Staffing Challenges Related to IT Implementations Inspires Dedicated Practice at TMG Consulting

AUSTIN, Texas - April 21, 2016 - PRLog -- Mario Bauer, CEO of TMG Consulting today announced the establishment of a formal, dedicated practice within TMG- CSDSupport™-to supplement internal utility resources during major engagements like Customer Information System (CIS) replacements and other projects including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Meter Data Management (MDM) and Work and Assessment (WAM), among others. Phil Duncan, an industry leader and former Itron solutions expert, will lead the strategic direction of the practice.

With the industry's most respected consultants-Gary Thorson, Tim Almond, Debra Ardoline, Ralph Lousteau, Jim Hendershot, Gary Weseloh and Alec O'Brien, to name a few-in the forefront, TMG Consulting has been offering client support services since 1994 (under the name Langham Consulting). On the high-end, the company's individual, client support experience totals more than 35 years.

According to Mario Bauer, CEO of TMG Consulting, "The formalization of TMG's dedicated practice, CSDSupport™, and our recent hire of Phil Duncan as the practice lead, gives TMG the focus and dedicated resources to meet escalating demands for these services that support utilities during major IT system implementation. It also gives us the flexibility to evolve ahead of utility needs."

Through a surge of new engagements that involve CSDSupport™, TMG Consulting has experienced the growing demand for these services, first-hand, particularly with utilities such as New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board, Riviera Utilities, Burbank Water & Power, City of San Jose and Orange County Utilities. A new research study on CIS risk mitigation by RIM Solutions, the research and innovation practice of TMG Consulting, confirms this trend. According to research, one of the top three most pervasive problems challenging utilities during system implementations is inadequate staffing. As more strategic and specialized use of technology and the people who support it are needed within utilities, it is becoming increasingly difficult to divert key resources from their day-to-day responsibilities to support implementations. This trend is expected to accelerate at a growing rate alongside new technologies that improve customer contact and operations.

According to Duncan, "Despite what most people think, staffing issues aren't just a 'small utility' problem. Whether talking to utilities with 12,000 customers to well over one million customers, inadequate internal resources to support system implementations is a problem that is only going to worsen over time. Because these projects are so critical and riddled with risks, the need to supplement internal resources with extremely experienced consultants is transitioning from a nice-to-have to a need-to-have."

Duncan is a seasoned technology leader, project/program manager and business developer with nearly 25 years of industry expertise in AMI smart metering, meter data management and CIS. Talented in cultivating strategic relationships with existing and potential clients, he applies his background in software development, implementation and solution delivery to his role with TMG's Client Side Delivery Support services. Prior to joining TMG, Duncan held various positions at Itron, Mincom/Conversant, Alliance Data Systems/Enlogix, Excelergy and SCT.

Connect with TMG Consulting at CS Week, Booth #613, to learn more about the services offered through CSDSupport™.

About TMG Consulting  (http://www.tmgconsulting.com)

TMG Consulting is a modern utility consultancy that offers Advisory Services, Client-side Delivery Support (CSDS) Services, Research and Utility Market Connections, an unbiased industry directory and information resource. These complementary, interwoven service lines connect the dots between business goals and technologies that support stronger customer relationships.

Our culture of innovation means that we evolve our business model, services and methodologies on an ongoing basis to stay ahead of the needs of utility industry professionals and their customers.

Proof of TMG's effectiveness is in our history of successful engagements; we have delivered more than 400 projects for 250 public- and investor-owned utilities, evolving energy companies, and city, county and state governments since 1992. Visit our Downloads page for case studies and recent successes.