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Bruton Consultancy
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m interested in your services. What happens next?
How much does it cost?
How long will it take?
How do I book you to speak at our conference?
Are you ITIL-certified?
Where do I get hold of your books?
Do you do in-house training?
Can I hire you as a stand-in manager?
Where can I hear you speak?
What training courses are you running?
What helpdesk software do you recommend?
How much does it cost?
How long will it take?
How do I book you to speak at our conference?
Are you ITIL-certified?
Where do I get hold of your books?
Do you do in-house training?
Can I hire you as a stand-in manager?
Where can I hear you speak?
What training courses are you running?
What helpdesk software do you recommend?
I'm interested in your services. What happens next?
Click the contact link on the top menu to bring up our contact details. Call me or Email me. If you have a clear and present consulting or training need, the next step is usually a meeting at your premises. Ideally, that should be attended by all parties who would influence the terms of reference and goals of any subsequent project and/or the decision to proceed. My agenda at the meeting will be to understand the situation and your needs well enough to submit later a written proposal. Go to top
Click the contact link on the top menu to bring up our contact details. Call me or Email me. If you have a clear and present consulting or training need, the next step is usually a meeting at your premises. Ideally, that should be attended by all parties who would influence the terms of reference and goals of any subsequent project and/or the decision to proceed. My agenda at the meeting will be to understand the situation and your needs well enough to submit later a written proposal. Go to top
How much does it cost?
I charge a composite daily rate, which includes my fee, travel and accommodation expenses. It is at the level you would expect to pay for a senior management consultant. I use the same rate for training interventions, rather than charge per attendee head, which can make training very cost-effective. Go to top
I charge a composite daily rate, which includes my fee, travel and accommodation expenses. It is at the level you would expect to pay for a senior management consultant. I use the same rate for training interventions, rather than charge per attendee head, which can make training very cost-effective. Go to top
How long will it take?
A consultancy engagement can vary in length of course, depending on the scope and objectives of the project. My most usual engagement is to look at a helpdesk and offer recommendations. This is quite involved, with measurement exercises started before I arrive, the study itself, interviews with staff and users and a management debriefing. Typically, it's about three weeks from start to finish.
Onsite training is slightly different. I usually take a day or two to understand the situation and customise my training materials, then the course itself is typically one or two days for up to sixteen attendees, followed by a management debriefing of half a day. Go to top
A consultancy engagement can vary in length of course, depending on the scope and objectives of the project. My most usual engagement is to look at a helpdesk and offer recommendations. This is quite involved, with measurement exercises started before I arrive, the study itself, interviews with staff and users and a management debriefing. Typically, it's about three weeks from start to finish.
Onsite training is slightly different. I usually take a day or two to understand the situation and customise my training materials, then the course itself is typically one or two days for up to sixteen attendees, followed by a management debriefing of half a day. Go to top
How do I book you to speak at our conference?
You can see some examples of previous conference speeches by clicking on the 'Speaking' link on the top menu. Click the contact link for contact details. Call me or Email me and we'll discuss. There is usually a nominal speaker's fee which also covers my expenses, unless it is outside the UK. Then I'll be asking you to cover the airfare separately, which for long haul will be business class. Go to top
You can see some examples of previous conference speeches by clicking on the 'Speaking' link on the top menu. Click the contact link for contact details. Call me or Email me and we'll discuss. There is usually a nominal speaker's fee which also covers my expenses, unless it is outside the UK. Then I'll be asking you to cover the airfare separately, which for long haul will be business class. Go to top
Are you ITIL-certified?
In the specific area of improving helpdesk services, where I exercise my specialisation, ITIL is virtually irrelevant. ITIL makes no attempt to improve IT helpdesk and user support services. What it does is offer interlinked, high level processes for the IT department as a whole. It's like if IT were a car, ITIL would say it needed wheels, steering, engine, transmission, brakes, a passenger cabin; while I would tell you how to drive quickly and efficiently while taking into account the comfort of your passengers.
ITIL makes no attempt to do what I do. It doesn't improve user support. It's only about overall processes, not procedures and not practice. While process is important, to me it is just one tool that can help to make practice work. ITIL processes can be taken into account - e.g. where Incident, Change, Release management etc. are in place or needed. But I have found it unnecessary to be certified by a framework that offers a different type of benefit to the one I produce for my clients. Go to top
In the specific area of improving helpdesk services, where I exercise my specialisation, ITIL is virtually irrelevant. ITIL makes no attempt to improve IT helpdesk and user support services. What it does is offer interlinked, high level processes for the IT department as a whole. It's like if IT were a car, ITIL would say it needed wheels, steering, engine, transmission, brakes, a passenger cabin; while I would tell you how to drive quickly and efficiently while taking into account the comfort of your passengers.
ITIL makes no attempt to do what I do. It doesn't improve user support. It's only about overall processes, not procedures and not practice. While process is important, to me it is just one tool that can help to make practice work. ITIL processes can be taken into account - e.g. where Incident, Change, Release management etc. are in place or needed. But I have found it unnecessary to be certified by a framework that offers a different type of benefit to the one I produce for my clients. Go to top
Where do I get hold of your books?
Click on the 'Writing' link on the top menu, which will take you the books' entries here and from there to Amazon. Or you can order via your local bookshop by quoting the details on the 'Writing' pages. Go to top
Click on the 'Writing' link on the top menu, which will take you the books' entries here and from there to Amazon. Or you can order via your local bookshop by quoting the details on the 'Writing' pages. Go to top
Do you do in-house training?
Yes. Normally, the arrangements are arrived at in the same way as consultancy. Go to top
Yes. Normally, the arrangements are arrived at in the same way as consultancy. Go to top
Can I hire you as a stand-in manager?
Yes. See the ‘Interim Manager’ link on the menu at the top of the page. Go to top
Yes. See the ‘Interim Manager’ link on the menu at the top of the page. Go to top
Where can I hear you speak?
Click on the 'Speaking' link on the top menu, where I announce where I'm next speaking. Go to top
Click on the 'Speaking' link on the top menu, where I announce where I'm next speaking. Go to top
What training courses are you running?
From time to time I run public courses. They will normally be announced on this site, and if we have your Email address, you'll be the first to know. Go to top
From time to time I run public courses. They will normally be announced on this site, and if we have your Email address, you'll be the first to know. Go to top
What helpdesk software do you recommend?
I have no affiliation with any helpdesk software manufacturer that compels me to recommend one or other vendor's products. If and when I do recommend software, it is on the basis of the most appropriate match to the client's needs. Go to top
I have no affiliation with any helpdesk software manufacturer that compels me to recommend one or other vendor's products. If and when I do recommend software, it is on the basis of the most appropriate match to the client's needs. Go to top