a range of set priced consultancy packages available to clients. These can be broken down or expanded upon. You will always know what you will be getting and how much it will cost.

We have included a special consultancy offer to clients that have attended the Helpdesk Manager course. This is a low cost opportunity to use some targeted consultancy and ensure that ideas generated through training really do bear fruition. Good use of consultancy can probably save you time and money and ensure that vital tasks are completed sooner rather than later.

Email enquiries@sti-ltd.co.uk to register an interest in consultancy


Health check

A service to clients offering on-site advice and consultancy. Usually looking at how a service function is operating and its relationship with customers, colleagues, external suppliers and management. Also considering what management information is being produced and to what effect. The consultancy ends with a report highlighting areas that might need strengthening and recommendations on the way forward.

The standard package
One of our consultants will spend 3 days at your site. They will carry out an analysis of any aspects of the service function that you wish reported on. A further 4 days will be spent writting a report, with recommendations, and if appropriate a suggested action plan. This report will be dispatched to you within 15 working days of the initial on-site consultancy. A final half day will be spent at your site to present and discuss the report.

Typical items to be considered under
HEALTH CHECK are:
Accommodation
Staffing levels and organisation
Staff recruitment
Staff training and development
Standards and procedures
Issue/problem logging system
Promoting the service
Problem management
Change management
Performance

Clients are always asked to clearly define their requirements. Where practical one of our consultants will meet with the client (free of charge) to ensure that requirements are understood and achievable.

The cost
The cost of this package is £4,500 and reasonable expenses. Further consultancy can be arranged at a typical cost of £750 per day. A special proposal can be produced to cater for a major commitment on our part. Similarly smaller consultancy tasks can be catered for using the daily consultancy rate as a guideline.


Software selection & implementation

Choosing the corresct software solution for support services is critical. There is a large range in the marketplace and it can be difficult to know which is the right one for you. Our consultants can help you select the most appropriate solution for your business needs. We can also manage the project from conception through to completion.

The standard package
Typically, one of our consultants will spend time with you to draw up a Definition of Requirements. This will involve understanding your existing working practices and identifying possible future development.

A shortlist of potential suppliers will be compiled. They will be asked to confirm their interest, their ability to meet the requirement and the likely costs. Usually, 4 to 6 suppliers will be invited in to present their products against the Definition of Requirements.

We will produce forms that will enable the products to be formally evaluated and a "percentage of requirement met" determined. References can then be obtained, site visits carried out and final costing confirmed. A purchasing decision can then be taken, based on a proper and managed procurement process.

We have experience of carrying out this exercise as part of a formal tender process and in a less formal manner.

Our involvement can cease at the point of selection, or we can quote to project manage the successful implementation of the chosen tool.

We are totally independent in respect of software solutions. We have no preference for, or partnership with, any software supplier.

The cost
A package of six days will normally cover definition of requirements, formally evaluating four products, through to recommending a purchase. The charge for this is £3,950 (+ VAT) and reasonable expenses.