September 2008: Commandments for Consultants, Java Courseware, Less is More, Hot Courseware

Commandments for Consultants, Java Courseware Highlight, Less is More, Hot Courseware

With our state fair finished and students back in school, fall has officially started in Minnesota. For organizations who teach students who are software development professionals, we have new titles and a content packed newsletter. In this issue we have:

• The first part of a three part article on how to work with customers when delivering training and consulting
• Java Courseware--Our featured courseware title
• A downloadable .pdf on streamlining your business life
• The "hot list" of best-selling courseware titles along with new courseware releases

Thanks to the growing number of you who are delivering our courses and providing wonderful feedback. Feel free to contact me at 800-866-9884 +23 to discuss R&D ideas or how our courseware can help advance your business.


Dan McCabe
Director of Training Sales
Intertech

Commandments for Consultants (Part 1 of 3)

Just like doctors, consultants of all stripes should subscribe to the credo, “First, do no harm.” Granted, most consultants are not affecting outcomes as dramatic as life or death, but they do have the ability to seriously cripple an organization with bloated bills, bad advice, and self-serving policies that only serve the health of the consultant’s bottom line.

As someone who’s been in the technology consulting and training world for years, I have strong opinions about how consultants can best meet the needs of clients. I’ve developed my own “commandments for consultants,” which serves as a guidepost for the operation of my firm.

While not carved in stone and handed down from a bearded guy on a mountain top, these “commandments” should be considered by anyone involved in a consulting relationship — whether you’re the consultant or the client.

Commandment 1: Put clients before process.

As a rule of thumb, I’ve observed that the bigger the consulting firm, the more “process-oriented” it becomes. The process can be eloquently justified and looks great on paper, but frequently it adds many unnecessary steps and costs.

Think of it as the “Super High Quality Delta Six (SHQDS)” approach. Clues to watch for: expensive collateral materials to explain SHQDS, the involvement of many people in your organization, a plethora of meetings and even offsite retreats, and an elaborate timeline that doubles or triples the amount of time that is necessary to get the job done.

It’s easy for clients to get sucked into the fantasy of SHQDS: After all, who doesn’t dream of driving a BMW or Lexus everyday? The problem is that most of us can’t afford to purchase or maintain such a luxury vehicle. And we don’t need the most high-end car to get where we need to go.

The same is true with consultants. Consultants who care about clients don’t try to push unnecessary products and services in the guise of fancy processes, even if that means smaller consulting fees.

(Continued Next Month...)

Java Courseware

Intertech's Java course teaches the syntax and core APIs of the Java programming language while also coaching on the conventions and practical techniques necessary to code Java professionally.

The class begins by describing the core syntax of the Java language while also exposing students to object-oriented programming concepts. After establishing this essential foundation, the class then covers other crucial topics like exception handling, packaging, and when to use arrays versus collections. In addition, you learn how to use critical Java APIs for I/O, database access and graphical user interface development.

This title is available today.


Less is More

Over the last few months a convergence of news, reading, and conversations have screamed the mantra “less is more.” It first grabbed me as I was watching an interview of China’s first track and field superstar Liu Xiang, who captured gold in the 110-meter huddles at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and set a new world record this past summer.

Download the article (.pdf)

The Hot List

The latest courseware releases and top-selling courses purchased by training firms throughout North America and Europe.

Upcoming Releases

• Java Courseware -- New Release

Hot Releases
1. VB Courseware
2. WCF Courseware
3. iBATIS Courseware





www.IntertechCourseware.com info@intertech.com 800-866-9884 +23