| Consultants can have a negative reputation - charging | | | | Goods, Semiconductors) b) Serving different clients |
| $2 million for 12 weeks work that results in stacks of | | | | facing similar problems in different industries (eg. |
| PowerPoint slides, all of which are archived into a | | | | Eastern European expansion, Central Asia |
| dusty closet (digital or otherwise) soon after McKBain | | | | outsourcing) |
| Group leaves the premises. | | | | This allows them a sort of pattern recognition for |
| Below, Ill paint a positive (and more realistic) view on | | | | effective solutions, applying lessons learned in |
| the 6 reasons why companies hire business | | | | applicable situations. |
| consultants. After reading, you will have a better | | | | 4) Analytical manpower |
| view on management consulting as a future career. | | | | A corollary to staff augmentation, companies often |
| 1) Staff augmentation - the least value-added role | | | | require help to address problems where their |
| that consultants offer. Companies often have | | | | knowledge and skillsets are lacking. Consultants can |
| short-term staffing needs (in the case of | | | | be of great value given their training - a big reason |
| government work, this can extend for several years) | | | | why consulting jobs are hard to find! |
| due to a variety of factors (eg. company | | | | 5) Fresh perspective |
| downsizing's, unplanned growth). While expensive, it | | | | Companies often need an outside viewpoint - you'd |
| can be commonplace for operational consulting firms | | | | be amazed at the amount of value business |
| (eg. Deloitte) and, to a lesser extent, public sector | | | | consultants can add based on the most |
| consulting firms (eg. Booz) | | | | commonplace observations. Critics contend that this is |
| 2) External change force aka political cover. It can be | | | | evidence of consultants selling common sense, but |
| hard for companies to do whats right (sacred cows | | | | for front-line workers up to senior executives, it can |
| and all that jazz) " especially when it comes to job | | | | be easy to fall into daily routines without casting a |
| layoffs, reductions in benefits, major operational | | | | sharp eye towards self-criticism and improvement. |
| shifts. Hiring management consultants can be a way | | | | 6) Skill set augmentation and training |
| to reach the desired conclusions with political cover in | | | | Every consulting project - particularly the ones with |
| case key parties are unhappy (eg. disgruntled | | | | heavy client interaction - incorporates employee |
| employees or a displeased Board) or things go awry | | | | training as a central component. The best |
| (Despite the major cost increase, we implemented | | | | recommendations are worthless if clients cant |
| Mercers recommendations " there's little that what | | | | implement and maintain suggested changes after |
| we could have done better) | | | | consulting teams leave. Thus, a central part of what |
| 3) Best practices across functions and sectors - | | | | business consultants do is teach client employees the |
| consultants have the experience of:a) Serving | | | | necessary skills, knowledge, and mindsets. |
| different clients in the same sector (eg. Consumer | | | | |