The role of the consultant

Some of us may have experienced or heard horror stories about consultants, especially in recent years, now that so many people have been downsized into consulting rather than choosing it voluntarily. This is too bad, because consultants can be very valuable—that is, those consultants who do have the knowledge and experience to contribute that extra method, approach or knowledge, that will make the difference. By definition, consultants are hired to give advice in broad general terms, rather than really display the instruments of their profession.

Most consultants enjoyed some measure of success early in their careers. The reputations they gained from those early triumphs enabled them to survive professionally. Times have changed, however, and so has the formulae for achieving results. Too many consultants tend to apply the same solution to every problem. A classic example of this is the usage of process mapping. Whereas, it is very important to know your process, that does not mean that by only understanding the process the specific solution may be identified. The consultant and/or experimenter must know, in addition to the process mapping, the appropriate usage of tools and methodologies for the specific issue and/or problem at hand. Another example is the classic transition of corporate individuals who, after terminating their professional work, become consultants based on a specific success story of their career. In other words, in my experience, most tend to rest on their laurels. I would say that almost 70 percent of consultants are sorely lacking in both knowledge, experience and/or integrity. Thirty percent are worth their weight in gold—and charge that way, too.

Why am I so rough on my own profession? All of a sudden, many individuals and organizations began to claim expertise in six sigma. How did that expertise come about? Was it because someone attended one, or two or even three training sessions and they found out the minimum requirements of the six sigma methodology? Or was it because somebody self-affirmed the knowledge of six sigma due to the monetary rewards? Or is it because many consultants have jumped on the bandwagon of success in previous programs such as ISO, FMEA, TQM and SPC? There are consultants out there who have claimed in national and reputable magazines that they have the experience to consult on ISO 9000, QS-9000, TS 16949, or even the six sigma before these standards and/or methodology were officially released.

Do you need a consultant? This question is very difficult to answer, because it depends on many variables. However, strictly speaking, you do not need a consultant to implement a quality system and/or the six sigma methodology. On the other hand, a consultant with knowledge and experience will help you get to your destination much faster and help you avoid mistakes. When you hire a consultant, make sure that their services are to coach and direct you in becoming self-sufficient in the tasks that you need the help. Do not fall in the trap of allowing the consultant to do it for you. If they do it for you, not only is more expensive, but you did not learn anything from the experience.

How do you connect with a reliable consultant? You must be resourceful and do an enormous amount of homework. Get and check references of previous clients—particularly recent clients. Ask specific questions. You need to know exactly what services were performed and what results were achieved. Agreements prevent disagreements, so once you've made your choice, enter into a written contract with your consultant. Make sure that you can terminate it at any time, no questions asked, with a fixed price to exit. Also, make sure that all the work and development for a project that the consultant did under your contract is your property.

The key ingredients for a six sigma consultancy are: extensive experience in statistics, extensive experience working with project teams, and perhaps the most important, they must have years of tactical (hands-on) and strategic (planning) experience. Unless there are some other mitigating circumstances, do not hire a consultant just because you must, or just because the price is right, or worse still, just because company XYZ hired him. A good six sigma consultant is expensive, but worth it.