More than 70 percent of businesses and government organizations in Canada have used Management Consulting services at least once. There is an increasing need for professional business advice for both new and expanding business operations. Businesses need advice from seasoned experts in helping to overcome specific problems and challenges in order to retain competitive edge. Historically, such professional services have resided in the domain of large business operations – they were expensive, only provided by large firms and supported by major audit practices. With the developments in Information Technology, things have changed! These services are now affordable and can greatly benefit the small to medium sized business.
Selecting a Management Consultant
There are a number of key criteria to be considered here:
• The individual is qualified to meet your business needs
• The individual abides to a professional code of conduct
• The individual has demonstrable business credentials
• The individual has currency in technical knowledge for professional advisory services
The Canadian Association of Management Consultants (www.camc.com) is the regulatory body for Certified Management Consultants (CMC) in Canada. At the Provincial level, there are Chapters in both Victoria and Vancouver. The Victoria Chapter has recently produced a membership directory of CMC qualified consultants in practice on Vancouver Island.
Small Business Advisory Services
Professional Management Consultants are hired where a business lacks sufficient resources, requires external objective advice, or because expertise is not readily available in the organization. The Consultant is normally a specialist in a particular field assisting in problem resolution, management of change, research or use of technology at a strategic level. The following are a few possibilities:
• Financial analysis and business appraisal
• Human resource consultancy
• Effective management of organizational change
• Market research and analysis
• Strategies for information technology (hardware) and information systems (data)
• Effective application of information technology to promote optimum productivity gain
• Assistance with small business start-up
• Management training and mentoring
• Business Process Analysis - rationalization of operating procedures
• Troubleshooting – remedial action statements for specific problem areas
Developing the Client/Consultant Relationship
The Consultant is engaged to provide the client with professional objective advice that will help the organization to manage change (e.g. expansion, diversification, downsizing, disposal of assets), solve problems, and implement technology change etc.
The relationship best evolves through a spirit of teamwork towards resolution of client objectives. Key to this is:
• Open communications at all times
• Honesty
• No hidden agendas
• Freedom of access to information
• Incremental deliverables
• Jargon-free reporting
• Management by objectives – set goals and targets, manage the process, ensure quantifiable measurable results that have both meaning and purpose
• Ability to deliver – agreed action statements to be carried out that lead to operational improvements, cost reductions, bottom line improvements, increased competitiveness, strategic marketing, economic, and technological plans.
Conducting an assignment
The following is a brief checklist for engaging a consultant on small to medium business consulting assignments. It is envisaged that both the client and proposed consultant will work in harmony here.
• Agree problem statements
• Agree budget
• Set out assignment scope document
• Conduct any due diligence required
• Identify and manage key risks
• Prepare a plan : staged milestones
• Create incremental review points
• Agree quality criteria
• Agree final deliverables – report, etc
• Implementation Strategy – resolutions
The above is not an exhaustive list but highlights some of the key areas for consideration