How Businesses Can Benefit From International Strategic Consultants

By Ruthie Livingston


The economy nowadays is very volatile and the businesses that are reaping good profits and grabbing the opportunities are those with good strategic visions. Such strategies enable business rake in profit while retaining a competitive advantage over their rivals. It is always important to seek assistance from competent international strategic consultants that have knowledge about the international market when for strategy formulation.

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.

For a company to survive in a global market, it should look at ways of diversifying its revenue sources. There is always a risk that technology would change in making the current good obsolete, a change of regulations may also impact on the business negatively and customers may shift their preferences to new products. With the assistance of a consultant, business can develop a pipeline for innovation and produce better products. The business is also able to unearth hidden customer wants and provide solutions to the same.

The employees of a firm are its most valuable resource. An effective team is innovative, creates quality and value for clients, and is able to reach the set goals. Business turns to consultants in the development of an efficient business model, organizational design, performance management, leadership management, and selection of quality business service providers for its own needs.

The growth of a company may be measured by its vertical and horizontal integration. One of the horizontal growth strategies is by merging with others and acquisitions of the rival establishments. These give the business access to already established markets and working systems that were held by the rivals. Assistance is needed in identifying the right target, due diligence the process of screening targets, post-merger integration and all other aspects mergers and acquisitions.

A functional strategy is the grease that keeps the wheels of other strategies running. It incorporates actual daily activities that are geared towards the achievement of set goals and corporate strategies. Examples of functional strategies that a business may require assistance in developing include back office operations such as procurement, information strategy, finance, and human resources. Examples of areas where a business may need function strategy formulation assistance include working capital management, finance outsourcing and running of performance control and management solutions like SAP solutions.

If a business is not able to put the strategies into action, it is better as having never formulated the strategies. Execution is much harder than the formulation process, as it requires training, resources and adopting the best practices. A consultant may assist in the development of a roadmap in strategy development, managing the process of change, training, and measuring success.

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.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment