Consulting Occupations on:
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[Google]
[Amazon]
A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a
professional
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...
(also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization.
Consulting services generally fall under the domain of
professional services
Professional services are occupations in the service sector requiring special training in the arts or sciences. Some professional services, such as architects, accountants, engineers, doctors, and lawyers require the practitioner to hold professi ...
, as
contingent work
Contingent work, casual work, or contract work, is an employment relationship with limited job security, payment on a piece work basis, typically part-time (typically with variable hours) that is considered non-permanent. Although there is less jo ...
. A consultant is employed or involved in giving professional advice to the public or to those practicing the profession.
Definition and distinction
The
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...
provides a more specific definition of a consultant as someone who advises on "how to modify, proceed in, or streamline a given
process
A process is a series or set of activities that interact to produce a result; it may occur once-only or be recurrent or periodic.
Things called a process include:
Business and management
*Business process, activities that produce a specific se ...
within a specialized field".
In his book, ''The Consulting Bible'',
Alan Weiss defines that "When we
onsultantswalk away from a client, the client's conditions should be better than it was before we arrived or we've failed." There is no legal protection given to the job title 'consultant'.
[Consultancy.uk]
What is a consultant?
accessed 29 June 2021
Subject-matter expert (SME) vs. consultant
According to ''Institute of Management Consultants USA,'' "The value of a consultant
staffing_
''Staffing''_is_the_process_of_finding_the_right_worker_with_appropriate_qualifications_or_experience_and__recruiting_them_to_fill_a_job_position_or_role._Through_this_process,_organizations_acquire,_deploy,_and_retain_a_workforce_of_sufficient_qua_...
,_which_a_client_procures_for_more_generalized_labor,_whereas_consulting_is_for_more_specialized_labor._Thus,_in_contrast_to_adviser.html" ;"title="temporary_work.html" "title="s compared to a Subject-matter expert (SME) is to be able to correctly diagnose and effectively transform an often ill-defined problem and apply information, resources and processes to create a workable and usable solution. Some experts are good consultants and vice versa, some are neither, few are both." Another differentiation perspective would be that a consultant sells advice, but an expert sells their expertise; or of Consultants vs. Coaches or SMEs vs. Team Leaders.
Consultants do not have to be subject-matter experts as consulting agreements are a form of labor contract - comparable to temporary work">staffing
''Staffing'' is the process of finding the right worker with appropriate qualifications or experience and recruiting them to fill a job position or role. Through this process, organizations acquire, deploy, and retain a workforce of sufficient qua ...
, which a client procures for more generalized labor, whereas consulting is for more specialized labor. Thus, in contrast to adviser">advisory services, which is not a labor contract but an actual service (advisory services never become part of the procuring organization) the market for consulting agreements follows the demand for specialized labor in the form of a consulting procurement, and so while competence and experience is naturally an advantage for when looking to sell consulting services, it is not a prerequisite in the same way that it is for advisory services where the service provider per definition relies on some level of competence and experience for its relevance.
Contractor vs. consultant
Sometimes, the word consultant applies specifically to someone or organization that provides knowledge, advice or service; whereas the contractor builds something for the client.
Consultants' view of a consultant
A study found that business consultants maintain a very humble approach in their partnership with the client and believe that the ultimate goal is to make the customer move forward. Further, consultants are conscious in amount of control and discretion which comes from the customer and understand that criticism of their role is part of the work and sometimes even justified.
Role of a consultant
The role of a consultant outside the medical sphere (where the term is used specifically for a grade of doctor) can fall under one of two general categories:
* Internal consultant:
someone who is either employed by or contracted by a client organization, and operates within a client-organization (maybe as part of an ''internal consultancy unit''); or
* External consultant:
someone who is employed externally to the client (either by a consulting firm, some other agency or as an Self-employment, independent freelancer), whose expertise is provided as part of a contract for a fee or rate.
Business case for hiring a consultant
Traditionally, through the act of procuring consulting services, clients may acquire access to higher grades of expertise than would be financially feasible for them to retain in-house on a long-term basis. Moreover, clients can control their expenditures on consulting services by only purchasing as much services from the outside consultant as desired. Additionally, consultants are key persons with specific domain-skills in creating strategies,
(e.g.
digitalization
Digitalization or digitalisation may refer to:
* Digital transformation, the increasing adoption of digital tools to market your product.
* Digitization, the conversion of non-digital or analog information into a digital format.
* Medical use of ...
), leadership coaching,
interim management
Interim management is the temporary provision of management resources and skills. Interim management can be seen as the short-term assignment of a proven heavyweight interim executive manager to manage a period of transition, crisis or change with ...
(also called ''consultant manager''), etc.
Another business-case is that a consultant may save the company money: for example, a specialist tax-consultant who saves the company 20% on its taxes, and only charges 10% in fees, enables the company to net a 10% savings.
A portion of professional services in demand for clients are simply not necessary to retain in house, as they may be sporadic in nature, at which a consultant offers a reduction in payroll for the client.
In the
UK government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_es ...
sector, since 2010 the
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for supporting the prime minister and Cabinet. It is composed of various units that support Cabinet committees and which co-ordinate the delivery of government objecti ...
has required government departments to implement spending controls which restrict the appointment of consultants and temporary staff in order to regulate consultancy expenditure and ensure that the use of consultants offers
value for money
In economics, economic value is a measure of the benefit provided by a good or service to an economic agent. It is generally measured through units of currency, and the interpretation is therefore "what is the maximum amount of money a specif ...
.
[National Audit Office]
Use of consultants and temporary staff
HC 603, published 13 January 2013, accessed 29 June 2021 A
National Audit Office report published in 2015 recommended that all UK government departments adopt a "strategic plan" to assess their current skills and expected "skill gaps", so that their future need for consultants and temporary staff could be better predicted.
[
]
Delivery of service
Consultants provide their services to their clients in a variety of forms. Reports and presentations are often used. Advice can be general (high degree of quality of communication) and also domain-focused. However, in some specialized fields, the consultant may develop as well as implement customized software or other products for the client. Depending on the nature (also named mandate or statement of work
A statement of work (SOW) is a document routinely employed in the field of project management. It is the narrative description of a project's work requirement. It defines project-specific activities, deliverables and timelines for a vendor providin ...
or assignment) of the consulting services and the wishes of the client, the advice from the consultant may be made public, by placing the report or presentation online, or the advice may be kept confidential (under a Non-disclosure agreement
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract or part of a contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish ...
or within the clients-company), and only given to the senior executives of the organization.
Employment status and career distinction
Consultants work for (consulting) firms or as freelance contractors. A consultant differs from a temporary worker insofar as she or he has, as detailed above, a highly specialized career and domain knowledge. This could be true for a temporary worker too, however, for example a medical consultant is unlikely to suddenly become a hotel receptionist, whereas a temporary worker might change domains and branches more frequently. Furthermore, a consultant usually signs a service-type employee contract (known as fixed-term A fixed-term contract is a contractual relationship between an employee and an employer that lasts for a specified period. These contracts are usually regulated by countries' labor laws, to ensure that employers still fulfill basic labour rights reg ...
, full-time
Full-time or Full Time may refer to:
* Full-time job, employment in which a person works a minimum number of hours defined as such by their employer
* Full-time mother, a woman whose work is running or managing her family's home
* Full-time fat ...
, part-time), whereas a temporary worker will only be offered a temporary (and scope limited) contract or a work-results type contract (e. g. in Germany a specific type of contract called ''Werksvertrag'') to fulfill or create a specific work. Additionally, a temporary worker might be directed and managed by a client, whereas a consultant is employed by a company (or self) and provides services for a client. The consultant may not be provided work-related instruments or tools, but only the necessary infrastructure and accesses the consultant needs to fulfill the statement of work, e. g. access to internal IT networks or client-side laboratory. Moreover, a consultant might engage in multi-project services (matrix organization
Matrix management is an organizational structure in which some individuals report to more than one supervisor or leader–relationships described as solid line or dotted line reporting. More broadly, it may also describe the management of cross-f ...
) for the client or for internal projects/activities at the employer firm.
The consultant's career path is usually not at the client's side, however the consultant will very likely be introduced into the client's organizational program or project structure.
Novel collaborations of expert-contractors or ''independent consultants'' especially in ICT sector exist, e.g. ThoughtWorks.
Consulting scope
A consultant's activity can last anywhere from an hourly consultation, to a one-day service, three months, 12 months or more. For complex projects, a longer period is needed for the consultant to analyze, resolve the root cause, get to know the stakeholders and organizational-situation, etc. Usually the engagement has set legal boundaries under given law to avoid (specifically for freelance-contractors) the problem of false self-employment
False self-employment is a situation in which somebody registered as self-employed, a freelancer, or a temp is de facto an employee carrying out a professional activity under the authority and subordination of another company. Such false self-emp ...
(see also Umbrella company
An umbrella company is a company that employs agency contractors who work on temporary contract assignments, usually through a recruitment agency in the United Kingdom. Recruitment agencies prefer to issue contracts to a limited company as the ag ...
). The person at client location is sometimes called a ''Resident''. By spending time at the client's organization, the consultant is able to observe work processes, interview workers, managers, executives, board members, or other individuals, and study how the organization operates to provide hers or his services.
In some settings, a consultant is signing a specific contract and is hired as an interim manager or executive with advanced authority or shared responsibility or decision making of client-side activities, filling a vacant position which could and cannot be filled with an internal candidate. This is often the case by the client-organization due to other constraints, such as corporate compliance and HR-processes, which lead to prolonged hiring paths beyond six months, which is often inacceptable for leadership roles.
Work location
Research and analysis can occur at the consultants' offices (sometimes called back office
A back office in most corporations is where work that supports ''front office'' work is done. The front office is the "face" of the company and is all the resources of the company that are used to make sales and interact with customers and client ...
) or home-office
Small office/home office (or single office/home office; sometimes short SOHO) refers to the category of business or cottage industry that involves from 1 to 10 workers.
In New Zealand, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) ...
s) or via remote work
Remote work, also called work from home (WFH), work from anywhere, telework, remote job, mobile work, and distance work is an employment arrangement in which employees do not commute to a central place of work, such as an office building, ware ...
). In the case of smaller consulting firms, consultants typically work at the site of the client for at least some of the time. The governing factor on where a consultant works tends to be the amount of interaction required with other employees of the client. If a management consultant
Management consulting is the practice of providing consulting services to organizations to improve their performance or in any way to assist in achieving organizational objectives. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultants ...
is providing advice to a software firm that is struggling with employee morale, absenteeism
Absenteeism is a habitual pattern of absence from a duty or obligation without good reason. Generally, absenteeism is unplanned absences. Absenteeism has been viewed as an indicator of poor individual performance, as well as a breach of an implici ...
and issues with resignation
Resignation is the formal act of leaving or quitting one's office or position. A resignation can occur when a person holding a position gained by election or appointment steps down, but leaving a position upon the expiration of a term, or choos ...
by managers and senior engineers, the consultant will probably spend a good deal of time at the client's office, interviewing staff, engineers, managers and executives, and observing work processes. On the other hand, a legal consultant asked to provide advice on a specific property law
Property law is the area of law that governs the various forms of ownership in real property (land) and personal property. Property refers to legally protected claims to resources, such as land and personal property, including intellectual pro ...
issue might only have a few meetings at the client's office, and conduct the majority of his work at the consultant's office and in legal libraries.
Similarly, the growth of online, highly skilled consultant freelance marketplace
''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
s has begun to grow.
Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
has resulted in an increase in remote work
Remote work, also called work from home (WFH), work from anywhere, telework, remote job, mobile work, and distance work is an employment arrangement in which employees do not commute to a central place of work, such as an office building, ware ...
and demand for online-work skills to continue business or operations.
In-house consulting
Also known as ''ICUs - Internal Consulting Units'', which are departments or specialists groups created by or maintained by usually larger companies for their own consulting service needs along the business chain. ''ICUs'' might be internal or own-run businesses.
Success factors of consulting
The following qualities are found to be helpful for a successful consulting career.
Accenture success factors
From Accenture blog, one of the main IT consultancies in the world, the following factors play an important role:
* A service-oriented mindset
* Sharing of great work
* Seizing of opportunities
* Setting of goals, seeking of advice and taking time to reflect
''Bronnenmayer's'' success factors
Bronnenmayer et al. investigated, by applying a structural equation model
Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a label for a diverse set of methods used by scientists in both experimental and observational research across the sciences, business, and other fields. It is used most in the social and behavioral scienc ...
, and due to little empirical research, the management consulting's success factors from a client perspective. It is found that Consultant Expertise, Intensity of Collaboration and Common Vision have strongest performance impact on success.
# Common Vision
# Intensity of Collaboration
# Trust
# Project Management
# Consultant Expertise
# Provided Resources
# Top Management Support
Sindermann and Sawyer success factors
Sindermann and Sawyer conclude in their book ''The Scientist as Consultant'', that a cientificconsultant is successful, if she or he has "achieved a viable mix of technical proficiency and business skills" with "technical proficiency" meaning excellence in competence, credibility, effective networking with colleagues, and ability to negotiate.
Hartel's 10 Golden Rules
According to management consultant Dirk Hartel, the following ten objectives or rules are key to a successful consulting career:
# Customer first - Especially the meaning of being available (time) for customer needs
# Appearance - Understanding of self-image and dress for the job
# Determined friendliness - Having concrete mindset and goals, but being diplomatic too
# Punctuality - Leading time management, starting and finishing on time, being prepared
# Engagement and productivity - Supporting, being pro-active, etc.
# Critical questioning - Nobody is born a consultant; asking the right questions is a key skill
# Feedback - Request regular feedback, asking for critique rather than waiting for it
# Acceptance of hierarchies - Professional navigation in client organization, knowing authority-levels, being respectful and being confidential with customer information
# Stakeholder behavior - Study and understanding of client behavior and culture; inspiring stakeholders with presentations, etc.
# Being courageous - Consulting-life is challenging, never lose trust in yourself, but also reflect and lead a positive and good life
Consulting challenges
Distinctness
Consultants are often outsiders to the client organization. On one hand, this means their work methods, expertise, behaviors, etc. differ from the client-employees and organizational, and is exactly what the client needs, however it can also be a considerable disadvantage for a successful engagement and may lead to a less intimate cooperation with the client's business.
Domain
Next to general challenges, domain-specific challenges for consultants exist. In palliative medicine
In 2006, ''hospice and palliative medicine'' was officially recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties, and is ''co-sponsored'' by the American Boards of
* Internal Medicine
* Anesthesiology
* Family Medicine
* Physical Medicine ...
consulting, emotions, beliefs, sensitive topics, difficulty communicating and prognosis interpretation, or patients expectations despite critical illness are some of the challenges faced by the consultant.
Ethical conflict (manipulation)
According to Kelman, "One danger is that he counselordoes not recognize the control that he is exercising over the client's behavior. The other is that he is so convinced that he is doing good for the client that he does not realize the double-edged nature of the control he is exercising."
Expectations (customer)
Hartel mentions several challenges that are based on the types of consultants, including a consultant in a short-term role, as integrator, as driver, as project manager or methodology guru, know-how expert, or as scapegoat.Rambo
Rambo is a surname with Norwegian (Vestfold) and Swedish origins. It possibly originated with '' ramn'' + '' bo'', meaning "raven's nest". It has variants in French (''Rambeau'', ''Rambaut'', and ''Rimbaud'') and German (''Rambow''). It is now best ...
in suit".
Organizational
Consultants may face several organizational challenges, e. g. internal consultants are faced with the paradoxes to maintain a good balance between knowing the internal company structure and at the same time staying neutral and objective, keeping a marginal position between the client and the provided service.
Other general challenges
General issues faced by a consultant can be stress, productivity issues with meetings, general "technostresses", high-paced and changing business environments and situations, etc.
Stakeholder management
In case of corporate and industrial consultants, the role is further challenged to act and become the "translator of information" from various different client-company cultures and procedures (processes) and between her or his employer-side team, managers and leadership team. What is an important goal to the current client is usually not similar for any other client due to multiple variations in company size, history, product, program, organizational structure, leadership, etc. Hence the consultant must be excellent in sensing and communicating between different layers in the organization and further across it, while maintaining authenticity, integrity and trustworthiness with all parties involved.
Taxation and legal status
Independent consultants (contractors or freelancer) usually need to fulfil taxation requirements given by laws, specifically challenging employment status to avoid 'disguised' employment.
Compared to contracting, consulting can be seen as being "in business in your own right", not controlled by your client, etc. placing a consultant "well outside" of e. g. IR35.
Qualifications
There is no single qualification to becoming a consultant, other than those laid down in relation to medical, psychological and engineering personnel who have attained this level-degree in it or professional licenses, such as Chartered Engineer
Regulation and licensure in engineering is established by various jurisdictions of the world to encourage life, public welfare, safety, well-being, then environment and other interests of the general public and to define the licensure process thr ...
.undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree (also called first degree or simply degree) is a colloquial term for an academic degree earned by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. In the United States, it is usually offered at an institution of higher e ...
s, graduate degree
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree.
The organization and struc ...
s, professional degree
A professional degree, formerly known in the US as a first professional degree, is a degree that prepares someone to work in a particular profession, practice, or industry sector often meeting the academic requirements for licensure or accreditatio ...
s or professional designation
Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply ''certification'' or ''qualification'', is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task. Not all certifications ...
s pertaining to their field(s) of expertise.civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...
providing consulting on a bridge project may have to be a professional engineer
Regulation and licensure in engineering is established by various jurisdictions of the world to encourage life, public welfare, safety, well-being, then environment and other interests of the general public and to define the licensure process thro ...
).
Accreditation
Various accreditation bodies for consultants exist today:
* AACSB
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, also known as AACSB International, is an American professional organization. It was founded as the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business in 1916 to provide accreditation to ...
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
*AMBA
Amba or AMBA may refer to:
Title
* Amba Hor, alternative name for Abhor and Mehraela, Christian martyrs
* Amba Sada, also known as Psote, Christian bishop and martyr in Upper Egypt
Given name
* Amba, the traditional first name given to the first ...
- Association of MBAs
*CIMC - Chartered Institute of Management Consultants (US)
* CMI - Chartered Management Institute (UK)
**IC - Institute of Consulting
The Institute of Consulting (IC) is the professional body for consultants and business advisers in the United Kingdom. It replaced the former Institute of Business Consulting (IBC) in January 2011, which was itself formed as the merger of two pre ...
(UK)
* EFMD - European Foundation for Management Development (EQUIS
The EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) is an international school accreditation system. It specializes in higher education institutions of management and business administration, run by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD ...
)
* FEANI - European federation of professional engineers
* Institute of Management Consultants (IMC USA)
* International Federation of Consulting Engineers
The International Federation of Consulting Engineers (commonly known as FIDIC, acronym for its French name ''Fédération Internationale Des Ingénieurs-Conseils'') is an international standards organization for construction technology and consult ...
(FIDIC)
*The International Council of Management Consulting Institutes
The International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI) has since 1987 been the professional body worldwide for management consultants.
ICMCI since 2013 is called CMC-Global.
It exists to:
* Elevate the standards of the certified ...
(ICMCI)
Code of Ethics
Accredited practitioners in all fields (incl. medical) can be bound by a Code of Ethics
Ethical codes are adopted by organizations to assist members in understanding the difference between right and wrong and in applying that understanding to their decisions. An ethical code generally implies documents at three levels: codes of bus ...
or Code of Conduct
A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the norms, rules, and responsibilities or proper practices of an individual party or an organization.
Companies' codes of conduct
A company code of conduct is a set of rules which is commonly writt ...
.
Ethics in the field of business consulting and organizations is still a subject under research.
A thorough discussion of ethics in the field of consultation is given in Lippitt & LippittAmerican Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...
) and CSPEC (or CSCE) (Committee on Scientific and Professional Ethics) and conclude that "The most important aspect in the formulation of a code of conduct however, is the recognition of a fundamental moral standard. Only then is compliance with the rules guaranteed."
Consulting domains
There exist various forms, types and areas or industries of consultants. The following list provides some examples:
Business (general)
* Franchise consulting
'Franchise consulting' traditionally meant the same consultant-to-client relationship as any other industry wherein the consultant charges a 'fee for services'. But, as of the late 1990s the term 'consultant' has been adopted by many franchise sa ...
* Human resource consulting The human resource consulting industry has emerged from management consulting and addresses human resource management tasks and decisions. HR Consultants can fill two typical roles (1) Expert Resource Consultant (2) Process/People consultant. These ...
- Specialists who provide expertise around employment practice and people management.
* Interim management
Interim management is the temporary provision of management resources and skills. Interim management can be seen as the short-term assignment of a proven heavyweight interim executive manager to manage a period of transition, crisis or change with ...
- Often independent consultants who act as interim executives (any CxO) with decision-making
In psychology, decision-making (also spelled decision making and decisionmaking) is regarded as the Cognition, cognitive process resulting in the selection of a belief or a course of action among several possible alternative options. It could be ...
power under corporate policies or statutes. They may sit on specially constituted boards or committees.
* Performance consulting
A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function.
Management science
In the work place ...
- Consultants who focus on the execution of an initiative or overall performance of their client.
* Management consulting
Management consulting is the practice of providing consulting services to organizations to improve their performance or in any way to assist in achieving organizational objectives. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultant ...
- Professionals working on the development of and improvement to organizational strategy alongside senior management
Senior management, executive management, upper management, or a management is generally individuals at the highest level of management of an organization who have the day-to-day tasks of managing that organization—sometimes a company or a corpor ...
in many industries. ISO 20700
ISO 20700 ''Guidelines for management consultancy services'' is a standard developed for use as a guideline for people or organizations for the effective management of management consulting services.
The standard was developed by ISO project comm ...
standard has been available since 2017.
* Market-entry consultant Market-entry consultants provide consultancy services to private companies, corporations or government / non-profit organizations for solving various business problems related to commencing sales/manufacturing/outsourcing operations in a new market ...
* Media consultant
A media consultant is a marketing agent or public relations executive that is hired by businesses or political candidates to obtain positive press coverage. Media consultants usually draft press releases to highlight positive achievements of a ...
* Process consultant {{Refimprove, date=December 2019
A process consultant is a highly qualified professional that has insights into and understands the psychological and social dynamics of working with various client systems such as whole organizations, groups, and ind ...
s - Specialists in the design or improvement of e.g. operational processes in specific sectors, e.g. medical industry
* Statistical consultant
A methodological advisor or statistical consultant provides methodological and statistical advice and guidance to clients interested in making decisions regarding the design of studies, the collection and analysis of data, and the presentation a ...
* Tax advisor A tax advisor or tax consultant is a person with advanced training and knowledge of tax law. The services of a tax advisor are usually retained in order to minimize taxation while remaining compliant with the law in complicated financial situations. ...
Technology
* Information-technology consulting
In management, information technology consulting (also called IT consulting, computer consultancy, business and technology services, computing consultancy, technology consulting, and IT advisory) is a field of activity which focuses on advising or ...
- Experts in Computer-technology disciplines such as computer hardware, software engineering
Software engineering is a systematic engineering approach to software development.
A software engineer is a person who applies the principles of software engineering to design, develop, maintain, test, and evaluate computer software. The term '' ...
, or networks
Network, networking and networked may refer to:
Science and technology
* Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects
* Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks
Mathematics
...
.
Construction
* Elevator consultant {{Unreferenced, date=September 2008
An elevator consultant is someone who specializes in the design, testing and maintenance inspection of elevators, escalators, moving walkways and many other conveyances that move people. They are not to be confus ...
Entertainment
* Creative consultant
* Image consulting
* Theatre consultant A theatre consultant is a consultant who specializes in the design of facilities for the performing arts, equipment for those facilities and the operation of theatre.
Professional consultants provide unbiased, functionally sound, practical consulti ...
Health
* Biotechnology consulting
* Consultant (medical) - the most senior grade of hospital doctor in the United Kingdom.
* Consultant pharmacist
A consultant pharmacist is a pharmacist who works as a consultant providing expert advice on clinical pharmacy, academic pharmacy or practice, public health pharmacy, industrial pharmacy, community pharmacy or practice, pharmaceutical analysis et ...
* Consulting psychology
Consulting psychology is a specialty area of psychology that addresses such areas as assessment and interventions at the individual, group, and organizational levels. The ''Handbook of Organizational Consulting Psychology'' provides an overview of ...
* Lactation consultant
Law and politics
* Economic analyst
An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social science discipline of economics.
The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this field there are ...
* Employment consultant
An employment consultant is an expert witness who advises courts and tribunals on employment related issues such as earnings, labour market analysis, residual earning capacity, and retraining. The main area involved is that of personal injury liti ...
* Environmental consulting
Environmental consulting is often a form of compliance (regulation), compliance Consultant, consulting, in which the consultant ensures that the client maintains an appropriate measure of compliance with environmental regulations. There are many t ...
* Foreclosure consultant
* Immigration consultants - Help with the legal procedures of immigration from one country to another.
* Legal nurse consultant A legal nurse consultant is a registered nurse who uses expertise as a health care provider and specialized training to consult on medical-related legal cases. Legal nurse consultants assist attorneys in reading medical records and understanding m ...
* Political consulting
Political consulting is a form of consulting that consists primarily of advising and assisting political campaigns. Although the most important role of political consultants is arguably the development and production of mass media (largely tele ...
* Trial consulting Trial consulting is the use of social scientists, particularly psychologists and communication experts, and economists, to aid attorneys in the presentation of a criminal trial or civil lawsuit. Modern trial consultants help prepare witnesses, impr ...
Education
* Educational consultants - Assist students or parents in making educational decisions and giving advice in various issues, such as tuition, fees, visas, and enrolling in higher education.
* Faculty consultant
List of notable (management) consultants
* Alan Weiss (entrepreneur)
Alan Weiss (born 1946) is an American entrepreneur, author, and public speaker.
Background
Alan Weiss was born in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1946. He spent his childhood in Union City, New Jersey, and graduated from Emerson High School in 1964 ...
* Arthur E. Andersen (Accenture)
* Bill Bain (Bain & Company)
* Edwin G. Booz
Edwin George Booz (September 2, 1887 - October 1, 1951) was an American management consultant, businessman and corporate executive. He co-founded the consulting firm, Booz Allen Hamilton.
Biography Early life and career
Booz was born in 1887 ...
, James L. Allen, Carl L. Hamilton
* Bruce Henderson
Bruce Doolin Henderson (April 30, 1915 – July 20, 1992) was an American businessman and management expert. He founded Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in 1963 in Boston, Massachusetts and headed the firm as the president and CEO until 1980. He c ...
(founder of BCG)
* Clay Christensen
* Fred Gluck
Frederick W. Gluck (born 1935) was a longtime top senior partner and director at management consultancy McKinsey & Company, serving as managing director (chief executive) from 1988 to 1994. At McKinsey he introduced the concept of fifteen “cent ...
* Gary Hamel
Gary P. Hamel (born 1954) is an American management consultant. He is a founder of Strategos, an international management consulting firm based in Chicago.
Biography
Hamel graduated from Andrews University in 1975, and from Ross School of Bus ...
*George Gallup
George Horace Gallup (November 18, 1901 – July 26, 1984) was an American pioneer of survey sampling techniques and inventor of the Gallup poll, a successful statistical method of survey sampling for measuring public opinion.
Life and career
...
(Gallup Inc.)
* Henry Mintzberg
Henry Mintzberg (born September 2, 1939) is a Canadian academic and author on business and management. He is currently the Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at the Desautels Faculty of Management of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, ...
*James O. McKinsey
James Oscar McKinsey (June 4, 1889 – November 30, 1937) was an American accountant, management consultant, professor of accounting at the University of Chicago, and founder of McKinsey & Company.Flesher, Dale L. and Tonya K. Flesher.McKinsey, ...
* Michael Porter
Michael Eugene Porter (born May 23, 1947) is an American academic known for his theories on economics, business strategy, and social causes. He is the Bishop William Lawrence University Professor at Harvard Business School, and he was one of t ...
* Peter Block
Peter Block (born 1939) is an American author, consultant, and speaker in the areas of organization development, community building, and civic engagement.
He was born to Jewish parents, Ira and Dorothy Block. He currently resides with his wife, ...
Further prominent ''thinkers'' are also listed in the Strategy portal.
See also
*Business school
A business school is a university-level institution that confers degrees in business administration or management. A business school may also be referred to as school of management, management school, school of business administration, o ...
*Consulting firm
A consulting firm or simply consultancy is a professional service firm that provides expertise and specialised labour for a fee, through the use of consultants. Consulting firms may have one employee or thousands; they may consult in a broad range ...
*Contingent workforce
Contingent work, casual work, or contract work, is an employment relationship with limited job security, payment on a piece work basis, typically part-time (typically with variable hours) that is considered non-permanent. Although there is less jo ...
*Interim management
Interim management is the temporary provision of management resources and skills. Interim management can be seen as the short-term assignment of a proven heavyweight interim executive manager to manage a period of transition, crisis or change with ...
*IRS Reclassification
Misclassification of employees as independent contractors is the way in which the United States classifies the problem of false self-employment. It can occur with respect to tax treatment or the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The U.S. Government Acco ...
*Knowledge transfer
Knowledge transfer is the sharing or disseminating of knowledge and the providing of inputs to problem solving. In organizational theory, knowledge transfer is the practical problem of transferring knowledge from one part of the organization t ...
*Management consulting
Management consulting is the practice of providing consulting services to organizations to improve their performance or in any way to assist in achieving organizational objectives. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultant ...
*Permatemp
Permatemp is a U.S. term for a temporary employee who works for an extended period for a single staffing client. The word is a portmanteau of the words '' permanent'' and ''temporary''.
There are two types of permatemp employment relationships. ...
*Political consulting
Political consulting is a form of consulting that consists primarily of advising and assisting political campaigns. Although the most important role of political consultants is arguably the development and production of mass media (largely tele ...
*Project management
Project management is the process of leading the work of a team to achieve all project goals within the given constraints. This information is usually described in project documentation, created at the beginning of the development process. Th ...
*Procurement
Procurement is the method of discovering and agreeing to terms and purchasing goods, Service (economics), services, or other works from an external source, often with the use of a tendering or competitive bidding process. When a government agenc ...
*Public consultation
Public consultation (Commonwealth countries and European Union), public comment (US), or simply consultation, is a regulatory process by which the public's input on matters affecting them is sought. Its main goals are in improving the efficiency, ...
References
Further reading
*Nissen, Volker, ed. ''Advances in Consulting Research: Recent Findings and Practical Cases''. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2019. Print.
*CMI - Management Consulting Journal
* CMC - Management Consulting Journal
*Treichler, Christoph. “Consulting Industry and Market Trends: A Two-Sided View.” ''Contributions to Management Science''. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2019. 253–272. Print.
Journal of Business and Management
Journal of Management Studies
by Stephan Hartmann of Roland Berger
Roland Berger (born 22 November 1937) is a German entrepreneur, consultant and philanthropist.
Life
Roland Berger was born in Berlin in 1937 as Robert Altmann; his family name changed later, after his father, Georg L. Berger, married his mot ...
Switzerland, 2021
Management Review Quarterly
*Marsh, Sheila. ''The Feminine in Management Consulting''. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2009. Print.
*McKinsey
McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm founded in 1926 by University of Chicago professor James O. McKinsey, that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. McKinsey is the oldest and ...
br>Quarterly Magazine
*Seebacher, Uwe G. ''Template-Based Management: A Guide for an Efficient and Impactful Professional Practice''. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021. Print.
Strategy+business
by PwC
PricewaterhouseCoopers is an international professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounting ...
*Roland Berger'
Think:Act
Magazine
*Susskind, Richard, and Daniel Susskind. ''The Future of the Professions: How Technology Will Transform the Work of Human Experts''. Oxford University Press, 2015. Print.
*Kipping, Matthias, and Timothy Clark, eds. ''The Oxford Handbook of Management Consulting''. London, England: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.
*TCS TCS may refer to:
Organisations
* Tata Consultancy Services, an IT company headquartered in India
* Taxpayers for Common Sense, a US nonpartisan federal budget watchdog organization
* TCS Courier, a Pakistani courier service
* Touring Club Suisse ...
Management Journal Perspectives
*Weiss, A. (2016). ''Million dollar consulting: The professional's guide to growing a practice, fifth edition'' (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.