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WHY USE A CONSULTANT?
There are many reasons why your organization needs consultants for problem solving and project management. Some of these reasons are:
Temporary AssistanceObjective Review
Third-Party Request For Problem Identification and Resolution
Surviving A Crisis
Initiating Change
Obtaining Funding
Selecting Personnel
In-House Education
Dealing With Internal Personnel Difficulties
Delay Tactics
Executive Assistance
Government Regulatory Compliance
Socio-Economic And Political Changes
Temporary Assistance
To supplement skills in your organization by hiring trained, proven, motivated consultants on a short-term or long-term basis. Consultants may be hired on a project, seasonal, or new funding basis.
By hiring consultants, you do not have to contend with the training, instruction, and long-term commitment for salaries and fringe benefits entailed in hiring a skilled employee. Recruitment costs alone for a skilled employee can be considerable and cannot be justified for short-lived or cyclical need. Consultants are independent contractors and therefor no tax deductions or fringe benefits are involved.
Objective Review
Consultants are retained as impartial advisors without any vested interest in the outcome of the recommendations. Internal staff may not be able to see the problems or may not be sufficiently objective. A consultant can perform a competent and thorough analysis of the issues. It is easier psychologically for personnel to adapt to external advice, rather than the internal advice of someone who may be acting out of self-interest.
Third-Party Request For Problem Identification and Resolution
Companies are naturally concerned about any signs that put their investment at risk. They may need to know whether the problems are related to administrative, personnel, financial, market, or product difficulties and how the problems can be solved. Only an outside consultant's opinion would be credible.
Surviving A Crisis
A business owner suffering from serious business problems may seek an outside consultant to investigate the causes and recommend solutions.
Initiating Change
A consultant can act as a catalyst for stimulating ideas in a highly structured organization that otherwise might be resistant to change due to its size, bureaucracy, and institutionalized nature.
Obtaining Funding
Many nonprofit organizations, small- and medium-size businesses and research organizations need assistance in obtaining grants or loans for their continued survival. They may lack the expertise, ability, or time to research the availability of funding and prepare a persuasive application. Consultants with an expertise in this area act as advisors or agents.
Selecting Personnel
A client may hire a consultant for recruitment of key executives. The consultant is looked upon as being independent and unbiased with the expertise and time to selectively screen and recommend prospective candidates.
In-House Education
Consultants are hired to provide in-house training to keep staff informed of new management and supervisory techniques or technical knowledge and to improve employee morale.
Dealing With Internal Personnel Difficulties
Outside consultants are retained to review and make recommendations on internal structure, for example, consolidation of departments or services, or elimination or redundant processes, employees, or executives. The consultant's report provides the rationale for making the decisions. The consultant then leaves and is not effected by the decision.
Consultants can also be used to resolve conflicts between various levels of management. The consultant plays an arbitrating or mediating role that permits frustrations to be expressed so that energy can be directed toward constructive resolution.
Delay Tactics
Consultants can be hired to perform research studies, which take the pressure off a company that is being exposed to public or government scrutiny. This also permits the organization to use the excuse of a consultant’s study to justify a delay in decision-making. The consultant is frequently asked to be the contact person, which reduces media attention toward the organization concerned.
Executive Assistance
An executive who is aware of his or her personal limitations may request that a consultant review a problem situation, provide advice on how to deal with it, and possibly follow up with implementation.
Government Regulatory Compliance
Government regulations at all levels are constantly changing, and companies are frequently not prepared or trained to comply. Consultants may be retained to provide expertise to assist a company in complying economically, efficiently, and with the least amount of trauma to the organization.
Socio-Economic And Political Changes
Socio-economic and political matters are always in a state of flux. For example, pollution problems cause a need for environmental protection expert, and fuel shortages / costs cause a need for energy conservation experts.