Management consultants received a poor press during the late 1990’s and early part of the 21st Century. Originally they had been viewed as some kind of God, then some kind of pariah, who were often out of touch with some of the more recent thinking and innovative management techniques. The often stated criticism was that they would charge a lot of money to tell you what you already knew.
However, management consultants soon ‘wised up’ to the challenge of being a management consultant in the 21st Century and started to specialise, many having particular skills or training in some specialised fields of management.
For example, it is now possible to secure a management consultant who is a logistics expert. They can help you to look at the way that you organise logistics and suggest areas for improvement. This can reduce the costs associated with logistics, streamline the processes used and ensure that performance is maximised; all in one go!
Management consultants can also establish performance metrics for the organisation and then go on to look at the Key Performance Indicators that can really help to establish exactly how your organisation is performing.
Some management consultants specialise in procurement, so they are able to advise on the best way that procurement can happen and often have experienced change and resistance to change in organisations, so they are able to work with all departments to help implement some of the changes that may be required, following changes to the way that procurement is made.
Specialists In Software and Technology
Many management consultants now straddle a fine line between being IT literate, to a very high degree and being management consultants. However a good management consultant will now be able to look at the problems that an organisation has, or at its performance and make recommendations on how technology can be applied to standardize and simplify.
This can be invaluable, because it is almost like having an IT specialist and a traditional management consultant all wrapped up into one person. However, it also helps the organisation on different levels, because it isn’t just about management and it isn’t just about IT; it is about both together and that is of critical importance.
A Fresh Pair Of Eyes
One great thing about a management consultant is that they offer a fresh pair of eyes, looking at your organisation in a way that you probably would like to, but find it difficult. The management consultant is independent (in a sense) and objective, so he or she will not be swayed by personal history or by internal politics. They don’t know the history and they won’t be involved in the politics, so they can simply come in and see what is going on and then report back with suggestions for improvement. The fact that they have typically experienced a variety of businesses also helps achieve senior buy-in for change as they represent a much more credible voice to senior stakeholders.
Assistance and Collaboration
The management consultant is ideally placed to facilitate between organisations who wish to work collaboratively. Often it can be difficult for companies to approach each other, but the management consultant is independent enough to make this relatively easy. So they can set out the process for collaboration in a way that is not threatening to either of the parties.
Managing Change
The final real benefit of management consultants is that they can help organisations to cope with change. Often the best plans in the world are thrown out because the staff are so resistant to change that the new plans are simply rendered unfeasible. However, a good management consultant will help to alleviate this resistance and ensure that the service improvements that are required, can be implemented in a way that is smooth and hassle free!