Utilizing International Strategic Consultants In Design Effective Plans

By Ruthie Livingston


To survive in the volatile economic times and take advantage of the available opportunities, businesses need to develop a strategic vision. A good business strategy helps the business maintain sustainable competitive advantage without sacrificing its profitability. The business may not have the expertise to develop the relevant strategies in the worldwide marketplace Thus, hiring an international strategic consultants would be the best idea.

An international consultant helps a business develop robust business unit and corporate strategies and align its resources and personnel to the set goals. This deals with such challenges that include market assessment, strategic planning process design, scenario planning, and alliance management. A corporate wide strategy sets the tone that the company integrates in its daily activities.

In the current international marketplace, firms cannot afford to rely on a single source of revenue. There is always an inherent danger of failure owing to change of customer tastes and preferences, government policies, change in technology. With the assistance of a consultant, a business is able to develop its innovative talent, research, and development, and is able to develop brands that result from the new products on a global scene. Further, the business is able to reveal some needs that have not been adequately satisfied and develop solutions that satisfy such needs.

The workforce is a company greatest asset. With an effective workforce, a firm can develop innovative solutions, offer value to its customers, and head its set goals and targets. A business may seek assistance in designing an effective organization, developing leadership, managing performance, developing its workforce, and selecting the best business service providers for quality service.

Horizontal and vertical growth are a sign of success. Some of the common horizontal growth strategies are mergers and acquisitions. The complex nature of both requires someone with in-depth knowledge in the area. A business may turn to consultancies to assist in identifying the right target, screening those firms, due diligence and integrating the firms after a merger. This opens new markets and systems to the business boosting its growth.

A functional strategy results from breaking down other strategies small manageable policies. It includes planning of daily activities of the firm that include human resource, finance, information technology, and procurement. A business may be in need of getting finance to expand and access new markets, manage its working capital overseas or training on the use of performance management systems like SAP.

Strategies are of no use if they are not put into practice. While it may be easy to develop a plan, executing the plan is much harder. Strategy execution requires training, best practices and ability to measure results. A consultant may come in handy in devising an implementation roadmap, managing the change process, measuring success, and training the staff on the new systems.

Given the broad challenges in the international market, most consultants offer support in a few areas. These include staffing, operations, technology, process improvement, and sales consulting among many more. It is important for a business to pick a consultancy firm that has the expertise in the area that the business requires assistance.




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