The Consultant Identity: Can Your Microsoft Dynamics GP Pro Deliver?

Several weeks ago a business owner I know was lamenting that everyone is now a salesperson. As he sees it, anyone who had ever worked in a mall kiosk was calling himself a salesperson and applying for jobs that required real selling, not just the ability to unbox another iPhone.

I understand his point. "Engineering" lost some of its cachet when we started to re-label garbage workers as "Sanitation Engineers".  I would add the job title "consultant" to the list of professions headed down that same tired route as people who used to be "contractors" assume the consultant's title.

In my mind there is a marked difference between a "consultant" and a "contractor" and it has nothing to do with how that employee is paid for tax purposes.  In the context of Microsoft Dynamics GP solutions, these titles have everything to do with getting real about the value and objective of your projects in the short and long terms, and making the right choice for your job.

 A "consultant" provides advice and expertise. They are able to articulate best practices and apply them in the appropriate situations. Consultants provide creative solutions and are willing walk away when the situation is at odds with what's best for the client. They have reputation to protect and would rather walk away than bastardize GP to work exactly like some outdated system. 

A contractor on the other had is purely a hired gun.  If a company wants GP to work just like Quickbooks, they will make that happen regardless of how poor a choice that is, as long as the bill gets paid. 

Understand that consultants can be "contractors" from a tax standpoint or they ...