About RMG
Founded in 1980 to assist libraries to plan, procure, and implement computer-based systems and services, RMG Consultants, Inc. serves clients from our main office in Chicago as well as through RMG Information Consultants in Melbourne, Australia. Library automation has evolved into a dynamic and volatile arena where new products and services are continually introduced, and vendors come and go. Competition is vigorous. Constant advances in information technology drive new developments. Librarians are challenged to make the best possible choices regarding technology and investments in an environment that is more complex and demanding than ever before.
RMG offers solutions - proven approaches to library automation planning, procurement, and implementation. We are specialists with an unmatched track record in helping librarians to plan soundly and "buy right."
Advantages of RMG
EXPERTISE
Our consultants are professional librarians with extensive experience in the design, implementation, and management of library information systems. We actively track new products, trends, and issues in the library automation marketplace. Our expertise and knowledge of the industry are unmatched.
FUNDING
One of the most important goals of an RMG planning project is to develop accurate cost information and project plans. Using budgets constructed by RMG, our clients have had outstanding successes in obtaining funding. Our financial modeling methods and written reports help library managers and staff to effectively communicate accurate costs of an automation project to boards and funding sources.
OBJECTIVITY
RMG brings an objective, unbiased perspective to the process of evaluating and selecting automated library systems. RMG does not recommend systems; we do not represent any systems or vendors; we have no financial interest in the selections made by our clients.
"BUYING RIGHT"
We know from our constant involvement in competitive procurements that RMG's impartiality is vital to the financial interests of our clients. For a client to "buy right," competing vendors need to know that they have a fair chance. RMG's methods are designed to take full advantage of competitive buying.
SERVICE
RMG is a client-driven organization dedicated to providing outstanding service. This means that when clients call our offices there are knowledgeable and interested staff members ready to answer questions and assist with projects. Our staff produce professionally-formatted documents using state-of-the-art computer technology. Service means timely delivery of project documents, and adherence to workplan schedules. We pride ourselves in providing these fundamentals. RMG is staffed to be flexible, adapting to clients' needs, and putting client satisfaction first.
EXPERIENCE
Over the last two decades RMG has successfully consulted with thousands of libraries. We have extensive experience working with public, academic, school, and special libraries, multi-type library systems, and library consortia. We design our services and projects to fit the specific needs of each client, regardless of size. We work with small libraries, as well as large systems and consortia. We have assisted clients to evaluate every major library automation product and service; our clients have selected systems from every major vendor. In addition, RMG has prepared and successfully negotiated contracts with all the major vendors of automated systems. RMG brings solid, proven experience, and the most up-to-date library automation information available.
The Bottom Line - Savings and Value
Every RMG consulting project is designed to save the library time, effort, and money. Our consultants have specific library automation planning and project management skills that we immediately provide to our client's staff. Our methodologies are tried, proven, and accurate. They reduce the time and effort required to collect and analyze data, prepare system requirements and RFPs, and evaluate proposals. Our techniques for soliciting the best prices from vendors can result in measurable bottom-line savings. The goals of RMG's competitive procurements and negotiated contracts are to help clients make sound choices and "buy right." The warranties that we negotiate establish the capacity and other price/performance characteristics of a system, and determine the value of the client's investment.
RMG's Code of Professional Ethics
RMG's basic responsibility is to serve the interests of our clients with honesty, integrity, and competence. Our ethic is to provide independent judgment, objectivity, technical expertise, analytical skills, and concentrated attention to clients' needs. We seek value for our clients, both in the services we provide them and in the library automation products and services that they buy. RMG does not represent systems or vendors, has no bias toward or against any vendor, and no financial interest in the selections made by our clients. We accept only those assignments that we are qualified to perform, and which will bring real benefit to our clients. We recognize that each client has unique needs, therefore, we develop each consulting project specifically to provide the needs of each individual client.