Why Choose A GIS Consulting Firm?
by G. Peterson, PetersonGIS

A GIS consulting firm, specifically a small, highly specialized firm, is sought by clients of many stripes for some very good reasons. What might some of those be? Why not use in-house expertise or learn it yourself? What qualities might you look for in a GIS consultant?

A good GIS consulting firm will provide:
  • Superior customer service at the outset

    • --Good customer service: explains, in clear terms, the tasks to complete the project; or, if not prepared to handle a particular job, will advise you as to who can do the work for you, or how it can be accomplished given additional time and resources; is up-front about any project unknowns
    --Poor customer service: feedback that consists of grumbling over potential software expenditures due to your project's requirements, inability to adequately gather requirements, or anything not constructive
  • A high level of GIS project hyperactivity disorder (GISHD)
    • --The consultant treats your project as the one and only,
    --You can always reach your project manager (sometimes day and   night),
    --Consultant is open to changes and even complete u-turns in scope,
    --Face to face meetings are encouraged,
    --Job gets done quickly either via extended work hours or acquisition of additional personnel at key points,
    --Consultant knows everything needed to conduct a quality project, either through consultation with others or in-house acquisition of the requisite knowledge,
    --Consultant reaches outside of field into areas such as design, knowledge-management, etc., to arrive at an optimal solution.
  • Flexible workflows to accommodate the client's customary way of business, not the consultant's


Some reasons to hire a GIS consultant:
  • You don't have the GIS capability yourself
  • Your in-house staff are flooded with work
  • You have a specialized project and you know a consultant with just the right set of skills
  • You know what you want to achieve but don't know how to get there; you have some abstract ways of incorporating geography into your work-flow, and need someone to brainstorm with
  • You want to learn GIS but would like to bounce ideas off a professional to ensure that you are getting it right as you go
  • You want to learn GIS and need a coach

What are some of the top reasons that PetersonGIS has been hired?
  • Client does not have the in-house capability
  • Client needs a specific and hard-to-find blend of expertise (for example: client needs a refugia analysis)
  • Client needs results right away
  • Client needs to confer with an expert to transform abstract ideas into feasible, concrete, tasks
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