McCallum Sweeney Consulting

Specialization or Collaboration
Selecting Consultants for the Right Job

This can be a perplexing question even for the most capable of executives, but it is one that must be answered. It is a rare circumstance where a location decision does not impact, and is not impacted by, other corporate functions.

Engineering, manufacturing, human resources, finance, marketing, logistics, real estate, research and development are all affected in some way - and the list goes on.

While this is highly desirable, in practice it is difficult to achieve. As a result, most companies seek outside help to either augment or perform this task for them.

The following factors should be considered when selecting a consultant.

First and foremost, as with any important project, define the objective.  Clearly articulate what you are trying to accomplish and delineate the activities required to achieve the goal.

Does the project require quick occupancy of real estate in a very short time period, or is it a substantial project that requires extensive planning and coordination? Are technical considerations an important component of the process or do supply chain logistics far outweigh any other factor?  These questions, and many more, should be examined first. Understanding what drives the project, and which factors will determine its ultimate success, will provide the parameters for a needs assessment.

Generally speaking, the more complex the project, the more involvement from various disciplines will be required.  For instance, in the quick occupancy of real estate example in the previous paragraph, finding a well respected broker would be logical and appropriate.  They have access to extensive property listings and can expedite lease and/or sales transactions.

In contrast, if the project is very complex, such as an aircraft manufacturing facility or an automotive assembly plant, it may be wise to consider additional experts as well.  Engineering, environmental, human resources, finance, logistics, civil, architectural, and manufacturing could be important factors to consider.

In the context of understanding the project goals and objectives, make a detailed list of the activities that are needed and determine if you have the people in-house who can, and should, perform the task.

Typically, these are executives who have a big-picture understanding of their respective areas as it relates to the company as a whole, as well as a good grasp of day to day operations. Nobody understands the workings of a company better than those who work for it. They know the good, the bad and the ugly of their firm, and given the right venue, will tell those who would listen how to improve it.

It has been our experience that most employees want to be involved. Most want to contribute and will even take on extra duties if they feel that they can contribute to a worthwhile effort. If they are available, make them part of the team. If they are not, take into consideration their availability and augment with additional outside resources in proportion to the importance of their input to the project.

Of course, an employee's willingness to help does not guarantee competence or abilities in the latest techniques or state of the art practices. If such a case exists, bring in experts to work collaboratively to both augment and provide a learning experience.

In addition, while an employee may be the best at their job, this does not guarantee an objective assessment of the issues at hand will be forthcoming, nor does it mean that they are qualified to perform analytic investigations that explore alternative solutions.  It does, however, mean that the employee can provide useful access to information and existing practices as a benchmark.

After defining the objectives, identifying the steps necessary to achieve it, and assessing the availability of resources in-house to complete the assignment, you are ready to identify gaps - or areas where a consultant can be of assistance.

Every company is different in this regard. Some companies will hire consultants from the outside to both lead and execute the required activities and analyses. Others will hire different experts to be part of a team led by an individual within the firm. And still others will take an incremental approach, hiring consultants in a sequential fashion, with primary responsibility retained in-house.

Each company will perform this in a manner that is consistent with their culture, general practices and time requirements. The gaps are those areas where there is either an absence of expertise necessary to properly complete the task at hand, or where an outside party would greatly enhance the objectivity of the process.

While evaluating a service provider may seem like an easy process to perform, it is not. It is very difficult, particularly when it comes to selecting a consultant(s). We feel it is necessary to first evaluate the firm's core competency and business focus to assess how will it fits with your firm's needs.

Many companies claim to be able to perform a wide range of services, when in fact their ancillary services are meant to be an early positioning approach for other work.  Ask yourself, "Are they providing the service in which they are absolutely the best"?  If this is not their core business, then it is prudent to take a very close look at resources, capabilities, experience and especially referrals.

Next, assess their experience working in a team-oriented environment.  Their ability to assimilate quickly and seamlessly into a project environment will determine how well they work with your employees or with other outside service providers.  Some firms are so structured in their service offering that they cannot adapt to the needs of their clients or able to participate in a creative approach to collaboration. Typically, this is a barrier to performance optimization and impacts the process significantly - and ultimately the results.  In today's environment team players should be the de facto requirement, not a distinguishing characteristic deemed something special.  Loners are usually that way for a reason.

In addition, does their service have the potential to create a conflict with other business services offered?  No doubt, one advantage of a very large organization is the depth and breadth of their capabilities and global reach.  In some cases, however, the multitude of service offerings and various levels of expertise could inadvertently create conflicts that were initially unforeseen or even intended.  No company is exempt from this potential unforeseen circumstance; however, clarity of core business offerings certainly diminishes the possibility of it occurring significantly.  By the same token, do not ignore the synergies and strengths inherent to working with a multi-service firm. Just make sure you know what it is you are getting and how it fits into the overall strategy of your project.

Finally, to what degree can the consultant integrate his (or her) service offering with current processes and also allow for a smooth transition for subsequent tasks?  Try to avoid redundancy in both skills and services - there is no sense in paying twice for the service you receive only once.

The composition of the team is a function of project needs and the amount of activities required. Make sure that each functional area of the company impacted will be represented.

Typically, at a minimum, this includes human resources, marketing, logistics, finance and manufacturing; however, there could be more such as real estate and research/development.

There should be a team leader, with roles and responsibilities clearly defined for all participants, particularly when more than one consultant is involved.

While active participation and input is the highest and best that can be hoped for in any project, keep in mind that shared leadership is tantamount to decisions by committee and can get mired down without a leader to press ahead.

It is also important that the objectives of the project are clearly understood, and that there is a minimal overlap in responsibilities.  Select and involve those service provider consultants that are most appropriate and provide the best value to the project.

In order to execute the plan, there should be a defined scope of work, with milestones according to a defined schedule.  Actually, this should be one of the activities performed up-front when defining the project goals. So in a sense, this is a continuation of the first step of this process.  The chart should show project activities outlined, with beginning and ending dates for each.  In addition, it should provide detailed steps with assignments delegated to the responsible parties.  The program execution plan should also serve as a qualifier when selecting a consultant.

Unfortunately, some consultants see themselves as advisors with no direct tie into the execution of program activities.  In today's reality, they will not be consultants for long.  When selecting a service provider, keep in mind that their expertise should manifest itself into a deliverable that provides a solution.  Whether the consultant is actively engaged in solving the problem or simply advising on a means to solve it, the motivation and intent should be toward resolution - not simply its identification.

The implications of this are apparent.  Those consultants who are motivated by finding solutions that are client oriented are by nature collaborators - whether it is with the client or another consultant. They do not have an aversion to working with other consultants, and their goal is to provide a means to a solution. In this regard they are seen as allies, not competitors.

So, the next time you are faced with a site selection or property acquisition endeavor, think about creating a team, much like a coach would in sports, and filling in the slots.  If the slots can be filled by one consultant or requires the cooperation of a team of experts, the objective should be toward successful project execution to achieve the intended goal.

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Ed McCallum

McCallum Sweeney Consulting

550 South Main St., Suite 550

TEL 864.672.1600

Professional Profile

Ed McCallum

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Professional Profile

McCallum Sweeney

Professional Services

Ed McCallum, a senior principal in McCallum Sweeney Consulting, provides site selection services and economic development consulting to companies and organizations worldwide.

Twenty years of experience in the site selection industry includes a myriad of industrial, headquarters and warehousing site selection endeavors.

Mr. McCallum also provides consulting services to leading economic development organizations across the United States in such areas as strategic planning and organizational design, site certification, incentive strategies and sustainable development strategies. He was responsible for designing and heading up Pennsylvania’s Certified Sites program – known as “Select Sites”TM and continuing with Phase II of the same program in a web enabled environment.

Mr. McCallum has a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from James Madison University.