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Acknowledgement

I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all those who provided me the Possibility to

complete this case study project. A special gratitude I give to our lecturer who taught case study

session, his contribution in stimulating Suggestions and encouragement helped me

to complete my assignment especially in researching this case study project.

Furthermore I would also like to acknowledge with much appreciation the crucial role of the

staff of [Mrs. Harshani Santiago], who gave the permission to use all required equipment and the

necessary data to complete the task “Case Study Assignment”. A special thanks

goes to my life partner, [Mr. Mukesh Kurubaran], who help me to assemble the parts and gave

suggestion about the task “Case Study Assignment”. Last but not least, many thanks

go to my mother, [Mrs.Kanthimathi Murugesu] whose have invested his full effort in guiding me

in achieving the goal. I have to appreciate the guidance given by other colleagues as well as my

brother especially in my case study research that has improved my research skills thanks to their

comment and advices.

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Content

Acknowledgement 02

Content 03

Executive summery 04

01. Introduction 05

1.1 Overview of the Organization 05

1.2 Loopholes in the Organizational Management skills 06

02. Case Analysis 07

2.1 Question – 01 07

2.2 Question – 02 12

03. Conclusion 20

04. References 20

Tables & Figures

Figure 2.1.1. consulting process 09

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Executive Summery

This Case study research examines the symbiotic relationship between the Organization client
and the management skills of the consultant and the application and relevance of Coperate
Strategy & Streamlining of HR research to solve SWFD’s problems in a value adding way. The
Cases study begins by discussing the importance of deploying good hr practivces techniques in
concert with effective client management in order to analyse & implement the correct process. In
this project we can get to know the real value of an external Consultant participation in a peak hit
time of this SWFD oraganization. Finally whatever the implementation & analysis were
undertaken the consultant at the end the Consultancy project report contains the Finding &
recommentation of SWFD will be the Heart part of this Particular case study Research.

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 01. Introduction

1.1 Overview of the Organization

Silva’s Wooden Furniture Designs (SWFD) was started as a partnership business in 2005 by two

brothers Nimal & Sunil De Silva. They were involved in designing & manufacturing of

household furniture items. They had their small-scale workshop and furniture store in Wattala.

Their unique designs made them popular among the furniture shops in the area very soon. Before

long, furniture shoppers from all over visited their store and bought furniture. Their average

sales for a month was Rs.3 – 5 Million in year 2007.

Over the years they were able to capture a significant position in the furniture

manufacturing industry due to their exclusive designs, quality, durability and excellent

customer service. In 2016 they made a profit of Rs.150 Million.

By 2016, the 5-member furniture manufacturer which included Nimal & Sunil themselves, two

wood craftsmen and a helper grew itself close to a 50-member team. The founders decided to

convert the company to a Private Limited Company (PVT) at this point. Until then there was no

clear division of functional areas in the organization and at this stage, they decided that they
should

have a Finance, Sales & Marketing, Production, Quality Assurance and a HR department.

Despite the fact that the company didn’t have clearly defined functional areas, specially a

Finance and a HR department, they treated all their employees extremely well. The founders

made sure to pay salaries on time and provide many benefits to all staff. The staff received two

bonuses every year in April and December. The factory staff was given uniforms and free meals

and their safety requirements were well looked after. The staff was happy, and the turnover was

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a very low figure around 2%, even among the factory staff.

With the division of functional areas, some of the senior staff members were promoted as heads

of departments. The two directors Nimal and Sunil overlooked the functions of all departments.

Though they did not have a clearly defined organization structure, Nimal overlooked Production

& Quality Assurance and Sunil overlooked Sales & Marketing, Finance & HR departments.

1.2 Loopholes in the Organizational Behavior

However, Sunil was extremely busy with Sales & Marketing and Finance related matters and

had little or no time to look into the HR department. The HR department consisted of an

Executive who was in fact heading the department but did not have any professional

qualification in that field. Ms. Nuwani (the HR Executive) was mostly involved in

Administration related tasks and has been employed in the company for the past 5 years. Though

she has a good understanding of the company and has a very good relationship with all staff, she

finds it difficult to cope when it comes to pure HR related matters.

For the last 13 years, SWFD has progressed well and have been a lucrative business. However,

with the increasing competition in the furniture designing & manufacturing industry, it has

been evident to the Directors that the competitors use more modern strategies and are being

more customer oriented. This is foreseen as a huge threat to the company and it was high time,

they took measures to revamp their strategies in order to gain competitive advantage and

sustain in the industry.

Alongside this, recently the company has signed a contract with a leading group of companies in

Sri Lanka on a refurbishment project and they are responsible for the entire refurbishment of

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office furniture. To be able to cater to this project, SWFD had to hire more staff and Ms.

Nuwani needed expert guidance and support to cater to the growing needs of the HR

Department. Her challenge would be to attract, develop and retain competent staff in order to

gain advantage over their competitors in the industry.

02. Case Analysis

2.1 Question – 01
 How should Sunil and his team at SWFD, Assess and Hire an external consultant in
order to get the best return on their investment (ROI)?

 A Brief to the Area Of Consultancy Services.

Consultancy services are those services delivered by an independent contractor (individual entity
or firm) who is not on your organization’s payroll and who offers its services to the public.
“Consultancy services” refers to the practice of helping districts to improve performance through
analysis of existing problems and development of future plans.

Consultancy may involve the identification and cross-fertilization of best practices, analytical
techniques, change management and coaching skills, technology implementations, strategy
development, or operational improvement. Consultants often rely on their outsider’s perspective
to provide unbiased recommendations. They generally bring formal frameworks or
methodologies to identify problems or suggest more effective or efficient ways of performing
tasks. Consultancy services cover all functional areas such as instruction, curriculum, and
administration. Consultants must be selected based upon demonstrated competence,
qualifications, experience, and reasonableness of proposed fees.

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  Before hiring a external Consultant as a organization we should have a
proper process on the general purpose what we are planning to achieve & a
clear idea regarding the major roles which are going to involve in this
process.
During a typical assignment, the consultant and the client undertake a set of activities
required for planning and implementing the desired changes. These activities are
normally known as the consulting process. To describe the consulting process we shall
use a simple five-phase model taken from the ILO guide to the management consulting
profession. The model, shown in figure 2.1.1, includes the following phases: entry -
diagnosis - action planning - implementation - termination.

As a general rule, consultants aim never to forget that they are advisers and helpers, not
decision-makers. Their purpose is to help the client to make and implement the right
decisions, not to take decisions on the client's behalf.
It is obvious that the choices concerning the consultant's roles have direct implications for
the client's roles. The consultant's and the client's roles are communicating vessels. If the
consultant does all the work, he forces the client into the role of a passive observer with
all the risks and inefficiencies involved. Conversely, if the consultant expects initiative
and specific technical inputs from an unprepared and inexperienced client, the project
may halt owing to lack of direction and proper communication. It should be stressed that,
in their own interest, the consultant and the client should be able and willing to discuss
and vary their roles in the course of an assignment to make the best use of both the
consultant's expertise and the client's own potential.

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 Figure 2.1.1. consulting process

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  Advantages of Hiring External Managment Consultant

From an outside perspective, it can sometimes be hard to gauge why companies would need
external consultants to identify the problems with their organisation, and to fix them. The old
joke about consultants is that they borrow your watch to tell you the time, but in actual fact, there
are many reasons companies really need consultants to help address some of the most complex
changes facing the business world.

Here are 10 factors which often play in hiring external Management Consultant.

 Independence
 Creative thinking
 Expertise

 Industry best practices

 Credibility
 Capacity
 Keeps standing business running
 Difficult decisions
 Global scale

 Cost effective

 Assesing & Hiring the Consultant to get the best return on their Investments
(ROI)

Once the SWFD organization determined that they need outside help and have a better idea of the
type of help you need, it’s time to find and screen the consultant.

To do so, create a short list of consultants using these five approches:

1. Review industry publications and make a note of the articles, and their authors, that touch
upon the problems you face.
2. Ask colleagues outside of the SWFD organization for recommendations.

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 3. Review the websites of industry associations such as the Regulatory Affairs Professional
Society, the Society of Quality Assurance, and so on. Search for key terms and phrases
relevant to your concern, like “Quality by Design” or “Process Analytical Technology,” in
their marketplace directories.
4. Review the websites of the various names you’ve assembled and look at the consultant’s
experience, previous client results and published works.
5. Contact any references they provide – not for typical hiring questions – but to ask, Why did
they go with one consultant versus another (consider this list of reasons not to hire
Cerulean).

Keep in mind that hiring a consultant is like any investment; past performance is no guarantee of
future performance. Thus, SWFD organization will want to assess if the various consultants on their
short list pass muster with several qualification “tests” that can predict their ability to deliver for the
SWFD organization.

Knowledge Competence
The first qualification test is to assure that your prospective consultant has the real-world experience
to apply his or her knowledge to your specific situation. make sure you’re picking the right advisor.
Request the resume or CV of the lead consultant you will use on a project. An expert in
reimbursement is likely not the best person to help you redesign your product development
processes.

Actionable and Sustainable Advice

The second qualification test focuses on the types of advice the consultant provides.

Knowledge Transfer Capabilities

Testing for interest level and knowledge transfer prior to formal engagement is somewhat subjective
and requires keen observation on SWFD organization’s part. SWFD organization need to feel
comfortable with the consultant, and these questions can help SWFD organization recognize where
their expectations were met and where there are gaps. If they cannot close the gaps prior to formal
engagement (such as through another meeting or phone conference), they are not likely to obtain the
results they expect.

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Having found and chosen the best consultant for SWFD organization , and verified his or her capability to
deliver the results they expect, it’s time to draft the agreement. Finally the main thing that failure by
consultants to adhere to contract expectations directly contributed to lost of revenue & waste of
Time.

2.2 Question 02

 Prepare a Consultancy Schedule (Gantt Chart) for the above consultancy project.

When we set up a Gantt chart, we need to think through all of the tasks involved in our project.
As part of this process, you'll work out who will be responsible for each task, how long each task
will take, and what problems our team may encounter.

This detailed thinking helps us to ensure that the schedule is workable, that the right people are
assigned to each task, and that we have workarounds for potential problems before we start.

They also help us in work out practical aspects of a project, such as the minimum time it will
take to deliver, and which tasks need to be completed before others can start. Plus, we can use
them to identify the critical path – the sequence of tasks that must individually be completed on
time if the whole project is to deliver on time.

Finally, we can use them to keep our team and our organization owners informed of progress.
Simply update the chart to show schedule changes and their implications, or use it to
communicate that key tasks have been completed.

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The Plan of Action For Implementation

Time (Weeks)
Week Week Week Week
Activities 01 02 03 04 Responsible
Coperate Strategy
Oversight of the Current Team x Consultant
Conduct Meetings x Nuwani
Consultant , Sunil &
Obtain Organizational Buy-in x x Nimal
Consultant , Sunil &
Finalize & Publicize x x Nimal
Data Collection
Assign Responsibility x Consultant
Gather Available Information x Nuwani
Design, Analyse, Conduct Consultant &
Employment Engagement Surveys x Nuwani
Analyse Turnover & Costs x Consultant
Consultant &
Work Reengineering Study x x Nuwani
Identify Current & Future Consultant
Competencies x
Identifying Workload/ Staffing
x Consultant
Ratios
Data Analysis
Identify Workload, Workforce & x Consultant
Competency Gaps
Implemetation
Consultant &
x x
HR Re-engineering Nuwani
Consultant &
x x x
Employee Engamenet Stratergy Nuwani
Consultant &
x x
Recruitment & Selction option Nuwani
Consultant &
x x x
Performance Management Option Nuwani
Consultant &
x x x
Retension Management Option Nuwani
Consultant &
x
Implement Work Force plan Nuwani
Consultant &
x
HR Re-engineering Nuwani
Consultant &
x
Implement Employee Engagement Nuwani

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 Consultant &
x
Implement Recruitment & Selection Nuwani
Consultant &
x
Implemet Performance Management Nuwani
Consultant &
x
Implement Retention Management Nuwani
Evaluation
Evaluate impact of strategies & Consultant , Sunil &
Actions. Revise Work Force x
Nimal
planning & Implement as necessary

 Here we can find the Gantt Chart for the Project

Consultancy Schedule (Gantt Chart) Of Work Force Planning - Days 1 - 26

Tasks/ Days 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Coperate
Strategy
Oversight of
the Current
Team
Conduct
Meetings
Obtain
Organizational
Buy-in
Finalize &
Publicize
Data
Collection
Assign
Responsibility
Gather
Available
Information
Design,
Analyse,
Conduct
Employment
Engagement

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Surveys

Analyse
Turnover &
Costs
Work
Reengineering
Study
Identify
Current &
Future
Competencies
Identifying
Workload/
Staffing Ratios
Data Analysis
Identify
Workload,
Workforce &
Competency
Gaps
Implemetation
HR Re-
engineering
Employee
Engamenet
Stratergy
Recruitment &
Selction option
Performance
Management
Option
Retension
Management
Option
Implement
Work Force
plan
HR Re-
engineering
Implement
Employee
Engagement
Implement
Recruitment &
Selection
Implemet
Performance
Management

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Implement
Retention
Management
Evaluation
Evaluate
impact of
strategies &
Actions.
Revise Work
Force planning
& Implement
as necessary

 Prepare a Final Consultancy Report containing your recommendations on creating the

Corporate Strategy and streamlining of the HR function to align with it.

Consultancy reports are written for a non-specialist audience. Often they are written in response
to a request for information from an organisation or business. It is your responsibility to make
sure the reader can understand the information you present. As a consultant, his/her reputation
will rest on the quality of their reports. Because even if they’ve done a great job in every other
aspect of the project, their client will ultimately be unhappy if they fail to deliver an excellent
report. Reports are the only tangible legacy of the project, so they want that legacy to be a
positive one that strengthens rather than diminishes their reputation.

During my study of this Case study project in my final consultancy report i founded the
following facts abouts SWFD as my recommendation on creating the coperate strategy and
Steamling of HR Function to be align

The recommendations on improving good Human resource practices in SWFD are mainly
organized around three fundamental aspects: 1) Consider Strategic Vision, 2)Selective
hiring: Hiring the right people,3) Transfer of Knowledge, 4) Motivating employees, 5)
Building trust , 6) Training in relevant skills, 7) Self-managed and effective teams, 8)
Retaining the Competent Employees.

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The SWFD’s Chair person or the HR Executive Nuwani (Spokesperson) should call an formal
meeting with the employees to encourage them to openly participate in utilizing the best
practices of Human resources.

1) Consider Strategic Vision

Effective HR strategies cannot survive in a vacuum. To be effective, they must be aligned
with the organization's strategic vision. The vision will provide an indication of where the
company is heading and the people resources needed to help it get there. HR leaders should
review the company's current vision to determine ways in which HR activities can support
that vision. In concert with other organizational leaders, HR staff must consider whether
the vision is applicable based on external and internal factors and whether changes in the
marketplace may be suggesting a new vision.

2) Selective hiring: Hiring the right people

Bringing in the right people is, therefore, a key to building a competitive advantage. In
today’s digital world, there are a lot of different recruitment tools we can use to make the
right selection.

Commonly used selection instruments are structured and unstructured interviews, IQ tests,
personality assessments, work tests, peer assessments, and reference checks. These (pre-
employment) assessments are used to uncover three key candidate characteristics.

1. Ability:
is the person able to do the job? Does the person have the right technical and soft skills?
Is the person smart enough to do the job well?
2. Trainability:
can we train this person to improve his/her skills? Has the person the aptitude to learn
and keep developing?
3. Commitment:
will the person commit to his/her work and to the organization? Will we be able to retain
this person once he/she is up to speed and fully productive?

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 3) Transfer of Knowledge

Ensuring transfer of knowledge between department workers -- whether they are departing
voluntarily or involuntarily, or due to retirement or other reasons -- is necessary to ensure
continuity and minimal impact on productivity and effectiveness. A strategy for
transferring knowledge is critical. Interestingly, the National Association of Professional
Employer Organizations found in a survey that about one-third of small business owners
have created knowledge transfer plans. These plans are designed to ensure that the
knowledge of older workers has been captured and will be retained and transferred to

younger workers as baby boomers retire and leave their organizations .

4) Motivating employees

Promote Employee Career Path Development - Employers who want to motivate an

employee should promote career path development. Schedule a meeting and find out the
employee's career goals. Set up these employer-employee meetings each month.

Give Employees Thank You Notes - Employees work hard for their employers. Some
employers forget to appreciate their employees' efforts. Employees should be thanked in some
way.

Offer an Employee Fun Event - As a employer, you need to provide sound management of
your business and keep your employees happy. Plan a fun event for employee motivation.

Hold Quarterly Company Meetings - Employers should keep employees aware of company
updates. Holding a quarterly company meeting offers an opportunity. Draft an outline of
company topics to cover before you hold the meeting. The memo should be distributed days
before the meeting.

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 5) Training in relevant skills
This HR best practice states that companies should invest heavily in training time and budget for
its employees. After recruiting the best people, you need to ensure that they remain the
frontrunners in the field. This has become even more relevant today as the rate at which
technology is developing is growing exponentially.

6) Self-managed and effective teams

We all know that teamwork is crucial in achieving goals. High-performance teams are crucial for
any company when it comes to achieving success. Teams provide value because they consist of
people who are and think differently but are working towards a common goal. This means that
different ideas are generated to help achieve the goal.

7) Retaining the Competent Employees.

Employee retention matters. Failing to retain a key employee is costly to the bottom line and
creates organizational issues such as insecure coworkers, excess job duties that coworkers must
absorb, time invested in recruiting, hiring, and training a new employee. Retaining key
employees is critical to the long-term health and success of your business. Managers readily
agree that keeping your best employees ensures customer satisfaction, increased product
sales, satisfied, happy coworkers, and effective succession planning and historical and
institutional organizational knowledge and learning. Main thing we should consider for SWFD
Retention plan

 Make sure employees know what you expect from them.

 Provide quality management or supervision
 Provide a platform for employees to speak their minds freely within the organization.
 Allow employees to use their talents and skills.
 Tools, time, and training should be friendly

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03. Conclusion
As in many other professions, consulting encloses challenges and risks that only those best
prepared can properly address. In the quest for the most applicable skills to successful
consulting, consultancy project management offers a set of tools and techniques that can add
extra value to a consulting professional, often marking the difference between failure and
success.

Most effective consultants are a mixture of excellent technical expertise, good people (soft-)
skills and certainly a good project management knowledge. Consulting can be best of the jobs or
the worst of them all, and project management skills can help consultants achieve better results,
fulfil expectations and improve self-confidence as professionals.

04. References
https://www.aaryabusinessconsultancy.com/project-reports

https://www.pandadoc.com/consulting-proposal-templates/

CIPM – Hand out.

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