.

MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY
GROUP A
SUBMITTED BY:

•: RUTH MWANJASI (BAU/20/SS/046) MPHATSO CHIRWA BAU/19/SS/014

•:MICHELLE MWAMPASHI (BAU/20/SS/045) MARVEL BANDA BAU/21/ME/067
•: ANDREW MNDALA(BAU/22/ME/007) MOSES MONONGA BTECH/20/SS/017
•: BESTON CHAGALA (BAU/20/SS/003) TAMANDANI TEBULO BAU/20/SS/060
•: STIVERIA MPONDA (BAU/20/SS/041) DALITSO CHILIPO BAU/21/ME/068
•: MARTINA LIPENGA (BAU/19/SS/027)
•: SANGWANI SICHINGA (BAU/19/SS/056)
•: YAMIKANI JONGA (BAU/20/SS/012)
•: CATHYREEN POTANI (BAU/20/SS/057)
•: BENJAMIN NSANJAMA (BAU/20/SS/052)

TITLE: RESEARCHING ON CONSULTING AND WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A CONSULTANT

INTRODUCTION

• Definitions
• Consulting is the process of providing professional advice, guidance and other purposeful
activities in an area of specialization according to Lam (2023).
• It aims at assisting clients in resolving their most pressing business challenges or issues, It
entails working with seasoned experts often referred to as consultants who have specialized
knowledge and abilities in a given sector in return for payment.
• The main goal of consulting is to provide clients with unbiased analysis, strategic suggestions,
and workable solutions to help them accomplish their goals and get over challenges.
HISTORY OF CONSULTING

The history of the consulting industry stretches back to the late nineteenth century, with
the formation of the world’s first modern consulting groups, also known as business
advice organizations.
The first management consulting firms were created as a result of the demand for
organizational, process and machinery expertise. They concentrated their advisory
services primarily on addressing technical and financial issues (which began in the US
and later spread to Europe and the rest of the world).
CONTI…..

Professionals employed in the consulting sector are sometimes referred to as

"consultants" or "advisors." Titles are affixed related to their understanding of a given
advising field or through which their industry expertise is described (for instance;
strategy consultant, healthcare consultant, procurement consultant, internal audit
consultant).
TYPES OF CONSULTING

• Consulting is pragmatic in the sense that it is a result-oriented practice as it only focusses

on the actions and end results to be favorable rather than the truth or perfection in
method. It is a professional service as it is given by people who are highly educated,
talented or experienced and these people are experts in their field.
• There are a number of types of consulting and the major ones include; Strategy
consulting, Management consulting and Business consulting.
 CONTI…..TYPES OF CONSULTING

A. STRATEGY CONSULTING

 Courtney (2023), defines strategic consulting as a process which involves helping businesses come up with
strategic plans for various purposes. Under this type, the consultants use strong industry knowledge to gain
the best results on important business decisions that affect profitability and operations.

 It provides implementation services to the board of directors with the aim of improving the effectiveness of
the organization.
CONT……

B. MANAGEMENT CONSULTING
Management consulting is the broadest type of consulting as it represents over half of the
consulting industry. Consultants under this type specialize in helping organizations
improve their performance, efficiency, and overall effectiveness.
The consultants provide organizations with advisory and implementation services to help
make business strategies, operational processes and organizational performance more
effective.
CONT…..

C. BUSINESS CONSULTING
Business consulting is a type of consulting where the consultants work closely with
business owners and managers who want to improve operations and efficiency, grow their
business or maintain positive trends (Williams, 2023).
The consultants under this type assess the current state of an organization, identify areas
which need improvement and, develop strategies and recommendations to address those
areas.
PURPOSE OF CONSULTING

The following are the fundamental purposes of consulting

 providing information to a client, in order to empower them with the necessary
knowledge, insights, and support to make well-informed decisions, address challenges,
and achieve their objectives effectively.
 Consulting helps solve a client’s problem, consultants are usually given complex
problems to solve but there are situations where the clients are not aware of the real issue
affecting their business, consultants also help to determine these.
CONTI…….

 Consulting is also there to help make an effective diagnosis, this is because consultants give unbiased judgements on
issues and this enables them to uncover complex situations which managers were afraid to uncover.
 It is also there to provide recommendations based on the diagnosis made, this is in the form of a written report or oral
presentation summarizing the findings of the consultant. In the same vein, consulting assists in the implementation of
the recommended solutions, in some situations the consultant is not directly involved in the implementation process.
 Building a consensus and commitment around corrective action is another purpose of consulting. A consultant must
be persuasive and finely tuned analytic skills in order to provide sound and convincing recommendations.
Consulting also facilitates client learning by making sure they leave something of lasting value to the client. They do
this by including members of the organization in the processes
 Consulting permanently improves organizational effectiveness
PROS AND CONS OF BEING A CONSULTANT
PROS
• You can learn many different skills
• Consulting allows you to build a powerful network
• You get responsible tasks from the beginning
• Perfect if you like to travel
• You can learn to work with latest technology
• You can work in project teams
• Consulting allows you to see many new things
CONS
• Pressure in consulting can be high
• Strict deadlines are a problem
• You will be pushed to your boundaries
• Consulting can imply working long hours
• You may be away from home during the week
• Being a consultant can be lonely
• Some people develop mental issues
CONTI…
PROS
• You can work with many different clients
• Continuous training
• You ca work with other motivated people in consulting
• Consulting teams support each other
• You work on demanding projects
• Good for your CV
• Consultants can earn pretty good money
CONS
• No real work-life balance
• Problematic in case you have children
• You have to represent the company
• Many of your colleagues will leave
• Insecurity regarding what comes next
• Great swings in workload
• Unsatisfying outcomes
• Success greatly depends on the projectmanager.
REQUIREMENTS AND SKILLS FOR BECOMING A
CONSULTANT
 Consultants work on a contract basis and there are no set qualifications to be a consultant. It
comes down to what the organization needs and how well one can sell their offer.
 Businesses expect consultants to give expert-level advice, and consulting jobs which are
competitive and this means that the more a consultant can do to excel, the more likely they are to
reach their goals. Active consultants are highly educated people, who have gained their expertise
in a particular field after years of studying, training as well as building work experience (Prater,
2022).
 However, the education requirements are subjective and flexible and the importance of the
education comes down to the buyer's perception of value.
CONTI……..

 Most consultants have a bachelor's degree and some of the popular degrees are accounting, finance,
Management, economics, marketing and Public relations.
 Advanced education is also not a requirement but an MBA (Master of Business Administration) is helpful
for many consulting careers. MBA programs can help consultants improve their skills in leadership,
management, and economics.
 In addition to their educational background, consultants are required to possess a range of functional and
personal skills. Effective communication, technical expertise, and interpersonal abilities are crucial for
building a positive working environment and providing value to clients. Moreover, consultants must
possess conceptual skills, enabling them to understand and identify strategies that will optimize the
organization's performance in the market.
CONT…

 .Strong analytical skills and problem-solving capabilities are also essential, as consultants
often face complex challenges that require logical reasoning and critical thinking to
identify and implement effective solutions.
CONCLUSION

• In a nutshell, consulting is a dynamic group that does business in a constantly changing

(digital) environment.
• To put it another way, change is inevitable, and consultants are aware of the demands
placed on both technology and people. They make sure that digital transformation is an
abstract endeavor with a controllable pace, and they constantly stand by their clients as
they chart their routes.
• All of this is done to make sure the clients continue to be adaptable and resilient and
produce superior business results
REFERENCES

• Lam, S. (2023). What is Consulting? Retrieved July 12, 2023, from Deloitte.com:
https://www2.deloitte.com
• Tenner, I. (2014, january). The Consulting Difference - A primer for the expert consultant.
• Weiss, A. (1992). Million dollar consunting toolkit.
• Williams, C. (2023, May 24). accelo.com. Retrieved July 12, 2023, from What is
Business Consulting and What Advantages Does It Provide?: https://www.accelo.com
 THE END
SHALOM