IT Consulting 1 - 2019 entry

***DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP STUDENTS ONLY***

An IT consultant requires a broad set of skills in business analysis, solutions development, network infrastructure, data, cyber security etc. They use their consulting skills in order to advise clients on how to best utilise technology to meet their business objectives, overcome problems and increase productivity. They provide strategic guidance to clients with regard to technology and facilitate changing business processes through enhancements to technology solutions. They provide technical assistance, and are often responsible for providing training.

The aim of this module is to give you basic competence in IT consulting skills, including an understanding of the business context in which consultants operate and the client relationship, developed in part through the use of real-world case studies, the use of tools and techniques for solving business problems, and skill in gathering requirements for IT solutions.

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1. Participate in walk-throughs for IT, to identify and document key risks within a client’s organisation.

2. Define system level business requirements by interviewing staff  

3. Prepare detailed specifications for all requests for development/modification to the system.

4. Perform scoping processes such as definition of approach, scope and resource requirements

5. Liaise with delivery project managers and manage client expectations

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

6. Recognise how consulting ties into project management, business analysis and business management

7. Recognise the barriers to solving problems or maximizing opportunities

8. Recognise the different structured process approaches for consulting

9. Recognise how to frame/define business problems objectively before solving them

10. Recognise how to discover hidden requirements using probing techniques to establish trust, using open- and closed-ended questions effectively, and avoiding leading questions

Personal and Key Transferable/ Employment Skills and  Knowledge:

11. Communicate orally and in writing

12. Solve problems creatively

13. Think analytically and critically

14. Organise your own work

15. Work to a deadline

16. Collaborate and negotiate

Introduction (1 week)

•          The business context for consulting

•          Relationship of consulting with other disciplines

           o          Project management

           o          Business analysis

           o          Business management

•          Different structured process approaches for consulting

•          Introduction to case studies used throughout module

Engaging with the client (3 weeks)

•          The commercial relationship; lifecycle

•          Procurement processes

•          Performing scoping processes such as definition of approach, scope and resource requirements

Solving business problems (4 weeks)

•          Identifying problems; framing/defining business problems

•          Participating in walkthroughs for IT, to identify and document key risks within a client’s organisation

•          Problem-solving techniques

•          Barriers to solving problems or maximising opportunities

Requirements gathering (4 weeks)

•          Defining requirements; establishing trust; interviewing; open-ended, closed and leading questions

•          Probing techniques; discovering hidden requirements

•          Preparing detailed specifications for system development/modification requests

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be deferred in the assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you may be required to sit a referral. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 40%.

ELE: vle.exeter.ac.uk

Reading list for this module: