Management Consultants vs Boardroom Consultants: Which is Right for You?
You’ve hit a snag in your operations. You’re wondering if your manufacturing line could be more productive. Your demand forecasting didn’t hit the mark. You’d like to increase your throughput without adding machines.
Whatever the reason, you’re thinking about bringing in an outside consultant to ramp things up. Now what?
You’ll find two types of consulting firms out there. Boardroom consultants and Management consultants. What are the differences between the two approaches? Which is best for your situation?
Here’s a consultant primer to help you sort out those questions and make the right choice.
Boardroom consultants
Boardroom consultants do most of their work with the upper management of the company. They typically come in, perform a three-to-four-week analysis of a client’s operations, provide a report of their findings, give recommendations for improvements, and then head out the door leaving the client to implement their recommended changes.
With a boardroom consultant, you can expect:
- High-level strategic analysis of a client’s operations to identify issues, challenges, and snags.
- A report including a strategic roadmap of recommendations for change, which may include industry trends and information about competition.
- An objective perspective through “fresh eyes.”
- Industry best practices, insights and experience.
These are valuable strengths that can benefit companies, no doubt. If what you’re looking for is an analysis of your operations from an outside perspective, this type of consulting can get the job done.
However, boardroom consultants have their limitations, including:
- No direct involvement in the implementation of the changes they recommend.
- No training for your people to effect the changes, so they might not translate into actionable plans.
- Possible disconnect between what people on the front lines think and what these consultants recommend.
Management consultants
Management consultants start by listening and learning… and not just in the boardroom.
Management consultants value and rely on C-suite participation in their process, but the bulk of the work centers on the employee level, at the point of execution where the job gets done.
As a part of their process, management consultants work on the front lines with employees. In their view, that’s the best way to get to the root of the problem and uncover ways for the company to become more efficient.
With an management consultant, you can expect:
- Boots-on-the-ground involvement in your operations.
- A collaborative approach that involves your team every step of the way
- Process analysis and guidance in their methodologies.
- Involvement from employees at the epicenter of the process improvements.
- A roadmap for sustainable processes that includes the training of your people.
- Quick results as they ramp up for companywide deployment of solutions.
Factors to consider when choosing the right type of consultant
How do you know which approach is right for you? Consider these factors:
- Size and scope of your project. If you have a small-scale need that can benefit from a fresh set of eyes and outside perspective, you might consider a boardroom-type consultant. For larger projects that may require complex methodologies like Lean Six Sigma, a management consultant with hands-on capabilities is a better fit.
- Internal capabilities. If you need extra horsepower to get the job done, a management consultant may be the best fit since they implement the changes with your team.
- Workplace disruption. Boardroom consultants don’t typically disrupt the day-to-day process of getting the job done, while management consultants are in the thick of it, involving employees in the process. Remember, however, that management consultants act as extra horsepower for your team, so they can be driving the changes as the bulk of your staff concentrates on getting the job done.
- Leadership style. If you simply want recommendations for change and not hands-on involvement, a boardroom consultant may be the better fit.
- Sustainability. If this is a one-off project and not something you want to integrate into your ongoing operations and processes, a boardroom consultant is more in line with your needs. If you are looking for sustainable improvements in things like throughput, speed and efficiency, a management consultant is the way to go.
- Budget. Typically, management consultants, with their deep dive into your business and boots on the ground approach, cost more than boardroom consultants. But that’s just upfront costs. The changes and efficiencies brought about by management consultants meet or exceed ROI within a few weeks or months.
At USC Consulting Group, we are management consultants. We roll up our sleeves and engage with our clients to implement positive, impactful change, both financially and operationally. It’s very much a “with” and not “to” attitude.
If that approach sounds right for your needs, give us a call. We’ll be happy to talk with you about the positive change we can bring to your company.
