Software Consultant - Engineering Prostitute

It’s been while till today I couldn't really frame this very title. Prostitute by definition is "A person who willingly uses his or her talent or ability in a base and unworthy way, usually for money”. Our job is not about delivering solution but makes clients happy. We have wide variety of clients it starts from business user, business analyst, project manager, Development manager and sometimes even other consultants. Each and every clients has its own very needs likes and dislikes. We often used the word politics to describe this pleasing but if you attend one of these meetings you will soon realize this is one way pleasure ride.

Business Solution: As consultant team arrives to deliver the business solution. First thing consultant expect are problem, requirements and business expectations. The requirements are highlighted and goals are identified and works towards goals starts. As project matures, flavors of personal favors, personal expectation, even personal needs start clouding the delivery. And yes those are planned for too but there is always delta of those can be address in timeline given while trying to address those some components are missed. And journey started to deliver a best business solution and often ends up with least sustainable one. Now as we understand business needs are the very reason for software solution or project but If not well discussed, scoped, planned and handled they often become the very hurdle in delivering the best solution sometimes even solution itself.

Story of setting over expectations isn't far from truth, it’s often considered good practice to add more then what is needed in a thought process that consultants and sometimes the only friend BA will trim them down. Let me give an example of swing delivery. Consultants would be often shown park to delivered in times that can delivery just one swing, so while in race with time consultant will deliver few components of swing and few of park as time doesn't really allow delivery of whole park but they will fail to deliver the basic swing set which was actually the need of delivery.

We spend time on delivering items which are mostly to please but have no real business value as they are deemed important by a person who is our point of contact. We even use fancy terminologies like of “A wholesome experience” as swing by itself will not give you complete feeling so let’s build fencing around it, let’s have pond too since we have pond we should add some ducks. With more visionary people in team we can even add merry go round, Now all this doesn't just come from business user, sometimes our very own PM or BA’s. It is very important to build framework solution that allows to extend our swing set solution to Whole Park but wrong if you spend time in building actual things other than just swing set.

As to voice these concerns is a job of consultant. But as prostitute adjust herself to do whatever client’s needs so do consultants. In the end all consultants are working for money not for good solution of problem. If consultant says they will only build what all are written in requirements those consultants are not very well treated either clients gets another prostitute or just force the very prostitute which disagrees. In the end we are all sell out of market so as most prostitutes you will sell it too.