Answering the question “what is management consulting?” is as
difficult as attempting to answer the question “how high is the sky?”
There are two causes for the confusion about exactly what management consultants do. First, management consulting is an umbrella term that encompasses many different careers. Second, management consultants cannot give specific examples of their work because it almost always is confidential and highly sensitive.
The essence of consulting is to help a client create value by providing
information and advice which leads to lasting organizational change in a variety
of ways including development of new strategies, accounting systems, information
systems integration, quality management, process redesign, marketing,
distribution channel development, logistics, leadership training, cost control,
productivity enhancement, leveraging technology, activity based costing,
competitive analysis, human resource strategy and value management.
Experts of all kinds frequently refer to themselves as “consultants to
management,” but only those who advise on the management process itself can
legitimately be called management consultants (though even this generalization
is being challenged today). One definition that has gained widespread acceptance
came not from consultants themselves but from academia.
Management consulting is an advisory service contracted for and provided to
organizations by specially trained and qualified persons who assist, in an
objective and independent manner, the client organization to identify management
problems, analyze such problems, recommend solutions to these problems, and
help, when requested, in the implementation of solutions.
Management consulting in the United States has undergone a very dramatic
change over the past fifteen to twenty years. The reason for this change is to
cater to an evolving market and to stay competitive. About fifteen years ago,
the emphasis was purely on technology. Clients wanted their systems to be better
and faster. The general thinking was that every problem could be solved by
technology. Organizations implemented large, complex systems for accounting,
customer service, sales force automation etc., without giving real consideration
to the people who would have to use them. This also led to different divisions
in an organization using incompatible systems, duplication of work and repeated
storage of information resulting in what is commonly referred to as
“technology stovepipes”. Several years of complex implementations were
followed by a flurry of activity in training staff and building interfaces
between systems used by different divisions within the organization.
About a decade ago, the consulting industry began its most recent
metamorphosis to ultimately reach the state that it has achieved today. This
process began when several top consulting organizations expounded the concept of
total consulting. Moving away from the traditional technology solutions, clients
were now advised to solve problems by considering a combination of strategy,
process, technology and people. Consultants began addressing problems at a macro
level across the entire organization and by viewing the organization as a whole
entity. The consultant evolved from a person who recommended and implemented
technology systems to a person who collaborated with the client and helped
resolve business problems affecting the organization as a whole. The consultant
had morphed; he/she was no longer a technologist but more a trusted advisor.
About the Author
Dr. Atul Uchil is an entrepreneur, business-owner and
author. In addition to several research papers, Dr. Uchil has published the
following books that are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ingram, Baker
& Taylor, Borders, BooksAMillion, Bertram Books UK, Gardners UK, Alibris and
many other respected and recognized national and international book retailers.
- The Corporate America Survival Handbook: ISBN - 1598000942
- Consulting: A Job or A Lifestyle: ISBN - 1598000640
- I Opted Out: ISBN - 1598000713
For more information about Dr. Uchil and his books visit =>http://www.uchil-llc.com/books.html
Tags: Consulting, entrepreneur, management, Truster Advisor
