An operations consultant is a professional who collaborates with organizations to enhance their internal processes, aiming to boost efficiency, reduce costs, and drive overall performance improvements. They work closely with various departments to identify inefficiencies and implement strategies that align with the company’s goals.
Many organizations find that partnering with a qualified operations consultant can help them meet their operational goals faster and more effectively than they can on their own—and that the most significant returns are realized both in gross margin improvement and in revenue growth.
Several years ago, as part of our internal continuous improvement efforts, we took an in-depth look at executives’ priorities when vetting and hiring an operations consulting firm. We were looking at the research results again the other day and the priorities and advice that emerged from that effort have not changed.
Derived from a series of one-on-one interviews, here are 15 considerations and questions that key decision makers asked before hiring an operations consulting firm. Use these questions during your internal evaluation process to determine which firms and consultants have the expertise and capacity to help your company achieve its objectives faster. For a snapshot of these questions and a refresher on the many benefits of Operational Excellence, click here.
1. Will the operations consulting firm you are considering assess and help create a detailed roadmap for implementation and achievement of your goals?
2. Does the firm offer a mature framework and methodology that leadership can learn and adopt that will be left behind after their engagement?
3. Does the operations consulting firm have the experience and resources to be effective at a company with a multi-site, global footprint?
4. Do the operations consultants speak the local language and understand the nuances of regional business cultures?
5. Are they willing and able to have someone on-site whenever and wherever they are needed?
6. Can the operations consulting firm be counted on to introduce relevant metrics that will track progress in areas that will contribute to bottom-line results?
7. Does the firm offer clear deliverables and frequent status reports, and guarantee leadership satisfaction with the results?
8. Do the operations consultants offer the necessary technical or vertical industry expertise?
9. Will your assigned team consistently be made up of highly experienced operations professionals?
10. Have they worked closely with other organizations that share your challenges and organizational characteristics?
11. Do the operations consultants demonstrate an ability to collaborate as true business partners with a hands-on implementation style?
12. Are they “doers” with a bias for action and a clear understanding of and commitment to your business objectives?
13. Will the operational consultants who you will be working with directly deliver an objective, unfiltered message at all times?
14. Can they establish easy rapport with senior management, operations leaders, site managers and frontline associates?
15. Will the consultants be present throughout the engagement with frequent touch points to build long-term relationships with your team?
To help executives better understand where to start in order to sustain and build on their performance gains, TBM thought leaders wrote and published an eBook: Sustaining Your Operations Powerhouse. Download your copy of this insightful operations management eBook today.
Key Takeaways
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