Need A Biometrics Consultant?
Jointly written by Biometrics Consulting Partners team
For complex Automated Fingerprint/Biometric Identification System (AFIS/ABIS) projects, the answer really is a resounding Yes!
● Yes, we need a trusted ally who brings our project independent Subject Matter Expertise.
● Yes, we can work smarter when we build on Strategic Planning for needs and goals.
● Yes, we are seeking procurement support and assistance to help us effectively Develop a Request for Proposal (RFP).
● Yes, we want to create Effective Stakeholder Teams for successful implementation and smoother transition.
● Yes, we must Implement with Oversight, so that our project finishes on time and on budget.
Often hiring a skilled advisor is the least amount you’ll spend in a procurement, but it can be the key factor that ensures a successful outcome.
“The best decision we made on this project was hiring a consultant to help us. It’s saved us a lot of money and ensured our success with this ABIS upgrade.” – Public Sector Client
Major ABIS upgrades happen perhaps once a decade. Often the people who worked on the original project have moved on. A Subject Matter Expert (SME) can specify how diverse information systems requirements need to work together for your agency’s specific needs. They can help with developing strategic plans, writing requirements and RFPs, evaluating bids or negotiating contracts, building effective teams, and mitigating risks during your implementation. As they work with local experts, SMEs educate and expand your agency’s knowledge base.
Looking for such a trusted ally for your biometrics business process can be a challenge. Here are some tips to help you find a best-value, proven consultant.
Tip #1 – Look for Independent Subject Matter Expertise
Look for a respected industry consultant who has an intimate knowledge of the major biometrics vendors and how they operate. Your consultant should also have a working knowledge of state and local law enforcement customers as well as the technologies they use (ABIS, livescan, mobileID, mugshots, jails, courts, latents, tenprints). Adding this level of expertise for business process review, integration of best practices, and current technology knowledge is a significant advantage for your agency’s biometric project.
“Hiring an SME helped cover the gaps in our own agency’s expertise and experience. It was a way to lift the burden on our staff as well as make sure we had input on best practices and the latest technology.” – Public Safety Agency
Your consultant should embody a deep understanding of the public safety processes (like booking, intake/release, applicant processing, and tenprint or latent workflow) and how they function with other public safety systems (such as criminal history, jails, and records). As ABIS technology moves to cloud operations, your consultant should point out new requirements dictated by this advancing technology and increase information sharing. They should understand the complex administrative and network environments in which your ABIS must function.
Finally, your consultant should also be vendor-independent, with a history of successful implementations and satisfied customers. They should have exemplified integrity and adaptability in varying similar biometrics projects and should have demonstrated proven program management and team building skills bringing stakeholders, specifications, and schedules together.
Tip #2 – Look for Strategic Planning Proficiency
Strategic planning based on a thorough biometric business process analysis that incorporates the needs of all stakeholders is essential to defining an identification solution that fits your agency’s needs. Your consultant should be well informed about county, state, and national procurement practices. They will also advise on realistic project time frames, options for budgeting and contract and pricing negotiating, as well as grant possibilities.
“Consultants must be trusted, knowledgeable arbitrators who listen to all stakeholders, at all levels, and keep the planning project moving forward.” – Biometrics SME
Look for a consultant who will thoroughly document the existing system environment, functionality, workflows, interfaces, and system support agreements. A truly effective consultant will collaborate with every group involved in ABIS operations. Your consultant should also have the experience and integrity to tell you what’s possible versus too-difficult or too-expensive, then suggest alternatives with today’s technology and projected future developments. They should supply a completed strategic plan that addresses future growth, legislative mandates, and expansions to functionality and operations.
Tip #3 –Look for RFP Development Skills
Writing an effective set of requirements and an RFP can be a time-consuming process. Your consultant should be capable of analyzing and documenting your biometric business process, creating your requirements matrix based on stated needs and use cases, incorporating the latest technology and public safety best practices, and produce a finished document. This includes working with a variety of stakeholders who share access to the biometrics data, since this information is collected and use by multiple agencies.
“Consultants should not only bring systems together; they should also bring teams of people together to ensure successful ABIS integration and implementation.” – PMP Professional
Purchasing teams love having the technical requirements section of a major RFP presented to them already complete and fully reviewed. Often a consultant can also assist with advice on biometrics-specific contract terms, realistic project time frames, and informed risk analysis. Agencies may also need assistance evaluating bids from a technology and risk standpoint, which is a service knowledgeable consultants are well-placed to provide.
Tip #4 – Look for Effective Stakeholder Teambuilding
Your biometrics project will include stakeholder representatives from IT professionals to forensics staff, from administrators to jails, courts, and records. These varying viewpoints can present a challenge, yet each group’s needs must be heard and incorporated into design and acceptance. Building teamwork is often the most essential element in a smooth transition and implementation success.
The most challenging part of many projects is mediating between groups that have no history of cooperation yet are all stakeholders in a mission-critical biometrics procurement. Often a trusted, experienced outside consultant can build a positive partnership where in-house voices might struggle to do so. – Biometrics SME
Your chosen consultant should know how to combine vendor and stakeholder teams, using both small focus groups and larger team meetings. Every project includes elements of risk related to scope, schedule, and financial, technical, operational outcomes. An excellent consultant will provide a thorough mitigation plan, consistent communication, and regular schedule and budget review to achieve project goals. Today’s cloud-based ABIS solutions may simplify hardware installation, but they make connectivity even more mission critical. Your consultant should understand both on-premise and cloud-based implementations to ensure a smooth transition for your new ABIS.
Tip #5 –Look for Accomplished Implementation Oversight
Knowledgeable consultants can help you budget and plan for your biometrics project. They can suggest potential grants or improve contract terms for the best price over longer periods. A good consultant’s negotiating skills can mean your agency gets a competitive price instead of the initial quote. Often the savings a proven consultant brings will more than offset the cost of hiring that consultant.
In one case an experienced consultant saved the customer more than forty percent off the initial bid by extending the term of service and negotiating savings on the price. It turned out the savings were more than ten times the consulting fee. – Biometrics SME
Likewise, an experienced Independent Validation and Verification (IV&V) consultant can keep your ABIS implementation on track and on time. Installing a system on schedule can save millions of dollars. A good IV&V manager plans for operational transition, prevents delays, mediates change items, and resolves resource issues. They achieve smooth acceptance through network pre-checks and clear documentation, keep vendors and team members working together, and track progress to ensure accountability. Factory or site acceptance testing can drag on for months or be completed in a few days, and an experienced consultant can make all the difference. Choose someone who can work each testing situation from both ends: with the vendor and with the customer.
Yes! Biometrics Consultants Bring Value!
Engaging the services of an experienced consulting firm such as BCP brings your agency a proven partner in biometrics planning, procurement, and implementation. We put your agency’s needs and interests at the forefront of any project, guaranteeing a custom solution and project implementation. Our goal is to provide services that save our customers both time and money.
A consultant’s goal should be to bring value to every project they take on. You want someone whose customers end up happy, with their systems working smoothly and efficiently for the long term. – BCP Co-Founder
