About Consulting
Consultants fall into four main categories. We specialize in strategy and business process improvement, but we also have access to a vast network of subject matter experts and trade specialists.
Strategy Consultant
We have a broad knowledge of best practices and how things work in other places, and we will bring an outside, non-biased opinion. We will help you think through the larger issues your company faces and then develop a long term strategy to help you achieve your goals. At the completion of a successful engagement, your company will have a clear idea of its long term goals and will begin executing the strategy of how to get there.
Process Improvement Consultant
We will address issues such as reducing the cost of inventory, reducing the time it takes to package and ship finished goods, improving quality control or increasing the percentage of leads that turn into customers. We use tools such as Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing and Key Performance Indicators. A successful consulting engagement will deliver a positive return on investment with quantified results.
Subject Matter Expert
We will contract subject matter experts as needed. These experts have highly technical skills that a company typically doesn’t have internally. For instance, a manufacturing firm may be losing money because of too many defects in a specialized glass product. The platinum catalysts keep fouling, and they don’t know why. We will find an experienced metallurgical engineer to tell them how to fix the problem. These highly skilled consultants are usually Ph.Ds, they have deep technical knowledge and 20 or more years of experience.
Contract Employee
We have working relationships with many professionals. Although often called independent consultants, these tradesmen are better described as "independent contractors" or sometimes "freelancers." A company may have specific work that needs to be done by a qualified tradesman, but doesn’t want to hire a full time employee. The firm will seek out an independent engineer, accountant or web-designer to accomplish a specific task or complete a short term project. When the project is complete, the “consultant” will move on to the next client.