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Frequently, Consulting firms are engaged as advisors to review business processes and assist the business in attaining common goals of reducing costs, improving productivity, increasing Customer Satisfaction scores or enhancing patient safety.

Consulting Firms are selected based on their past performance and/or expertise in providing recommendations for the specific business need. Consulting can be an expensive industry resulting in substantial cost to the business for these services.

Unfortunately, far too often the business faces challenges in the successful implementation and therefore does not gain the full benefits of the consulting dollars expended. When this is the case, the targeted processes remain largely unchanged as a result.

Consulting can be an important step in identifying process improvement opportunities. The consultants observe the current “As Is” process to identify and document the opportunities for improvement. They will provide a “To Be” or “Future State” process which describes what the improved process should look like when proposed solutions have been implemented. The consultants will provide their recommendations of specific improvements to be implemented and the targeted results. Finally, they will provide an estimate of the impact and benefits of implementing their suggestions as a Return on Investment.

Dependent upon the process observed, the recommendations may incorporate investing in new software or hardware. In addition, there will likely be solutions to modify the way work is performed with the intent to streamline the process and/or realize a reduction in errors/defects. These recommendations will likely be validated with data substantiating and forecasting the impact and improvement of the current process based on Case Studies and the Consulting Group’s previous experience.

Having presented their documentation, the consulting firm has completed their contractual obligation. Normally they are not accountable for implementing proposed solutions and attaining the targeted goals. Their obligation ends with formulating educated and professional recommendations.

The major weakness in the engagement of Consulting Firms is not in the consulting portion, but in the implementation of the recommendations. If software and equipment recommendations are determined to be cost effective and within the business budget – it is likely they will be implemented by following the business process for purchasing. Although the purchasing process can be lengthy it is a well defined process for most businesses. It is for this reason that solutions simply requiring a corporate expenditure are often executed. Software and Hardware purchases normally include training and an implementation plan provided by the supplier. This too is a well defined process and the responsibility of the supplier to guide success.

The shortfall in gaining the benefits of those Consultant Firm’s solutions that require altering processes is that there is not a well defined internal implementation plan. Also, it is common that the departments and groups that are most affected by the solutions lack skills and time to implement change management. A common barrier is that many have not fully embraced the proposed change and will be reluctant to be involved. As a result, the proposed changes meet significant resistance. Without a change management plan in place to overcome these obstacles the proposed improvements often fail to be implemented. Those solutions that are implemented are too often short term changes that revert to the previous process over time.

As mentioned, the process for implementing software and equipment improvements is well defined and is generally well accepted by the departments that use these tools. Solutions that require the organization’s staff to adopt new processes would benefit most from an alternative strategy.

It is proposed that the organization create a Change Management Plan utilizing proven techniques and implement existing solutions that have been shelved or have reverted back to the previous process. Previously recommended solutions should be validated to assure current circumstances have not changed which make the proposed solutions now obsolete. Any embraced solution which requires that staff perform their functions differently will benefit from a Change Management plan that is well defined and designed to encourage participation at all levels. Through effective change management, the staff will not only become more accepting of change – they will begin to contribute to the solution process and further enhance the original solution. Through their expertise and enthusiasm the goals will be met and the achieved gains will remain in place over time.

It is further recommended that the organization utilize a Change Agent to create and implement the Change Management Plan. The organization will gain the most benefit if the Change Agent is also experienced in Continuous Improvement Methodologies. Such an individual should be responsible for validating process solutions as mentioned previously. While validating the solution, this individual should simultaneously begin engaging staff members through applied Change Management skills in preparation for the specific solution implementation. The resulting culture of change will drive toward a desirable goal of Continuous Improvements and will spread throughout the organization if properly nurtured.

The cost to implement the proposed alternative strategy will be dependent upon the change management methodology that is incorporated. An individual can be hired to be accountable for these joint responsibilities. This option will be the quickest means to begin closing the gap in expenditures already invested and future investments in Consulting solutions.

A second option is to train and utilize an individual or key personnel already on staff to assume the additional responsibilities of the Change Agent role. If the organization does not have trainers on staff that are well versed in Change Management and Continuous Improvement methodologies, this option will require utilizing an outside group / consultants to conduct the training and mentoring. Cost for this option is variable and will be based on class size and the depth of training and support that is purchased. There are numerous hard and soft dollar savings that will result in implementing this strategy and there are Business cases available to address the potential.

Process improvement projects typically result in reducing cost by 10 – 20% as a minimum. Much higher percentage gains are common when process improvement projects specific to the targeted area have not already been a focus of the organization. If solutions that were previously proposed by consulting firms are revisited, the potential exists to jump-start the benefits based on the consultant’s previous estimates.

The financial gain through enhanced Customer Satisfaction is challenging to calculate in soft dollars. Clearly any streamlined and/or improved process will enhance Customer satisfaction scores.

In conclusion, the organization has invested substantial revenue to improve processes, improve Customer safety and satisfaction among other targeted gains. The suggested alternative strategy will increase the ROI of this business expense initially as a supplement. By implementing a Change Management Plan and following Continuous Improvement methodologies it is most likely that the organization will no longer require substantial outside sources to assist as consultants on many projects. At a minimum, consulting dollars will show a substantially improved return for the investment.

Security Consultants are professionals proficient in security functions, risk assessments and related industry projects and managerial consulting. They fulfill a need requiring knowledge and competency unfulfilled by law enforcement which often times are understaffed, overworked and sometimes lack the private sector acumen to advise and function effectively as security consultants. These consultants are required depending on their specific function to act as liaisons between their private sector clients and law enforcement personnel. Although there are a substantial amount of former law enforcement personnel joining the ranks and providing security consultancy it requires a professional adjustment and paradigm shift to fulfill the security function competently.

The security consultant is essentially an advisor who utilizes his experience, knowledge and resources to recommend procedures, equipment, personnel, etc. to reduce and/or mitigate the risk exposure of the client. If, the consultant is called in after an incident to assess the culpability of the parties involved or determine the responsible parties, the consultant will review all policies and procedures or lack thereof effective at the time of the incident, review physical environment, condition of applicable equipment function or malfunction, surveillance video (if available) and other incident specific data to assess the event and make a determination of the chain of events or the Who, What, Where, Why and How of the occurrence. Documentation by the consultant inclusive of recommendations can be critical to the client in deciding how to proceed and corrective measures to take if applicable to alleviate the possibility of incident reoccurring. It is imperative for the consultant to be unbiased in his or her assessment and recommendations and present the facts as determined, impartially.

A security consultant can have multiple functions or proficiencies including conducting security audits, risk assessment, executive protection, technical surveillance counter measures to name a few. All these functions including physical surveillance can be interrelated depending on the case and events requiring the services of the consultant. A professional practitioner would be able to assess what functions would be required to effect the security necessary for the client based on the nature of the case. However, as the case unfolds the requirements might shift or expand and vigilance is essential to remain effective in the security capacity. Integrity is the hallmark of all security functions; professionalism and reputation are what clients depend on. The thoroughness, foresight and ability to adapt to the unexpected is paramount to ones profession depending on the security function applicable to the case or assignment, e.g. Security Consultants can coordinate executive protection details including conducting threat assessment, pre-surveillance, counter-surveillance, logistics, security personnel and/or be an intricate part and member of the close protection team. This is determined by the threat assessment, logistics, coordination and the proficiency of the security practitioner in the executive protection capacity in concert with other required security functions. However, some security consultants make their assessments and render recommendations to their clients but are not instrumental in executing the recommendations given. Implementation is done by the client, third parties or in-house corporate security personnel.

A growing cache of professional security consultants are affiliated with international organizations which offer standardized certification attesting to the competency of consultants by ascribing a certain level of years of experience in a security function, fulfilling an academic curriculum and passing a written test. Recertification is required to maintain the credential and keep current on developments in the industry that impact the consultants’ profession.

The landscape in which the security consultant functions is constantly evolving; especially in a post 911 environment. New threats have surfaced, old threats have remained and adaptation is imperative to remain effective against all. This has increased the demand for security consultants and other security related professionals equipped with the knowledge, experience and fortitude to deliver competent services to address security issues of various magnitudes and durations. The market essentially benefits from this diversity in which depending on the requirement various consultants can be sought and matched to fulfill it. This fosters and promotes free enterprise which economically is regulated by the law of supply and demand.

Have you been searching for help with your online marketing? You may be wise to hire a skilled consultant who can help you unleash the true power of the web. Skills are important and internet marketing consultants should know their stuff. They can often articulate themselves well. But they need to do more than just “sell” you on what they can do for your marketing efforts. An internet marketing consultant needs to be able to demonstrate their expertise and show you real results as well.

Hiring the right person or company to help you with your website advertising and sales strategy is important. You want your business to grow and you want to receive a great return on whatever investment you need to make. Neither the most expensive nor the most inexpensive consultancy firm is necessarily the right firm for your goals, though. Take the time to find the right person for the job by being certain that they’ll deliver more than a motivational speech about how wonderful it is to undertake an online marketing campaign. Fab that the consultant talks the talk; but can they walk the walk?

Online and Business Expertise

What sort of internet marketing expertise does this consultant have? Do they seem to know what they’re talking about? Are they using cutting edge techniques for areas such as: article marketing, on page optimisation, off page optimisation, and web design? What’s their business expertise like? Have they got any familiarity with a company such as yours?

Demonstrated Results

Does the internet marketing consultant have positive testimonials and a portfolio of work that shows that they can do what they say they’re capable of doing? When it comes to spending money and to putting your business in the hands of someone else, you’ll want to see case studies.

Guarantees

No internet marketing consultant can realistically guarantee the “moon”, especially with unpredictable and uncontrollable factors in internet marketing but guaranteed satisfaction, increased search engine rankings, and demonstrable results are essential.

When choosing your consultant, you’ll want to know that they know their stuff. You’ll also want to feel good about their communication style. Motivational isn’t bad but promises shouldn’t be empty ones. The wrong online marketing approach could fall flat and result in a waste of your money. Or, even worse, it could result in harmful damage to your website’s rankings and your company’s reputation with customers and with search engines.

The right approach is important. A successful internet marketing consultant will work within the parameters of search engine guidelines and will work with both your business and your customers’ best interests in mind. Have you been searching for help with your online marketing? You may be wise to hire a skilled consultant who can help you unleash the true power of the web. Skills are important and internet marketing consultants should know their stuff. They can often articulate themselves well. But they need to do more than just “sell” you on what they can do for your marketing efforts. An internet marketing consultant needs to be able to demonstrate their expertise and show you real results as well.

Hiring the right person or company to help you with your website advertising and sales strategy is important. You want your business to grow and you want to receive a great return on whatever investment you need to make. Neither the most expensive nor the most inexpensive consultancy firm is necessarily the right firm for your goals, though. Take the time to find the right person for the job by being certain that they’ll deliver more than a motivational speech about how wonderful it is to undertake an online marketing campaign. Fab that the consultant talks the talk; but can they walk the walk?

Online and Business Expertise

What sort of internet marketing expertise does this consultant have? Do they seem to know what they’re talking about? Are they using cutting edge techniques for areas such as: article marketing, on page optimisation, off page optimisation, and web design? What’s their business expertise like? Have they got any familiarity with a company such as yours?

Demonstrated Results

Does the internet marketing consultant have positive testimonials and a portfolio of work that shows that they can do what they say they’re capable of doing? When it comes to spending money and to putting your business in the hands of someone else, you’ll want to see case studies.

Guarantees

No internet marketing consultant can realistically guarantee the “moon”, especially with unpredictable and uncontrollable factors in internet marketing but guaranteed satisfaction, increased search engine rankings, and demonstrable results are essential.

When choosing your consultant, you’ll want to know that they know their stuff. You’ll also want to feel good about their communication style. Motivational isn’t bad but promises shouldn’t be empty ones. The wrong online marketing approach could fall flat and result in a waste of your money. Or, even worse, it could result in harmful damage to your website’s rankings and your company’s reputation with customers and with search engines.

The right approach is important. A successful internet marketing consultant will work within the parameters of search engine guidelines and will work with both your business and your customers’ best interests in mind.

There are many PPC (pay-per-click) agencies, consultants, firms and advertising companies in the market, but the primary task here is identifying one that best suits your PPC marketing needs and objectives.

Here is a list of things to consider when making this important decision, so that it helps you in maintaining a healthy working relationship.

Customization of PPC
Firstly, the PPC consultant should understand and identify your niche market and their needs. When they do this, they will be better able to research properly to give the most relevant keywords for your business that will draw potential customers to your website. You need to make sure that the services you get from the consultant are relevant to your business.

Ability to understand your business goals
Goals of your business are an important factor to consider when hiring a PPC consultant. The consultant should have a good understanding of your business goals. They should have complete knowledge about the current market condition, potential competitors, identifying market opportunities, etc., to best fit you PPC campaign.

Should have all the expertise to handle your PPC requirements
Also, assess if the consultant has the expertise in keyword research, content writing, bidding and programming the campaign. These are critical factors in making your PPC campaign a success.

Whether you hire an individual, a specialized PPC management company or a marketing firm doing PPC, you need to check out if the team that is working on your PPC has all the expertise needed to do the job well.

Verify the credentials of the expert or agency before awarding the project
Before you hire a PPC consultant for your business website, you should verify the credentials. Visit the site of the expert (agency), it will allow you to compare the impression created by the site vis-a-vis personal interactions and see if they are matching or there is a variance. If there is a variance, you can drill down and assess which is the correct impression.

When going through the website, you can easily figure out whether it is a professional one or not with the content (blog, articles, and press releases) provided in the website.

Also ask the consultant to show the track record of existing clients, this will help you in assessing their work. Look for client reviews, profile of past clients and testimonials in the consultant’s website. You can judge the PPC consultant based on what clients have to say about the services provided by the consultant. If you think you should know the performance of the consultant, contact previous clients. Also check the websites of clients – it will help you in determining the quality of service they got from the consultant.

Ability to monitor and communicate properly
In order to build PPC campaigns in a timely and effective manner, the PPC consultant should have the ability to monitor the results of your PPC campaigns, and should communicate to you about the process of the campaigns in a timely manner.

Experience and expertise
PPC keeps on changing as it is a dynamic area. So make sure the PPC consultant you hire is up-to-date about the changes made and has the knowledge, experience and expertise to deliver in today’s environment. It is preferable if the PPC consultant also has good awareness of other Internet marketing methods, like SEO, content marketing, web designing, social media marketing, etc.

Commitment to deliver results
A commitment to deliver better results is critical. This comes from having the attitude of being effective. While some may talk about it in sales pitch or in coordination call. To do the work from start to finish with this idea is what is most important. You can judge the quality of commitment of the consultant by seeing their behavior over a period of time rather than their talking. As said earlier, you need to take a look at the past track record with existing clients to know if the consultant is really committed to deliver results.

Ability to spend the budget wisely
Being a small business owner, each dollar you spend for promoting your business counts. Therefore, the PPC consultant should value the small budget you allocate to PPC and should have the ability to spend your money wisely on your PPC campaigns, instead of focusing only on increasing your spend or make you feel bad since you cannot spend more.

Comprehensively assess the PPC expert using the framework above. We know this can involve a fair amount of commitment of your time and energy. The intention of the assessment should be to find a long term partner. This time should be seen as an investment and if you do a proper assessment you will recover the return on the investment manifold once you have a successful PPC campaign is managed by your new PPC expert.

Frequently, Consulting firms are engaged as advisors to review business processes and assist the business in attaining common goals of reducing costs, improving productivity, increasing Customer Satisfaction scores or enhancing patient safety.

Consulting Firms are selected based on their past performance and/or expertise in providing recommendations for the specific business need. Consulting can be an expensive industry resulting in substantial cost to the business for these services.

Unfortunately, far too often the business faces challenges in the successful implementation and therefore does not gain the full benefits of the consulting dollars expended. When this is the case, the targeted processes remain largely unchanged as a result.

Consulting can be an important step in identifying process improvement opportunities. The consultants observe the current “As Is” process to identify and document the opportunities for improvement. They will provide a “To Be” or “Future State” process which describes what the improved process should look like when proposed solutions have been implemented. The consultants will provide their recommendations of specific improvements to be implemented and the targeted results. Finally, they will provide an estimate of the impact and benefits of implementing their suggestions as a Return on Investment.

Dependent upon the process observed, the recommendations may incorporate investing in new software or hardware. In addition, there will likely be solutions to modify the way work is performed with the intent to streamline the process and/or realize a reduction in errors/defects. These recommendations will likely be validated with data substantiating and forecasting the impact and improvement of the current process based on Case Studies and the Consulting Group’s previous experience.

Having presented their documentation, the consulting firm has completed their contractual obligation. Normally they are not accountable for implementing proposed solutions and attaining the targeted goals. Their obligation ends with formulating educated and professional recommendations.

The major weakness in the engagement of Consulting Firms is not in the consulting portion, but in the implementation of the recommendations. If software and equipment recommendations are determined to be cost effective and within the business budget – it is likely they will be implemented by following the business process for purchasing. Although the purchasing process can be lengthy it is a well defined process for most businesses. It is for this reason that solutions simply requiring a corporate expenditure are often executed. Software and Hardware purchases normally include training and an implementation plan provided by the supplier. This too is a well defined process and the responsibility of the supplier to guide success.

The shortfall in gaining the benefits of those Consultant Firm’s solutions that require altering processes is that there is not a well defined internal implementation plan. Also, it is common that the departments and groups that are most affected by the solutions lack skills and time to implement change management. A common barrier is that many have not fully embraced the proposed change and will be reluctant to be involved. As a result, the proposed changes meet significant resistance. Without a change management plan in place to overcome these obstacles the proposed improvements often fail to be implemented. Those solutions that are implemented are too often short term changes that revert to the previous process over time.

As mentioned, the process for implementing software and equipment improvements is well defined and is generally well accepted by the departments that use these tools. Solutions that require the organization’s staff to adopt new processes would benefit most from an alternative strategy.

It is proposed that the organization create a Change Management Plan utilizing proven techniques and implement existing solutions that have been shelved or have reverted back to the previous process. Previously recommended solutions should be validated to assure current circumstances have not changed which make the proposed solutions now obsolete. Any embraced solution which requires that staff perform their functions differently will benefit from a Change Management plan that is well defined and designed to encourage participation at all levels. Through effective change management, the staff will not only become more accepting of change – they will begin to contribute to the solution process and further enhance the original solution. Through their expertise and enthusiasm the goals will be met and the achieved gains will remain in place over time.

It is further recommended that the organization utilize a Change Agent to create and implement the Change Management Plan. The organization will gain the most benefit if the Change Agent is also experienced in Continuous Improvement Methodologies. Such an individual should be responsible for validating process solutions as mentioned previously. While validating the solution, this individual should simultaneously begin engaging staff members through applied Change Management skills in preparation for the specific solution implementation. The resulting culture of change will drive toward a desirable goal of Continuous Improvements and will spread throughout the organization if properly nurtured.

The cost to implement the proposed alternative strategy will be dependent upon the change management methodology that is incorporated. An individual can be hired to be accountable for these joint responsibilities. This option will be the quickest means to begin closing the gap in expenditures already invested and future investments in Consulting solutions.

A second option is to train and utilize an individual or key personnel already on staff to assume the additional responsibilities of the Change Agent role. If the organization does not have trainers on staff that are well versed in Change Management and Continuous Improvement methodologies, this option will require utilizing an outside group / consultants to conduct the training and mentoring. Cost for this option is variable and will be based on class size and the depth of training and support that is purchased. There are numerous hard and soft dollar savings that will result in implementing this strategy and there are Business cases available to address the potential.

Process improvement projects typically result in reducing cost by 10 – 20% as a minimum. Much higher percentage gains are common when process improvement projects specific to the targeted area have not already been a focus of the organization. If solutions that were previously proposed by consulting firms are revisited, the potential exists to jump-start the benefits based on the consultant’s previous estimates.

The financial gain through enhanced Customer Satisfaction is challenging to calculate in soft dollars. Clearly any streamlined and/or improved process will enhance Customer satisfaction scores.

In conclusion, the organization has invested substantial revenue to improve processes, improve Customer safety and satisfaction among other targeted gains. The suggested alternative strategy will increase the ROI of this business expense initially as a supplement. By implementing a Change Management Plan and following Continuous Improvement methodologies it is most likely that the organization will no longer require substantial outside sources to assist as consultants on many projects. At a minimum, consulting dollars will show a substantially improved return for the investment.

Security Consultants are professionals proficient in security functions, risk assessments and related industry projects and managerial consulting. They fulfill a need requiring knowledge and competency unfulfilled by law enforcement which often times are understaffed, overworked and sometimes lack the private sector acumen to advise and function effectively as security consultants. These consultants are required depending on their specific function to act as liaisons between their private sector clients and law enforcement personnel. Although there are a substantial amount of former law enforcement personnel joining the ranks and providing security consultancy it requires a professional adjustment and paradigm shift to fulfill the security function competently.

The security consultant is essentially an advisor who utilizes his experience, knowledge and resources to recommend procedures, equipment, personnel, etc. to reduce and/or mitigate the risk exposure of the client. If, the consultant is called in after an incident to assess the culpability of the parties involved or determine the responsible parties, the consultant will review all policies and procedures or lack thereof effective at the time of the incident, review physical environment, condition of applicable equipment function or malfunction, surveillance video (if available) and other incident specific data to assess the event and make a determination of the chain of events or the Who, What, Where, Why and How of the occurrence. Documentation by the consultant inclusive of recommendations can be critical to the client in deciding how to proceed and corrective measures to take if applicable to alleviate the possibility of incident reoccurring. It is imperative for the consultant to be unbiased in his or her assessment and recommendations and present the facts as determined, impartially.

A security consultant can have multiple functions or proficiencies including conducting security audits, risk assessment, executive protection, technical surveillance counter measures to name a few. All these functions including physical surveillance can be interrelated depending on the case and events requiring the services of the consultant. A professional practitioner would be able to assess what functions would be required to effect the security necessary for the client based on the nature of the case. However, as the case unfolds the requirements might shift or expand and vigilance is essential to remain effective in the security capacity. Integrity is the hallmark of all security functions; professionalism and reputation are what clients depend on. The thoroughness, foresight and ability to adapt to the unexpected is paramount to ones profession depending on the security function applicable to the case or assignment, e.g. Security Consultants can coordinate executive protection details including conducting threat assessment, pre-surveillance, counter-surveillance, logistics, security personnel and/or be an intricate part and member of the close protection team. This is determined by the threat assessment, logistics, coordination and the proficiency of the security practitioner in the executive protection capacity in concert with other required security functions. However, some security consultants make their assessments and render recommendations to their clients but are not instrumental in executing the recommendations given. Implementation is done by the client, third parties or in-house corporate security personnel.

A growing cache of professional security consultants are affiliated with international organizations which offer standardized certification attesting to the competency of consultants by ascribing a certain level of years of experience in a security function, fulfilling an academic curriculum and passing a written test. Recertification is required to maintain the credential and keep current on developments in the industry that impact the consultants’ profession.

The landscape in which the security consultant functions is constantly evolving; especially in a post 911 environment. New threats have surfaced, old threats have remained and adaptation is imperative to remain effective against all. This has increased the demand for security consultants and other security related professionals equipped with the knowledge, experience and fortitude to deliver competent services to address security issues of various magnitudes and durations. The market essentially benefits from this diversity in which depending on the requirement various consultants can be sought and matched to fulfill it. This fosters and promotes free enterprise which economically is regulated by the law of supply and demand.