Seven traps to avoid when hiring a computer consultant.

• Author: Perry, Phillip M.
• Position: Includes related article on computer consultants

There are a lot of pitfalls out there for those who know little about computers. Following these rules when you contract to have your system set up can make all the difference between success and frustration.

The owner of a small Ohio business finally reached the end of his rope. A year earlier, he had sorely needed to upgrade his computerized inventory reporting system. Knowing next to nothing about data processing, he signed a contract with a computer consultant to do the job. The fee was higher than expected, but the consultant promised to have the system operational in three months.

It was not to be.

Several months of missed deadlines and vague excuses followed. Not only was the inventory system in shambles, but the consultant made changes in the business software that left the staff in utter confusion. Worse yet: When the frustrated staff called the consultant with questions, they were met with busy signals. (The consultant, you see, worked on the computer during night hours. He went home in the morning and took his phone off the hook while he slept during the day.)

Finally, enough was enough. The business owner told the consultant two things: first, the relationship was formally terminated; and second, the final payment due for the project would be withheld for non-performance.

That was the last word on the subject, right?

Not quite.

Angry at being terminated from the project, the computer consultant stormed out of the office, but not before he turned at the door and shouted: "Don't forget there's a modem on your computer. I can call in and destroy all of your data."

The frightened business owner called in another consultant, who made sure the modem could only be used to dial out. The business was safe from an intruder intent on damaging data.

In this case, at least, a computer consultant's threat was more bark than byte. But the story exemplifies many of the problems encountered when working with computer consultants: experts say businesses should do more groundwork before signing on the dotted line.

"Hiring a computer consultant is like getting married," says Vincent Hamm, president of Aim High!, a computer consulting firm in Golden, Colo. "You need to make sure both sides are willing to make the necessary commitment. If they aren't, the worst case scenario is a messy divorce."

Going with the wrong consultant means, at the very least, costly delays in getting a computer system running the way it should. "Time and again we run into businesses that pay computer consultants for projects that never work quite right," says Hamm. "And it's expensive for another consultant to come in and figure out how to fix what someone else has done."

Veterans of the computer industry say that businesses commonly fall into a number of costly traps when hiring a computer consultant. Let's see what they are, and how you can avoid them.

Trap #1: Overlooking Reports from Others

What computer consultants are being used by other businesses in your region? And are the relationships happy ones?

Those are perhaps the most important questions you can ask when seeking out a computer consultant. Indeed, you can draw up a great "short list" of prospects just by asking other business owners for referrals.

But do it right.

"Make sure your sources actually' hired and used the experts they are recommending," warns Nik Johnson, president of Computer Advisors, Prospect, Kentucky. "It's too easy for people to pass along offhand references by hearsay."

Larger companies can be good sources of leads because they often have more experience dealing with computer consultants. Try to find out the names of computer consultants used by the most successful, fastest growing businesses in your region.

Whatever your source of leads, it's essential that you get answers to some key questions. For example, how accessible is a consultant? Slow response time is one of the most common client complaints.

"Find out how quickly your sources get service when they need it," says Joseph Lacerenva, president of Unique...