Frequently Asked Questions

About MakingITclear, Inc.

Providing advice, clarification, and facilitated communication for technical and non-technical people

Information Technology (IT) Strategy

Information Technology Due Diligence

IT Project Assessment

System Assessment

How long has MakingITclear been around? Why have I never heard of the company before?

MakingITclear, Inc. was started in 2002, and the founder and principal consultant has been working in the information technology industry for over 35 years. (for background on Harwell Thrasher, click here).

How big is the company?

One principal consultant, Harwell Thrasher, and some highly qualified specialists who can be called in as needed. That's an advantage to the customer, since you can be sure that the people who do your proposal and discuss the engagement are the exact same people who will do the work. There are no surprises -- you know exactly who you're going to be working with.

Does the company also do training in the techniques described on the web site?

Yes. Both with workshops and with self-study courses. In particular, there's a one-day workshop designed to help IT people and business people work together better (click here for more information). Harwell is an experienced meeting facilitator who can help your people learn and apply the techniques.

How is this service different from traditional services offered by IT consultants?

Most IT consultants focus on the technology itself and how to use it. This service focuses on communicating to business people the important aspects of the technology and its use, and on communicating to IT people the aspects of a business that are important for an IT organization to understand. This addresses the biggest problem associated with technology: not just doing things right—but also doing the right things.

For more information on this service, click here.

What about one of the big IT consulting firms? Can't they do this for me?

No. There's plenty of experience in big IT consulting firms, but the difference is that MakingITclear, Inc. has developed a unique perspective on the issues that IT and non-IT people face when they try to communicate. Harwell Thrasher has developed specific approaches to addressing those issues, and no one else in the industry teaches his techniques or applies them in consulting. That's the MakingITclear specialty (hence the name "Making IT clear").

Why do I need outside help to develop an IT Strategy? Can't my own IT organization do a strategy?

It's certainly ok to have your IT organization put together its own IT strategy. Just make sure they do it in conjunction with your business executives in order to align IT objectives with business objectives, and have them include the 5 key elements of an IT strategy as described in the IT strategy white paper on this web site. They also should verify that the IT objectives are truly the best ones for the business. See the white paper on how IT can best contribute to the business.

Sometimes, however, it helps to get an objective outside opinion, and some help from a consultant who's been through this before. It's also common to have communication problems between IT and non-technical people, and someone like Harwell can help bridge the communication gap.

My Board of Directors thinks I should use one of the big accounting firms to do due diligence? Why should I use MakingITclear?

You should certainly consider using one of the big accounting firms (or some other reputable accounting firm) to do financial due diligence. But it's not likely that they will assign people for IT due diligence who have the same level of experience that MakingITclear has. Most accounting firms focus on the financial and intellectual property rights aspects of due diligence (e.g., does the company legally own the technology they're using?), and don't deal with the other aspects of technology due diligence that will be more of a concern to you in the future. For a description of some of those other aspects of technology due diligence, see this article.

Ok, well then what about one of the big technology consulting firms? Should I use one of them for IT due diligence?

Big technology consulting firms usually have very experienced people. If you want to use one of these firms, just make sure that you get a consultant who has the experience you're looking for -- not just a junior consultant "working under the direction of" an experienced consultant. MakingITclear only uses experienced consultants -- there are no junior consultants.

Also, make sure that the consultants working on due diligence can communicate the technology issues to you clearly in English -- not in technical double-talk. You need to understand the technical issues yourself so that you can make the right business decisions.

How is the Project Assessment done by MakingITclear, Inc. any different than the project assessment done by any other IT consultant?

First off, there's the question of focus. Some IT consultants will look at how you do a project (the technology being used and the methodology being followed). Other IT consultants will look at why you do a project (for what business purpose). MakingITclear, Inc. looks at both.

Second, there's the question of motivation. Most other IT consultants have a group of software developers waiting in the wings, and the consultants would like nothing better than to sell you the services of those software developers. MakingITclear, Inc. has no software development service, and so has no motivation to do anything other than that which is best for your company.

Third, there's the issue of communication. MakingITclear, Inc. makes a point of communicating the IT project issues clearly in non-technical terms so that you can make the most appropriate business decision. Not all IT consulting firms can do that.

How is the System Assessment done by MakingITclear, Inc. any different than the project assessment done by any other IT consultant?

First off, there's the question of focus. Some IT consultants will look at how you developed a system (the technology used and the methodology followed). Other IT consultants will look at why you developed a system (for what business purpose). MakingITclear, Inc. looks at both. In addition, MakingITclear, Inc. looks at how the system fits into the broader context of your entire IT strategy, and how it interfaces to all of the other systems around it.

Second, there's the question of motivation. Most other IT consultants have a group of software developers waiting in the wings, and the consultants would like nothing better than to sell you the services of those software developers. MakingITclear, Inc. has no software development service, and so has no motivation to do anything other than that which is best for your company.

Third, there's the issue of communication. MakingITclear, Inc. makes a point of communicating the system assessment issues clearly in non-technical terms so that you can make the most appropriate business decision. Not all IT consulting firms can do that.