Consulting

What We Do
VitalThought specializes in the enterprise-wide deployment and use of project management intelligence. Our consulting practice focus is on the rational design, development, integration, implementation, operation, use and maintenance of project management systems. To that end, we work with clients to help them identify their needs and desires, and to reconcile any disparity between the two. And that's before we submit a proposal.

How We Do It
In order to provide the types of specific actions needed to ensure consulting engagement success, we work very closely with clients to define the statement of work (SOW) that will result in the specific outcomes that meet the client's needs. Once the SOW objectives are defined, we work to identify the measurements that will tell us that specific elements of the SOW have been accomplished. Then we determine when each SOW element must be done, taking into consideration, of course, any extant or anticipated constraints or barriers. Finally, we identify available resources (whether the client's or ours) to accomplish the SOW elements in the stated time frames. It is only then that we pull all of these elements together into a formal consulting engagement proposal. We consciously strive to make the proposal a confirmation of the issues, not an exploration of them.

In the proposal we reiterate all of the needs, objectives, measurements, timelines and resources previously identified. Then we develop a fee for that effort based on the value we bring to the assignment. It is important to note that all of our consulting work is accomplished on a firm fixed-fee basis. That way, if the client or we identify specific tasks—that were not previously discussed, but are required to accomplish the SOW—then we just do them. There is no need for additional proposals, changes to purchase orders, or higher fees. In other words, the client's total investment in our services is known in advance. There is no meter running. There are no hidden fees.

A Collaborative Approach
Obviously, this requires a very high degree of trust between our clients and us. This is why we insist on a collaborative approach to the management of the engagement. By relying on each other's skills, knowledge and capabilities we can better accomplish the goals of the engagement. We know that even though we consider ourselves to be the best at what we do, we also know that we do not know everything. We recognize, and explicitly rely on, the fact that our clients bring to the engagement specific knowledge and capabilities that we do not have. By working collaboratively, far more can be accomplished than if we are simply brought on board as hired guns or job-shoppers.

Our Guarantee
To ensure the highest degree of safety for the client's investment, we guarantee all of our work. If we do not meet the objectives of the engagement, and after being informed of our client's dissatisfaction, cannot meet those objectives, we refund the fee. Not part of the fee. Not a pro-rated portion of the fee. The entire fee.

Our Consultants
We use a combination of in-house and subcontract consultants. This allows us to provide consistent competencies from assignment to assignment as well as providing just-in-time resource capabilities to ensure the most efficient and effective processes are brought to bear on a particular engagement. Our consultants are a mix of seasoned professionals with years of project management experience and junior members who bring fresh ideas and boundless enthusiasms to each engagement. All of our consultants receive subject matter specific training by VitalThought to ensure the highest level of expertise and competence.

Increasing Client Value
Our consultants have supported over 70 organizations in a wide range of industries, in and out of the government, in four different countries, on three continents. Here is a partial listing of those organizations: