Consulting services

A general explainer. It is not an advertisement for any firm and offers no services.

What consulting is

Consulting means bringing in an outside person or firm to give advice or expert help on a specific problem, for a limited time. The consultant works with the organisation, but is not part of it.

Why organisations use consultants

A skill the organisation does not have.
An independent view from someone outside.
Extra capacity for a project.
A one-off task that does not justify a permanent hire.

Common kinds of consulting

Consulting is usually described by subject. Some common ones are:

Strategy: advice on direction and long-term choices.
Management: advice on how an organisation is structured and run.
Technology: advice on systems, software and how to use them.
Finance: advice on money, budgets and financial processes.
Operations: advice on how day-to-day work is done.
Human resources: advice on people, roles and workplace practices.

How an engagement usually runs

Agree the question and the scope of the work.
Gather information.
Analyse what was found.
Recommend what to do.
Hand over, or help to carry out the recommendations.

Good practice

Set clear goals, and a defined scope.
Agree in advance what will be delivered.
Name one contact on each side.
Plan what the organisation keeps afterwards, such as knowledge and documents.

Questions to ask before hiring

What exactly is the problem we want help with?
What will we have at the end, and who will use it?
How and when will the fees be agreed?
How will confidential information be protected?
What happens to the work and the documents afterwards?

Things to weigh

Think about cost against value, whether the organisation might come to depend on outsiders, how to keep information confidential, and whether the consultant will fit the organisation's culture. Consulting does not always help: if the problem is not yet clear, or if nobody will act on the advice, it may not be worth doing.

This page is general information. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, so for a contract or a money question, ask a qualified professional.

For a different way of using outside help, see Outsourcing.