What is the Value of a Consultant?

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in May 2015 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

What do you think of when you hear the word consultant? The value of a consultant is not the first thing that pops in heads of many. They think, instead, of promises made but never kept, money spent but never utilized, and plans created but never implemented. Clearly, consultants are doing something wrong.

Consultants Provide Real, Measurable Value — But How?

By providing the knowledge and expertise you need to prioritize and solve your problems. As the experts, they should start by determining the value of a your proposed improvements and deciding whether or not they are worth being made. Then, they should teach you to do the same, so you can make better decisions in the future.

For realistic, useful, sustainable business process solutions, your consultant should provide an integrated approach that helps you make the leap from strategy to action. They should also assist with implementation to ensure that you receive the full benefits of the project – otherwise, their advice is worthless.

Before Hiring a Consultant, Do These Things:

• Determine if hiring a consultant is truly beneficial to achieving your goals.
• Make a detailed, prioritized list of issues and requirements to help you evaluate and categorize solution options.
• Talk to the consultant’s references – get real life examples of the work the consultant has done and the benefits they’ve provided to other companies.
• Insist on a fixed fee for the work, don’t pay by the hour.
• Ask for a money back guarantee – if, after one year, you feel that the value of your project didn’t sufficiently offset the cost, you want your money back.

The above rules will help you ensure that your consultant will deliver on time and on budget – and actually solve your problems.

Want to learn more about getting or being a good consultant? Contact Asyma Solutions today.