Why should you measure the performance of your consulting suppliers?
"In a dark place we find ourselves and a little more knowledge lights our way." Master Yoda
Managing the consulting category is hard.
The category is complex and versatile.
Each consulting firm has its own "consulting DNA": a specific set of markers that determine what project they can take and what working with them will look like.
Consulting is an intangible service.
It is not that easy to measure performance. You can't take out your ruler and determine if the delivery was outside the tolerance zone. You have to determine what value you expect from a project and compare it with the results of your project.
There is not a lot of literature about consulting sourcing.
Like in many niche subject matters, there is no enthusiastic crowd speaking or writing about managing the consulting category. Consulting buyers are often facing a blank page, waiting to be written on.
In a dark place, they are, indeed. But like Master Yoda said, collecting information about your process and your providers will help you to improve your ROI.
Relationships require respect and communication. From a business standpoint, it often calls for bargaining power. And in consulting sourcing, it means knowing your category inside out. The easiest step to take is to start with your providers.
Measuring the performance will give you visibility of the impact of both your sourcing and your consulting projects. But unless you make sure to sustain your efforts and communicate your results, it will soon become a beautiful memory.
What makes a performance evaluation system work? Consistency & improvement plans.
Read our full article to get a better idea of how an effective performance measurement system will greatly improve value creation through consulting and will help you take control of the consulting category, plus much more:" What makes a performance evaluation system work?"
As always, do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions/wish to have a chat.
About the Author:
Hélène Laffitte is the CEO of Consulting Quest, a Global Performance-Driven Consulting Platform and author of “Smart Consulting Sourcing” , a step by step guide to getting the best ROI from your consulting. With a blend of experience in Procurement and Consulting, Hélène is passionate about helping Companies create more value through Consulting. To find out more, visit the blog or contact her directly"