6/1/2022

Quality Management in Consulting Firms

• There are two extreme views on quality of consulting
– one is that even the best consultants are not as good as
internal employees
– Consultants are always the best in terms of quality of work
compared to employees
• Both extremes cannot be generalized
• In consulting firms, quality has to be cultivated through
a process orientation
• Many established firms irrespective of the size of firm
get their reputation through structured internal
processes and standardised client interfaces
• IT has helped a lot in this regard as information
management is the key to good consulting

Quality Management in Consulting Firms

• An important point to note is that all activities of the
consultants in the firm will have some impact on
quality of service
• Understanding the significance of each and every
activity on quality of service is itself a big exercise.
• Quality management must address both
– the strictly technical side of consulting (the knowledge
base, the practical know-how, the choice of correct data
and procedures, the analysis of all relevant facts, the
assessment of important alternatives, etc.),
– and the human and behavioural side of the consultant-
client relationship (caring for the clients, listening to their
concerns, dispelling their worries, respecting their
priorities, being helpful beyond the scope of the contract,
etc.).

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Quality Management in Consulting Firms

• Quality is above all a question of meeting clients' needs and requirements ; in the
long run the success of the consulting firm and the consultants themselves is
dependent on client satisfaction – the primary stakeholders.
Clients
• services and solutions that meet their requirements and expectations
• long-term relationships
• value for money
• contractual reassurance
Owners of the consulting firm
• client satisfaction
• higher utilization
• prompt payment
• repeat business
• adequate profits
• good image of the firm
Consultants
• job satisfaction
• client satisfaction
• rewards
• career prospects

Quality Management in Consulting Firms

Opposition to quality management internally
– Bringing in control procedures is seen as bureaucracy by many consultants
– As time is to be set apart for QM it adds to cost

Assigning responsibility for quality

1. Responsibilities must be clear and clearly stated, so everybody knows who
is responsible for what.
2. Top management must be visibly involved, giving credibility and clout to the
importance of quality.
3. Continuity / succession needs to be assured, thus dealing with the inevitable
problems emanating from absences on assignments, changes in assignment
staffing during project execution, etc.
4. Quality assurance must be applied consistently, to all work at all times.

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Quality Management in Consulting Firms

Project Internal
Directors Consultants
Lead Auditors

Build in QA for
Demonstrate Highlight
all stages of Follow Quality
commitment areas for
assignment plan and
document improvement

Establish Communicate
priorities Quality plans
Understand
and help Give balanced
QM Coach and implement feedback
responsibility train operating Quality Policy
allocation consultants

Quality Management in Consulting Firms

• QA program should address real issues in
practical ways
• Feedback from clients will bring in the
external stakeholder perspective
QA Plan
1. Assignment management
- assignment management procedures
- quality plans
- client satisfaction surveys

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Quality Management in Consulting Firms

2. People management
- personnel policies and procedures
- knowledge management
- training and development
- coaching on the job
3. Quality programme management
- quality policy
- quality organization
- focus of the programme

Quality Management in Consulting Firms

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Quality Management in Consulting Firms

Quality Management in Consulting Firms

How to develop QA procedures for assignment
management?
- make full use of checklists and "best practice"
guidelines;
- define and document mandatory (minimum)
work systems and procedures;
- once communicated, monitor adherence to
these procedures;
- encourage consultants to comment on
procedures and to suggest improvements.

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Quality Management in Consulting Firms

Quality Plan
• Is it not covered in an Assignment Plan?
• The quality plan is an extension of the assignment or
project plan and can be treated as part of it
(1) What are we trying to achieve: (a) assignment
definition; and (b) assignment plan and deliverables?
(2) How are we going to ensure that we do a quality
job: (a) organization and responsibilities; (b) quality
assurance procedures; and (c) technical standards?
(3) How do we measure our success: quality criteria
(time, cost, rework, etc.)?

Quality Management in Consulting Firms

QP should make clear how the following parts of an
assignment is impacting quality of service delivery:
1.initial team briefing covering the assignment
plan, client expectations and quality assurance
procedures;
2.progress monitoring and reporting to client;
3.communications and documentation of client
contacts and feedback;
4.control of change implemented;
5.document control;
6.acceptance of final report by client.

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Quality Management in Consulting Firms

• If a Quality Plan will help in fulfilling assignment
requirements in terms of a set quality level , the Client
Satisfaction Survey will let the consulting firm know
how well it has succeeded in the above task.
• A QP should mention clearly those parts of the
assignment that may lead to issues on quality.
• Quality criteria should be clear both for the client and
the project team. It should cover such points like giving
the client a cost-benefit matrix, meeting cost targets
and avoiding rework of any form.
• Client satisfaction surveys should not be selectively
administered but should form part of the closing of an
assignment.

Quality Management in Consulting Firms

• While seeking client feedback through questionnaires,
the following points need to be kept in mind.
– Scaled assessment of areas of satisfaction or dissatisfaction
– Open ended questions to provide open feedback
– Ratings for selected areas to develop the trends
• If client interviews are used, they should be done on
the basis of standard questions to provide a continuity
in assessment.
• Independent market surveys will help a consulting firm
mark its own position in comparison with competitors
and allow benchmarking

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Quality Management in Consulting Firms

• People management and Quality
– Recruitment, induction and training decides the
quality of people in an organization so adequate care
should be taken in these
– Best practice sharing and coaching are indispensable
to improve quality of service delivery.
– Following a standard code of ethics for all in the firm
underlines the importance given to practice
– Bringing in client feedback results in personal
appraisals can help in meeting client expectations
more clearly

Quality Management in Consulting Firms

• Quality management should be a committed
area for the senior management
• Quality certifications like ISO 9001 will be of
help to streamline the processes of the firm
and standardize different procedures followed
in projects