Business Consultancy (Level 3)

Module 1: Introduction to Business Consulting
Business call in help either to resolve a specific issue or concern within the workplace or they might bring in specialist help to formulate a new legal requirement for which they do not have necessary staff. Management consulting, also sometimes called strategy consulting, refers to both the practice of helping companies to improve performance through analysis of existing business problems and development of future plans, as well as to the firms that specialize in this sort of consulting.

Management consulting involves the identification and cross-fertilization of best practices analytical techniques, change management and coaching skills, technology implementations and strategy development through an outsider’s perspective about its own performance. A specific formal framework and methodology identifies problems or suggests more effective or efficient ways of performing business tasks.

There is a relatively unclear line between management consulting and other consulting practices, such as Information Technology (IT) Consulting. Often a team involves analysts who identify issues, specialists who carry out the necessary repair work, and review and evaluation to ensure that the consultants can leave an abled business which can continue to work with the new methods, changes and developments.

The first module will focus upon the development of business advisory or consulting skills which acts as the administrative function interfaces with external consultants and business service providers. It seeks to enhance the business knowledge of consulting skills and provide an improved understanding of the importance of these skills, together with the provision of specialist services e.g. Strategy studies, business process reviews, HR consulting, as a valuable aid to busy executives in the form of interim management services of a specialist nature.

Module 2: The business of Consultancy and Advisory services
The profession of consultancy is changing within the context of the new global economy. The reasons that consultants are employed, the type of engagements that they will be expected to perform and the roles of the professional bodies to ensure that consultants deliver quality, consistent and highly professional advice. This is achieved by covering the major attributes required by the professional Management Consultant such as a Code of Conduct, contractual engagements, clear roles and setting up effective communication that includes close links to the business, analysis, review and evaluation. A historical study of the rise of management consultancy firms and their links to the Manufacturing and Industrial Organisations, Banks and Financial Institutes, Government and Public sector Organisations, Education Sector, Professional firms and the Medical Sector is covered in depth.

Module 3: Effective Stakeholder Management
Stakeholder involves the relationships and links of the business with everyone it offers its service or works with from customers, the local community, business associates and the wider governing bodies. This course will be focused on how to build key client business relationships, maintaining confidence and trust of clients, understanding problems, delivering quality services, managing client expectations, use of intervention, and achieving value-added contribution raising client satisfaction indicators. This is achieved by learning the skills to achieve this through actual case studies and examples that help teach the meaning and importance of quality, forming the various stages of delivering advice and how to manage a brief and plan a project. The appreciation of dynamics and effectiveness, how little cogs can drive big cog, leveraging ideas from colleagues and utilizing best practice guidelines provided by the profession is discussed in detail.

Module 4: Key Consultancy Skills
This section builds on from the previous sections to teach techniques and skills needed to become a qualified Management Consultant. Different approaches to consulting engagements and the use of proprietary methods to help build a toolbox to manage projects is covered. Subjects covered include the value of effective research and the examination of key techniques and skills required such as conducting interviews, conducting client meetings, presentations to executives, problem solving, decision making and preparing summary reports. The key aim is to add value so that a business can get back to working efficiently and productively, whilst meeting legal and ethical requirements. Being a member of an accredited body will guide the consultant in this role.

Module 5: Managing Project Assignments
Project management is best defined as Planning, Organisation and Control in a structured and managed environment. This unit focuses on the fundamental skills of managing third party and sub-contract relationships. This task therefore includes how to overview the planning process, manage relationships, sett up project controls, be aware of the risks, establish necessary change control procedures. All these can only be achieved by active leadership and close team work with colleagues and more importantly with the client group. Often executives decide on the need to bring in consultants and the employees may be unhappy about this decision, so skills to manage and keep everyone on side is crucial to effecting change and progress. A budget is set up so due diligence and Resource Management need to be considered in the plan and overall project management.

Module 6: Planning Consultancy Assignments
The first course of this work is to win bids and build up reputation. Engagements need careful and realistic planning involving methods of costing assignments, how to manage the engagement, effective delivery and use of toolkits. The development of computer systems has been of key importance, but there is also great diversity in the quality of methods and packages used by companies, so any changes or modernisation can involve a headache for the client, so they need to be convinced that the consultant is qualified to deliver the required change. This unit covers project planning techniques, how to estimate costs, managing resources and the importance of critical path analysis and mitigating client risk.

Module 7: Data Collection and Analysis
In order to first assess what is happening in a business data must be collected either through interviews, looking at literature about the business and their performance. This integral data then has to be analysed and interpreted by sifting facts and evidence from opinion to create objective and reliable information. The types of information and data sources and how to determinate what data is to be collected, analysed, the techniques needed for presentation and dissemination of information. The complexity of information and data involves how to deal with large volumes of data and information and filter this into a set of precise requirements in order to meet management objectives. Finally the techniques for presenting appropriate and useful information including use of tables, statistics, graphs and business models logically and effectively is discussed.

Module 8: Effective Report Writing Skills
Often the most important part of a report is the executive summary page listing key findings and necessary change to meet the findings and one cannot help but ask if a more detailed report is necessary. Writing effective management reports and techniques for board room presentations require good communication skills. This module covers the type of reports, the content and when to write and present a report. Often a power point presentation is sufficient when summarising key findings to a busy executive board, but a quality document including diagrams and illustrations is often a requirement at the near completion of the project.

Businesses often use such a document to review if change is happening by referring to the document during set periods, e.g. after the first three months, a year and so on to measure if it has managed to improve.

Module 9: Making Client Presentations
Findings have to be presented to the business and are made much easier with advancement in the use of software that helps delivery. The art of making efficient client presentations, any constraints and the different types of presentations and techniques available to help this is covered along with the use of media and effective speaking. Skills in becoming a presenter involve audience participation, judging the mood, the actual delivery and how to learn from mistakes. Also the way a consultant behaves and looks so how they dress, speak body language and how they communicate to the client is crucially important, and so this is addressed in depth.

Module 10: Rational Persuasion
It is important to gain the trust and confidence of the business, employees and management from the start as they are part of the process to improve, rectify and resolve issues that are halting progress. The technique of gaining support for evidence, any arguments and winning through on business recommendations requires skills and experience. The key components to accomplish this involves rational and techniques of persuasion, conducting a meeting, listening skills, how to balance arguments, inspiring confidence and planning an outcome. An understanding and appreciation of how people will react in varying situations helps to prepare for unexpected reactions. Also skills will be taught of how to explain decisions to clients, the rationale behind judgements and business recommendations. The final area covers how to persuade a client to take a specific course of action in order to achieve a desired result and outcome.