Classically, strategy consulting projects set goals, establish actions to achieve those goals, and organise resources to implement the actions. This satisfies the colloquial definition of strategy – “a strategy describes how the ends (goals) will be achieved by the means (resources)”.
This traditional foundation has paved the way for a comprehensive range of key strategy consulting areas that will enable you to deliver on your strategic objectives right across your organisation.
Please note that because all other consulting disciplines have elements of strategy within them, you may feel that some of these key areas should be moved into those disciplines. However they have been included here because of their strategic importance for most organisations.
Key areas of strategy consulting
- Branding to design, develop, review and implement your strategic branding
- Business modelling and planning - there are significant new methodologies emerging which enable a quicker and clearer move to implementation.
- Channels to define, develop, review and implement your strategic channel initiatives.
- Corporate responsibility to design, develop, review and implement corporate social responsibility initiatives. Social responsibilities should be embedded within business strategy.
- Diversification / privatisation / commercialisation - fundamental strategic initiatives.
- Feasibility study
- International expansion to assist your international expansion initiatives … –in-market connections, knowledge and understanding of the local culture and language can add great value.
- Intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship - weighty new methodologies are emerging to foster these activities .
- Operations strategy, design and effectiveness to boost your operations - new approaches move an organisation more quickly to implementation.
- Partnership, alliance and community to design, develop, review and implement strategic partnership, alliance and community initiatives … these responsibilities are crucial elements of business strategy.
- Pricing to define, develop, review and implement pricing models … pricing is a clear sign of strategic intent
- Profit improvement to design, develop, review and implement strategic profit improvement initiatives … these initiatives will always be needed.
- R&D initiative support - specialists in grant sourcing have a role to play here.
- Restructuring
- Strategic planning and review- there will always be a need for a different ‘pair of eyes’.
What to look for in a strategy consultant
Given the range of strategy consulting areas, your strategy consultant must possess the appropriate technical expertise to tackle your project, and know how to pragmatically tailor that expertise to serve your needs. If they propose to use any emerging methods then they must be abreast of how those methods are being used by other strategy consultants. And finally your strategy consultant should have demonstrable experience in your industry.
If you are ready to speak to a strategy consultant for your needs, select the "Strategy" category in our quick online wizard.