Consultant Development Group sponsored the initial meeting of the Charlotte Professional Services Roundtable in Charlotte, NC. Roundtable participants included senior level executives from information technology, healthcare, energy, and financial industries, professional associations and academia. Organizations in attendance included: IBM, Duke Energy, Wachovia, Larson Allen, Lash Group, Project Managers Inc., Innolect, Parks Consulting, UNCC, North Carolina Electronics and Information Technology Association, and the Carolina Angel Forum.

Participants discussed the recent global and economic events, which have had a dramatic impact on the professional services industry. While the 1990s proved very successful for most consulting and services organizations, the turn of the century brought with it new challenges. Recent trends in the professional services industry include: decreased spending due to budget restrictions, increased sales cycles, shorter project durations, and an emphasis on quality and value solutions. Successful services organizations have kept pace with these changing times, improving internal efficiency and focusing on clients’ needs. The services industry is shifting from a focus on "products and projects" to "solutions". Successful strategies in this new environment include: identifying needs, developing unique solutions, implementing these solutions, and clearly demonstrating value before, during and after the project.

Many consulting firms continue to experience success in today’s changing business world. At the heart of that success is service quality. The value of the services provided must be measurable and demonstrated. While there are many different ways to define and measure service quality, each method must include the client’s viewpoint. For ultimately, client satisfaction determines service quality. Client satisfaction is a result of a client comparing their experiences with their expectations. Their experiences will either fail to meet, meet, or exceed their expectations. It is therefore crucial to set proper expectations for both your clients and yourself before the project begins. These expectations must be reasonable, achievable and measurable. Frequent communication regarding progress in relation to objectives will ensure that the client’s expectations are current with reality, increasing the probability of client satisfaction.

The Professional Services Roundtable will meet periodically to identify and address challenges in the Consulting and Services industry. The organizations represented at the Roundtable are committed to sharing successful strategies, exchanging best practices, and improving service quality in the Charlotte community.

A comprehensive White Paper on the Professional Services Roundtable is available, providing details on the challenges and solutions discussed. Request your copy of the White Paper by contacting info@consultingquality.com.