 |
||
|
|
||
| |||||||||||
When and where you want it Cambridge Technology Partners (CTP) sticks to a "fixed price, fixed time" standard, one of the few high-tech consulting firms to give customers an upfront guarantee of how much a job will cost and how long it will take. The firm focuses on providing management consulting and systems integration services to clients in order to transform them into e-businesses. In addition to helping Global 2000 companies design new, more efficient computer networks, Cambridge works with middle-market companies to build intranets and helps them with Internet and e-commerce technology. As a sign of the popularity of CTP's computer consulting services, CTP's worldwide numbers swelled to 4,400 in 1999. A youthful powerhouse The firm was jointly established in 1991 by Safeguard Scientifics, Radnor Venture Partners, and Cambridge Technology Group. Under the leadership of cofounder James Sims, the company went public in 1991. A series of acquisitions followed: In 1994, the firm purchased Sweden's IOS Group, an information technology and software development corporation. Continuing to expand, CTP acquired the Systems Consulting Group and Axiom Management Consulting the following year. And in a $36 million deal, Cambridge acquired software consulting firm Ramos & Associates in 1996. An international attitude With a yearly growth rate of more than 50 percent until 1999, Cambridge Technology Partners expanded outside its historic home, Cambridge, Massachusetts, by leaps and bounds. The firm now has facilities across the U.S. and Europe, as well as in Brazil and Mexico. The firm also has offices in 55 countries around the world, and has especially targeted new growth in India - CTP entered the country in 1998 and has enjoyed growth of 200 to 250 percent per quarter since then. The strategy pet CTP has a smallish management consulting division called Cambridge Management Consulting (CMC), which also guarantees a fixed time and fixed price for its services (most transpiring in the space of six to 12 months). CMC's willingness to name its price up front, to share with its clients the risk of change, and to guarantee on-time project delivery in an accelerated time frame together form the unique policy CMC calls "Rapid Business Renewal." A tech strategy niche Founded in 1988, CMC today has 180 consultants and is headquartered in San Francisco. Borrowing from its technology-savvy parent, CMC has found its niche in the field of technology business solutions, especially electronic commerce. Its varied list of clients includes Sun Microsystems, 3Com, Citibank, J.P. Morgan, Saab, Enron, the city of Sacramento, Federal Express, AT&T, Burger King, and Nike. CMC recommends that those interested in the potential of the electronic commerce market read Net Gain: Expanding Markets through Virtual Communities by John Hagel III and Arthur Armstrong. Some stumbles After 1999, spending on Y2K preparations was expected to slow significantly, as was spending on enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, a slump that has hurt CTP's consulting and implementing businesses in these areas. Analyst Hugh Shytle of investment bank SG Cowen told Computer Reseller News that ERP spending is dwindling as companies shift from client/server technology to Internet-based applications such as e-commerce. CTP has failed to make that shift as quickly as some of its competitors, most notably Sapient. As a result, the company has fallen off the Growth 50 list for 1999, while Sapient rose to number three. For the first time since going public, CTP announced losses for the last quarter of 1999 and the first quarter of 2000 as the cost of keeping employees and redirecting resources to e-business rose. As of mid-2000, CTP had the highest employee turnover rate in the industry, which some say is due to James Sims' less charismatic replacement, Jack Messman. The new CEO has raised salaries and given cash bonuses to employees who complete web training in an effort to convince employees to stay with the company. Already, CTP is involved in two lawsuits with former employees who have started rival companies, including one started by Sims. If CTP hopes to rebound, it must act fast. The company hopes to do so by shifting away from fixed-time, fixed-price contracts, on which the business was founded. If CTP can catch up to the fast-paced Internet, Messman might be able to turn the company around.
Visit the 'Job Opportunities' section of CTP's web site for the lowdown on job openings. With positions in many different locations, send or e-mail resumes to the addresses listed at the web site. Both CTP and CMC maintain lists of current openings and qualifications. CTP's job openings, which range from marketing managers to project leaders to Windows NT instructors, are at http://www.ctp.com/html/HR/html/position_descriptions.html. CMC looks for entrepreneurial and creative college graduates for its entry-level analyst positions, and an MBA and other career experience for more advanced consultant slots. CMC claims to value dedication, ambition and motivation as highly as academic achievement and real-world experience, though a background in computers is still a big plus.
Convivial culture At this "highly social" tech-focused company, employees turn in top ratings for company culture. "The culture is probably the best part of the company," one employee says. "A very laid-back environment dominates throughout the entire company. Everyone just has a good time." With an average age under 30, the fun starts with new employee orientation at the firm's headquarters, which one employee describes as, "two weeks of partying in Boston!" The company sponsors regional activities each quarter including "clambakes, beach events, and happy hours." One employee notes: "The culture is very employee-centric." Another employee enjoys his Cambridge co-workers so much, he raves: "Though work hours can get very hectic at times, the people are so great that you don't even notice the time." The travel and time limits grate Still, work hours at Cambridge are a sore spot for many others. Consultants note that the company's "fixed price, fixed time" mantra can put undue pressure on them. One insider complains: "People around here don't always do a great job of estimating projects. It usually requires a massive effort on someone's part to accomplish anything on time." In addition to long hours, many consultants dislike the extensive travel Cambridge requires of its professionals. One employee complains about the reimbursement process at Cambridge, saying: "I travel a lot, so expense reports are a part of my life. Cambridge is not good at processing these things - it takes about four weeks to get one back." Casual dress, serious perks With the exception of client meetings, dress at the firm tends to be "business casual," with "Dockers and collared shirts for guys," though some offices take the dress down philosophy even further. One contact reports: "My home office allows shorts, T-shirts, and sandals during the summer, five days a week." Insiders say minorities have "excellent opportunities" at Cambridge. Though one employee notes that "men definitely outnumber women, probably 70 percent to 30 percent," another reports that "there are many women in very key high-level positions. For example, Lee Dingle is a vice president in charge of our Electronic Commerce Domain." Consultants agree that the firm's pay is very good, and enjoy perks including free meals, a free membership in the Hyatt health club, 90 percent payment for part-time education, and a "pleasing year-end bonus." Opportunities for travel are reportedly good, with one consultant reporting trips to Australia and Japan. To sum up, says one consultant, "interesting things are always happening at CTP."
Human Resources
Interactive Solutions/E-Business;Enterprise Resource Solutions;Customer Management Solutions;Custom Software Solutions;Network Solutions;IT Strategy and Planning;Assimilation Solutions;Application Management;Management Consulting
Andersen Consulting;Computer Sciences Corporation;Electronic Data Systems;Gemini Consulting;Renaissance Worldwide;Sapient; More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
