What does a typical technology consultant role entail? 

Great question. One of the best things about the role is it doesn’t carry too many specific expectations. Breaking it down, roles I take on generally have a consultative element where we are presented with a business challenge – e.g.,“I want to build a new data platform, but I don’t know what that platform needs to do”. In these instances, I need to conduct stakeholder interviews and workshops, synthesise information, add my own insight, and present those findings back in a way that tells a story and that answers the original problem statement.

Of course, the other side of the role is the word technology. I’ve always had a keen interest in technology and have worked with many businesses that use technology solutions to varying degrees, whether that be business software applications like trade ledgers or instrumented industrial machines. When I start working with a new client, they expect me to have a good understanding of how businesses typically approach the lifecycle management of designing, procuring, building, running, and decommissioning technology solutions. Where I don’t have the understanding that matches the new project, I learn fast!

Overall, my role is typically to take a leading role in projects where we need to work with technologists to understand a business challenge. We frame it in a way that everyone can understand, work out the options to meet that challenge, weigh those up, and help recommend the next course of action. I typically provide a lot of advice on what I would consider good practice from ways I’ve seen similar challenges solved – for example, how to set up a good software delivery pipeline using modern tooling and practices. Where I don’t have that experience, I have an awesome team of technology professionals that work alongside me who do.