Any company can engage a project management consultant or consulting firm whenever they need external expertise to improve a project. However, there are several basic considerations worth noting when choosing a PMC.
Ensure the prospective consultant clearly understands and summarizes the scope of your project. This shows that they know how you operate and, more importantly, the needs of your project. It's even better if the consultant identifies and articulates potential issues or gaps in your project scope. After all, the reason you want their services is so they can demonstrate their expertise and experience from the start.
Specifically, check whether the consultant's area of expertise matches what you need help with. Request reports and other materials developed for other clients with project management needs similar to yours or related to your work.
If you work with a project management firm, ensure they have qualified and experienced employees. For example, do their employees have project management (PMP) certifications? A PMP certification proves the holder has the leadership skills, experience, and expertise to manage projects.
Also, check online reviews about the consultant or consulting firm. For example, how do past clients rate the firm and its employees? Were they friendly and helpful? Did they engage well with the previous clients and their staff?
Each of your projects might have numerous or different components running simultaneously. Therefore, the PMC you hire must have the right reporting structure for all the segments from the start. Inquire from a prospective consultant how they plan to supply you with detailed schedules, project progress reports, inventory management updates, and cost accounting reports, among others. You will need these to track planned progress against actual progress.
You expect the PMC or consulting firms to develop concrete formulas and plans that give you project success. However, changes in project scope and emerging issues are inevitable for every project during the execution. In the real, practical world, things can rapidly change from what is in the blueprint. If a consultant doesn't have several backup plans, you may want to see that as a red flag.
Look for a PMC that demonstrates how they will proactively address emerging issues and potential conflicts. What measures do they have to limit timeline and budget changes, scope creep, or other unexpected turns? Scope creep happens when new project tasks or deliverables change beyond the current scope of work. Ask the consultant for examples of how they handled such changes with previous projects. Were the strategies or backup plans employed successfully?
Finally, any significant project requires the effort, input, and collaboration of other professionals. For example, a technology upgrade project may require IT engineers, contractors, suppliers, and service providers. How does the prospective PMC plan to work with such third parties to ensure coordinated and effective communication?