Travel practices and onsite work for Consultants

I’m still collecting data for the Progress Consultant survey, so if you’ve thought about participating, now’s the time to get involved! See about participating in the survey and other survey updates. Because of the project is ongoing, some posts may get updated from time to time.

54 Consultants have been interviewed as of this post. For people who are no longer running a consulting business, the data submitted represents the last state of the Consultant’s business.

Travel practices and remote work of Consultants

67% of Consultants provided data about travel to a client site.

33% of respondents come from the continent of Europe
64% from North America (17% from Canada, 47% from US)
3% of respondents come from the continent of Africa.
So far the African sample is very low, so they are not itemized in the analyses below. Consultants from continent of Asia have not provided data about travel practices.

How far do you travel to a client?

33% of respondents travel more than 5K miles to a client site (in one direction only).
This includes 25% of European consultants and 38% of North American consultants.

41% of respondents travel less than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) to visit any client.
This includes 75% of Europeans and 25% of North Americans.

66% of respondents gave no variation in the distance they have travelled for the duration of their consulting practice. Of the persons who’ve experienced changes in the distance they’ve travelled, these are the most interesting remarks:

• In the beginning I had a client from my home country, but they’re gone now. I’ve never encouraged it because I don’t like to fly.
• My business has changed, once upon a time I was a reseller with installations all over the country. Now I’m working in a smaller geographic area doing something quite different.

How many miles do you travel annually?

62% of Consultants provided data about current annual miles travelled,
67% provided data about highest/lowest annual miles travelled.

Respondents travel an average of 31K miles annually. Over time this has ranged from an average of 27K to 65K miles annually. The highest respondents used to travel 250K miles per year. The lowest report no travel at all.

17% respondents travel more than 70K miles annually (currently).
This includes 1% of Europeans and 17% of North Americans

42% respondents travel less than 10K miles annually
This includes 25% of Europeans and 52% of North Americans

24% of respondents gave no variation in the annual distance they travel to client sites. Of the persons who’ve experienced changes, these are the most interesting remarks:

• My travel effort is very high, but it’s impossible to calculate. Sometimes I take the train, sometimes airplanes.
• Well, my business dried up, so I’m not travelling. I had to take a job.
• Normally my travel distances wouldn’t change, but one client had no onsite visit this year.
• I have an off and on relationship with Australia, so some years I don’t go there.
• I don’t want to be away from my family for long periods, so I’m travelling less. It isn’t cost effective for me to cross the Atlantic ocean for less than a week and I don’t like to be away that long.
• We used to travel to the Pacific rim, but we haven’t for many years.
• I spend most of my time behind the wheel of a car!
• Ten years ago at the beginning of my consulting business, everything was done onsite at the client’s, so I travelled a lot. Now, I go onsite only once per year.
• 3 years ago the consulting market included lots of travelling; it doesn’t now.

How much of your work is done onsite?

80% of Consultants provided information about work done onsite.

Respondents currently perform 52% work onsite. Onsite work has ranged from an average of 43% to 70%.

30% of respondents come from the continent of Europe
65% from North America (16% from Canada, 49% from US)
2% of respondents come from the continent of Africa.
2% of respondents come from the continent of Asia.
So far the African and Asian sample is very low, so they are not itemized in the analyses below.

35% of respondents do more than 70% of work onsite.
This includes 30% of Europeans and 65% of North Americans.

23% of respondents do less than 25% of work onsite.
This includes 30% of Europeans and 21% of North Americans.

These are the most interesting remarks:

• Onsite work is declining as one can do progressively more work on the client’s machines remotely.
• 70% of our work is onsite. Because of the economy, companies have cut back on work.
• In our various businesses, the percentages differ. One company does 90% of its work onsite. Another company, after the contract is signed, has no onsite work at all.
• Old clients are desirous of cutting costs, so they go remote-only. In the beginning, clients are interactive. Work is nearly 100% and clients are begging Consultant to go onsite. Towards the end, work declines to 70% offsite or more.
• I might travel to the customer’s site only once or twice per year.
• Remote has grown in the last several years. Now it’s almost no different than working onsite.
• Some clients are 0% remote and others are 100% remote.
• I travel every week.
• I’m available to go anywhere, but bulk of my work for the past 5-6 years is remote.

Do you have any remote-only clients?

76% of Consultants provided information about remote only clients.

Respondents currently have 30% of work as remote-only contracts. Remote contracts have ranged from an average of 16% to 30%.

32% of respondents come from the continent of Europe
63% from North America (16% from Canada, 49% from US)
2% of respondents come from the continent of Africa.
2% of respondents come from the continent of Asia.
So far the African and Asian sample is very low, so they are not itemized in the analyses below.

22% of respondents have remote-only contracts for more than 70% of workload.
This includes 23% of Europeans and 23% of North Americans.

24% of respondents have remote-only contracts for less than 20% of workload.
This includes 31% of Europeans and 23% of North Americans.

34% of respondents have no remote-only contracts.
This includes 38% of Europeans and 31% of North Americans.

These are the most interesting remarks:

• Remote-only is 0%, but almost totally remote is all of them.
• Currently we have no remote-only contracts, but we will have one next year.
• Current remote-only work has already finished, but it was a big job.

The Progress Consultants survey is ongoing. We'd appreciate hearing your remarks and suggestions.