Management consultancies are trending. But what’s the smarter choice? A consultancy "for all occasions" or just on a project-by-project basis?
“Is it still justifiable today to hire a consultancy "for all occasions"? Or is the trend leaning towards bringing in new advisors for each project?”
Dr. Matthias Walter shares his perspective.
Businesses and consultancies must be a good fit
Firstly, it’s about understanding why you engage a consultancy. When there is a specific need for advice, companies seek out a consultancy that matches their expertise – personal networks can be just as important as financial considerations. If your initial consultancy experience is positive, it makes sense to continue with the same consultancy for subsequent projects.
There are several good reasons for this: The consultancy will already have a general understanding of your business, key contacts, products/services, processes, organisation, and even part of your corporate culture. These are crucial factors for project success, and with prior knowledge, you can make the consultancy’s onboarding very efficient. Usually, a level of trust will have already been established – you know what to expect from the consultancy. Even if a specific expert need isn’t covered by the in-house consultancy, consultancies generally have a partner network, allowing you to benefit from recommendations. For instance, Blue Advisory is a management, process, and organisational consultancy with broad methodological expertise, making it a consultancy "for many occasions" – enhanced by partners in software development, IoT, AI, or Operational Excellence, it becomes a consultancy "for (almost) all occasions".
Trust is crucial, as are an outsider’s perspective and expertise
Certainly, there are very specialised topics that you might struggle to cover with your "all-purpose consultant" or their partners. Occasionally challenging your "go-to consultancy" with competition can be beneficial – after all, competition invigorates the market. It’s also important to ensure that the neutral perspective (a core reason for hiring a consultancy) is maintained.
However, if you already have a consultancy you’re personally satisfied with, one that consistently delivers good results for your company and with whom you have built a mutual trust, there’s no inherent reason against continuing this partnership in the long term.
(Source: B4B-Schwaben)
