IT Consulting: Duties and Legal Considerations - Essay Sample

Introduction

As an Information Technology Consultant, one has to work with client organizations and individual clients to advise them on their use of information technology. Information technology is becoming increasingly important in the world of business, thus the increasing demand for IT specialists (Llyod, 2020). While talking about the law concerning the field of Information Technology, Llyod (2020) outlines the primary function of IT consultants. This paper evaluates personal IT consulting activities that have a significant bearing on organizational development and realization of business goals and objectives. The article also details the essential characteristics of an IT consultant. It also informs on strengths and opportunities for improvement on personal attributes that positively impact organizational performance and IT outreach activities.

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The Art of Consulting

In a nutshell, Verlander (2012) breaks down the roles and activities of a consultant. In his book about "The Practice of Professional Consulting," Verlander (2012) informs on the chain of activities pertaining to the 'world's newest profession.' A veteran in the consulting industry, Verlander (2012), is of the idea that a competent consultant should provide information and solutions relating to a particular problem. This assertions are supported by Llyod (2020), who stated that IT professionals also have to ensure that the organization effectively and efficiently utilizes information technology structures to achieve corporate goals and objectives.

The consultant should also provide alternative diagnoses to redefine the problem and provide recommendations to implement the solution. Moreover, it is the role of a consultant to build unanimity and obligation as well as expedite client learning in the work environment to improve organizational effectiveness (Llyod, 2020). Professional consultants act as the torchbearers to many organizations in times of crisis. With the new invention of IT consulting, business managers extensively commit to rely on the information given by the IT experts to structure the organization's resources in a manner that matches the company's desire to serve and satisfy the clients' expectations.

IT Professional as a Consultant

As an IT professional, therefore, it is prudent to adhere to these stipulations concerning the role of a business consultant. As the world of business is becoming increasingly dependent on IT functionalities, so is the demand for IT consultancy services (Hoof, 2020). Hoof explains the corporate success of consultancy and the role of the media in highlighting the importance of an organization to utilize consulting services. His book does a great deal of assistance in understanding how consulting roles have evolved over the years, particular consultancy activities related to work duties within the IT department of modern organizations.

At a personal level, this writer notes that any company management should not downplay the role of IT consultants in the business. The IT team is the lifeblood and the link between the various departments within the organization. While talking about the shifting focus for HR hiring decisions, work allocations, and mismatched professions, Pedulla (2020) stated that the IT management tasks description is shifting from the conventional roles of machine maintenance and device controls to more intimate duties of organization's control and management.

For instance, IT consultants nowadays form the bridge between the organization and the outside world (Hoof, 2020). Companies are delegating the role of publicity and positive media portrayal of company image to IT consultants. This reassignment is possible as the business world in itself is becoming more dynamic and sophisticated yet too similar in some aspects leading to duplication of efforts and resources. An explicit example is the role of the marketing team in the social media domain. Most companies see this faction of target consumers as delicate, and they thus delegate marketing responsibility to this particular group of consumers to the IT department.

Information Technology and Organizational Development

From software design, database and server management, systems maintenance, and securitization to ensuring the smooth flow of communication within the organization, IT professionals are duly vital to an organization. Alan (2020) compares the role of IT consultants to that of robotic process automation. As an expert in robotics and informatics, Alan (2020) gives credible insight into how complex the world of IT consulting has become. It is expected of IT consultants to fare more efficiently than robots when it comes to relaying information concerning business activities and situations as may arise.

In line with the findings of Hoof (2020), the author in this script portrays professionalism, technical expertise, self-drive, and adequate communication skills to ensure satisfactory delivery of IT consulting advice to clients. IT services are a necessity to run the organization in the modern business setups effectively, hence more avenues for application and improvement of demand for information technology consultancy services. The author herewith will convey timely and adequate IT consulting services to facilitate decision making and improve business operations.

Summary

The specific roles and responsibilities for Information Technology Consultants are yet to be duly defined. As the demand for IT services increases, more people join the industry with an assumption of reaping lucrative returns from offering consultancy services. However, not everyone is cut to the chase. Hopwood (2018) stated that the IT profession calls for a high degree of professionalism, insight, and foresight. In his authorship about how to effectively manage outsourced IT activities, Hopwood (2018) further showed that success in the field of IT requires an individual's deep-rooted desire to offer credible and lasting solutions to business organizations. The world of IT is dynamic in the same manner as the business world, IT professionals and consultants should as well be versatile to cope with the demands of the industry and help organizations attain set goals and objectives.

References

Alan S, B. (2020). Desktop bots. Mechanical Engineering, 142(01), 44-47. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2020-JAN3Hoof, F. (2020). Angels of efficiency: A media history of consulting. Oxford University Press, USA.

Hopwood, M. N. (2018). Effective strategies for managing the outsourcing of information technology. [Doctoral dissertation, Walden University]. Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection

Lloyd, I. (2020). Information technology law. Oxford University Press.

Pedulla, D. (2020). Making the cut: Hiring decisions, bias, and the consequences of nonstandard, mismatched, and precarious employment. Princeton University Press.

Verlander, E. G. (2012). The practice of professional consulting. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass