The Consultant's Handbook: A Practical Guide to Delivering High-value and Differentiated Services in a Competitive Marketplace

CHAPTER SIXDELIVERING A CONSULTING SERVICE

Once a proposal has been accepted and contracting has been completed, the consulting engagement will move into its delivery phase. Consulting projects are often executed to tight timelines as clients are keen to secure the intended business benefits quickly. Consultants must therefore adopt an efficient approach during delivery, putting in place the required organization and processes to meet project goals with speed and accuracy. In addition, a suitable client collaboration approach will need to be adopted and tailored to the needs of the project. It is the skill of balancing these elements that ensures that project commitments are met and a high degree of client satisfaction is achieved. The importance of this was articulated by a senior manager at a financial institution in North America.

‘Some consultancies are better at selling themselves than delivering. What happens in delivery is the real test and is the door-opener to future collaboration.’

Consulting projects generally involve a mix of client-facing and behind-the-scenes activities. In some cases a co-delivery approach may be employed where some activities are conducted by the consultants, others are conducted by the client team, and still others are conducted jointly. Close coordination between teams and clearly defined responsibilities are therefore imperative. Even with a well-defined delivery plan, obstacles and unexpected events will have to be handled, as well ...