Would you use a consultant?

[Anthony - AJB Consultancy]

I believe consultancy is now a growing trend in the "gig" economy but i just wondered how many of you do or would use a consultant where before you may have never thought about the idea ?

And if so, what pain points in your business would you pass out for help with ?

Anthony

 

[Mark T Jones]

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/consultant

According to the definition I use consultants for several things. Noteably marketing and accountancy

However, as you point out, the term has been stigmatised by various people or bodies providing pretty generic services.

Frankly I’d concentrate on outcomes for the customer rather than the title

 

[Mr D]

Yes I would use a consultant. Probably several different ones.
Multiple projects where some help would be needed at some stage taking the project to bigger level. In a couple of instances would need consultant help before project started.
The details needing help are pencilled in on some, will be pencilled in on others later.

 

[Alan]

Businesses need solutions, not consultants. Consultants can provide solutions to businesses, e.g. marketing, accountancy, finding finance, reducing expenses, starting projects, selecting software, running projects etc etc.

If you are marketing consultancy as a service you will get very little take up ( imho ) but is you market solutions to business problems then that is different.

Same thing - different perspective.

 

[Anthony - AJB Consultancy]

Surely you are only a solution once you know what the problem is though ??

 

[Mr D]

Surely you are only a solution once you know what the problem is though ??

Then would make the job of consultancy firms marketing their solutions harder?

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Consultancy is becoming a bad word by the numbers of unqualified people calling themselves consultants

Many years ago, most consultants were members of some chartered organisation, with vast experience of their patricular profession, nowdays anyone with more than 2 o levels in something wants to sell themselves as a consultant/ designer/ expert

Most companies will at some time, use outside experts to solve a specialised problem, but sorting the wood from the chaf is another matter

 

[Mr D]

Consultancy is becoming a bad word by the numbers of unqualified people calling themselves consultants

Many years ago, most consultants were members of some chartered organisation, with vast experience of their patricular profession, nowdays anyone with more than 2 o levels in something wants to sell themselves as a consultant/ designer/ expert

Most companies will at some time, use outside experts to solve a specialised problem, but sorting the wood from the chaf is another matter

There's also specialists that one company will rent out to another as a consultant on something simply because they are an expert in whatever the project is. Not working normally as a consultant but in this issue / project they act as one and in documentation are credited as one.

For example if I want to set up a commercial farm in middle of Manchester I'd probably use a consulting firm for some stuff but for some technical stuff they'd likely be useless - however someone who has already set up or designed that type of commercial farm could consult on the project.

 

[fisicx]

I believe consultancy is now a growing trend in the "gig" economy but i just wondered how many of you do or would use a consultant where before you may have never thought about the idea ?

Most of the consultants I've ever had to work with were hopeless.

I don't want a consultant, I want a solution to a problem. I will use whoever is best suited to provide a solution. Calling yourself a consultant doesn't mean you will be any good. Even worse is someone who thinks being a consultant is part of the 'gig' economy.

I was on a big project (worth £250m) and there was a consultant employed as a project manager. He never once made a decision. All he would ever do is present a number of options and let us decide which one to choose. Then if it all went pear shaped he wouldn't get the blame.

 

[Stefanie]

I have been a freelance consultant for about 11 years. Until 3 years ago when I had to bow out for personal reasons, I generally was never unemployed.

That said, I didn't offer 'solutions' as I have found most clients needed someone to bounce ideas around their concept to identify the 'solution' before embarking on a plan to address it. That said, I am a bit of a jack of all trades and master of none - I specialise in strategy, market positioning, financial analysis, process re-engineering, best in class .. basically all the stuff with fancy titles, which mean little on the outside, but everything on the inside.

I have found there is a certain type of firm that is more inclined to a consultant and it tends to be med/large corporations. Not only is it a question of finance, but consultants need to be managed to get the most bang for a buck and consultants too easily can take over a small company and lead to general dis-satisfaction all around. Sadly its often though the smaller companies that need consultants the most - as a min for bandwidth on projects or as a 'coach' for the manager to help them steer the ship. The risk of getting a bad consultant however outweighs the return for most.

So I think be careful of consultant touting solutions and look at what you need vs that person's track record to deliver.

 

[Paul Carmen]

The problem here is the language, "consultants" have earned a bad reputation from a cost point of view, tax point of view, work point of view etc. Consultancy has become a dirty word!

The reality is many mid to large size companies use consultants, whether they know it or not, or actually call them that. When you look to external suppliers or individuals for expertise or solutions, there should be a consultancy element being carried out in any project or work, that is why you go to the experts.

Most consultants do not make decisions, they look at problems/client requirements and present possible solutions, these will often differ depending on budget, resource etc. The client/company then has to make the call based on the options presented.

In our business, online lead/sales generation, we offer consultancy as standard, as otherwise we couldn't help potential clients achieve their goals. We don't charge separately for this, but the analysis and consultancy element is an integral part of the project.

 

[quikshop]

I was on a big project (worth £250m) and there was a consultant employed as a project manager. He never once made a decision. All he would ever do is present a number of options and let us decide which one to choose. Then if it all went pear shaped he wouldn't get the blame.

And maybe the issue sometimes is about expectation of what a consultant can or should deliver?

A PM will work from a Project Initiation Document that defines the scope, costs, deliverables, assumptions etc as set out by the Project Board.

It's not typically for a PM to make arbitrary decisions about projects, but to present the facts along with solutions to the stakeholders and get direction from them.

Of course that's through my IT tinted glasses, PMs might work differently in other sectors.