Early bird gets the best Consultant !

I've worked a while in the Customer interface for R&D Subcontracting company. It means also discussing of the Customers new needs, possibly starting projects and resource needs. The usual story is, that there's an urgent need of some kind, sometimes even a formal RFQ for a project. Quite often a prestudy, Feasibility study of some kind and sometimes a straight ahead Project offer or On-site Consulting offer is needed straight ahead. And the need to start the work is almost always : immediately. Or after a random decision making time of 2 - 8 weeks, and then after the decision the work should start immediately...

Well, that's just fine and one way of doing work and handling subcontracting. No problem there. When the task actually is ordered, the most suitable Project Team is then nominated or the best available Consultant is assigned to the work. Usually some of the personnel is fixed in the offer, but that is also subject to other projects and assignments starting. First comes, first served, unless there's some special reason to handle things differently.

But is it the only way ?

No. There are some customers willing to open the future a bit more. Telling, that there's a resourcing need or project starting for example within 3-4 months. And there's going to be need for some special skills if any. And then I can make a reservation for that need in good time and in advance. It's not binding, sometimes the need goes away for any reason, and the Customer is free to order the work from anywhere else or do it themselves, or the project may not have good enough Business Case. But if the work starts, I've been able to assign the best available personnel from a larger pool, as there's more time to decide that some person is kept in a shorter project to be available for the possibly coming project from our dear and important Customer ! If the project or assignment then starts, we can serve the Customer with our best offering and the passions of Designers and needs of the Customer meet as well as they ever can. If the task didn't start, then there's no hard feelings, that's just life.

So : get the most of Your Subcontractor by opening up Your subcontracting Road Map. Even a bit. It's not binding, it doesn't cost You anything, and You can only win. Of course, with all R&D subcontracting, it requires some Trust and good personal relationships, but it's worth to think about.

Even the legendary Irish High King Brian Boru had to inform his vassals well in advance to get the best possible warband to meet the raiding norsemen !