In recent years, we have observed a growth in demand for consulting and business advisory services. This is happening primarily due to rapidly advancing changes in the market environment. Technological developments, increased competition, and new legal regulations may require some different approach to business operations.
Specializations and Scope of Business Advisor Services
Business advisors often specialize in specific areas, allowing them to provide even more professional services to their clients. One of the main areas, where experts are focusing, is business strategy. The role of a consultant in this field includes helping to identify strategic goals, analyzing the business environment, and developing strategies, such as market: entry strategies, product development strategies, business change strategies, growth strategies, or restructuring strategies. A business advisor specializing in this area can assist in managing the strategy implementation, evaluating its effectiveness, and implementing the necessary changes to achieve the goals.
Depending on experience, skills, and demand, experts may choose different specializations. One of them is change management, which involves actions aimed at implementing specific transformations, such as individual processes, organizational structure, or corporate culture. Other popular professional areas for advisors include project management. Experts specializing in this field help companies with project planning, project execution supervision, or cost control. Individuals with formal education or knowledge backed by informal training may also opt for consulting in specific industries, such as marketing, sales, IT, human resources management, finance, and accounting.
The Role of Experts in a Company
Business advisors offer the employers assistance in achieving business goals, identifying and solving problems, and improving the company's performance. To achieve this, they may use various methodologies, tools, and project management techniques. Some of them include:
- Data analysis, involving data collection and analysis regarding business processes, including: cycle, quality, efficiency, and project costs.
- Problem-solving techniques, such as root cause analysis, decision trees, priority matrices, and SWOT analysis.
- Business process mapping to understand business processes and identify areas requiring improvement.
- Business process automation technologies, such as Business Process Management (BPM) software, to streamline business processes and increase operational efficiency.
- Experimental design, a research method used to study the impact of changes on business processes and test solutions before implementation.
These are just a few selected methods and tools that can aid in the decision-making, problem identification, and available solutions. The applied practices allow for even more effective change management in the organization and a successful implementation of the advisory process.
How Can a Business Advisor Develop Their Competencies?
Personnel policies and the implementation of standardized processes in companies have led to increased demand for outsourcing and external business advisors. Currently, more and more companies decide to employ non-permanent specialists, especially in management, human resources, IT, marketing, sales, or finance. The requirements for business advisors are high, so individuals interested in this profession must possess the appropriate competencies and experience, to meet the expectations of their clients or employers. Competencies can be acquired through both formal and informal education.
One of the opportunities for professional development is participation in professional courses and training. Those, who eager to enhance their skills and acquire new competencies in business advisory are welcome to take part in the course "School of Professional Business Experts." The educational program is recommended particularly for managers, business advisors, consultants, and anyone, who wants to learn and develop the techniques used by top experts. The goal of the training is to gain knowledge, skills, and insights into the best practices and tools that may be essential in daily work. Participants will acquire both hard and soft competencies, enabling them to effectively carry out the advisory and implementation projects.
Participants of the training have the opportunity not only to acquire unique knowledge and acquire hard and soft competencies, but also to develop their personal brand and find diverse projects. As a business school, we have entered into cooperation with the platform Redegate.com, which connects companies with experts in their industry. Business advisors have the chance to gain new opportunities for professional development and develop their own sales channel. The platform is supported by the best specialists with vast project experience, allowing for optimal matching of competencies to customer requirements.
