How - Engagement Options: Conclusion
Which Health Check Option Should You Choose?
The table below summarises each of the Health Check formats and the benefits each conveys. Consider the benefits across the top of the table and select the format that best serves your need for support.
Hiring a WSP consultant is the safest option as they can use their experience in managing projects to help you make fewer mistakes.
Hiring a WSP to take you 'across the lake' (if you want to complete the project quickly) would mean paying the WSP to take you "across the lake in their ship":
- The ship is analogous to the commercial plan, infrastructure and safety nets necessary to ensure safe passage.
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The problem is that to a business owner or manager, it can often look like a WSP is woefully underprepared; the WSP’s ship doesn’t look sturdy.
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There’s a perception problem here as the WSP is quite adequately prepared and their ship is very sturdy. The WSP is familiar with the journey and knows what is necessary and what is over sufficient.
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The implementation of Safe Harbours might require more time and money if you decide to pay a WSP instead of doing it yourself, but those options are no different if you compare like-for-like.
You can go 'across the lake' with a WSP or by yourself vs. you can take the Safe Harbours (around the sides) approach with a WSP or by yourself:
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In either case, going around the sides ends up being quicker and has a lower risk for those without prior experience and who want to minimise the perception of risk for themselves, and for their team.
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It feels a lot safer, a lot less risky, and allows owners and managers, or both, to retain a greater sense of control.
Which Productivity Journey Engagement Option Should You Choose?
Which Productivity Journey Engagement Option you should choose depends on how confident you are in the ability of your business to implement the next transition of your Productivity Journey.
A do-it-yourself implementation will have an initial cost advantage. It can also be as complete as you choose it to be, depending on the time you wish to commit to it. However, it is likely to require a significantly larger time commitment to gain the full benefits of implementation and, of course, you will be responsible for mitigating the risks of implementation.
Making use of a WiseService Partner, on the other hand, will have a bigger up-front outlay. It is likely to be significantly easier, however, and in most cases will deliver the full benefits of implementation significantly more quickly. Perhaps the most important advantage is that risk mitigation will be handled by the WSP you hire. This means you can have higher confidence that the implementation will deliver the benefits you need, even if unexpected issues arise.
Productivity Journey Engagement Option | How will risks be mitigated? | Who will clear the prerequisites? | Who will do the implementation? |
DIY | DIY Health Check Questionnaire | Your business | Your business |
WSP | WSP consultant | WSP consultant | WSP consultant |
There are, of course, pros and cons (strengths and weaknesses). There's price, speed, completeness, and risk to consider.
Consider your needs carefully and choose. You can change your mind later if events prove the other option better serves you.