How do you use tech to be a more efficient consultant?

In my experience using tools that fit your budget and have a fast learning curve is the way to go! Also ensuring your team can easily adopt it to carry out their tasks makes all the difference.

Consultant knows the importance of his customer and what solution needs to be delivered on what basis and how it helps the customer to address, optimize and speed up his organization process and productivity on time. He will suggest the technical tools based on the req. analysis like size of the company, budget allocation, resource allocation, enterprise environment factor, communication, risk management, risk mitigation, time and schedule required for deliverables etc., But all his recommendations should align with the standard business process and collective reference of the historical data. Also it helps the organization to keep all of its stakeholders are in the same page to understand the detailed project status & deliverables.

As a CFO in a dynamic company, I've learned the importance of prudent tech investments. Seeking an ERP system for seamless integration, we chose one with positive reviews and user-friendliness. Yet, issues emerged with manual entries and software limitations. We recognized the need for a mature, adaptable solution. Despite lacking all the needed functionalities, we migrated to a new ERP system, witnessing tailored feature development during implementation. This journey highlighted that aligning investments with a company's growth stage fosters operational efficiency.

A right tool can help in translating vision (products/services) into tangible outcomes. I've used Adobe XD (design demos) extensively throughout my consulting/presales career for various deals, and have found it to be a true client winner. Many a times, we fail to recognise the need for a client to get the feel of the end product, and to do give them a flavour of the end product efficiently without burning a hole in the pocket is a challenge. Choosing the right tool and using it to its fullest is pivotal in consulting. In addition to it, if you can re-use these for your product development, will be a true top-line value add.

Many companies end-up chosing best in class tools looking at Gartner and Forrester reports. Ultimately while implementing they figure out that just chosing best in class tools independently for interlinked capabilities does not work out. I would suggest to look at tools in a more E-2-E fashion on a set of deeply interconnected capabilities e.g., Quoting and ordering... also weigh the cost of having things in multiple incompatible platforms.

"A fool with a tool is a bigger fool." you must understand the real value & outcome required from your customer first, after making sure you understand this well, then start considering the tool, not the other way around. Always start at the end, which is the real genuine value & outcome required by your customer.

All routine tasks can be automated. Chat bots, process automation are some commonly used solutions to automate routine tasks. While technology can be used to simplify the way we work, it cannot replace the human creativity

An example of such tool is LucidChart! Using this online platform, one can easily plot the required business processes which any consultant would require to design their respective solutions.

In any work, build automations and templates for repeatable processes. While this can be done in simple word documents, consider using collaborative software like process automation platforms. This way the processes can be run without having to mentally think about each instance. They can also be run at scale.

Take advantage of automation tools like Zapier, IFTTT, or Microsoft Power Automate to automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and improve productivity. Automation reduces manual work, minimizes errors, and frees up time for higher-value consulting activities.

Navigating the world of SaaS startups and scaleups as a fractional FP&A/CFO, the essence of efficient remote collaboration is abundantly clear to me. To build on this, I'd emphasize the importance of data analytics and real-time reporting tools in our toolkit. These are pivotal not just for internal metrics but also to provide our clients with actionable insights. Technology also enables transparency; platforms that give clients a visual representation of their financial health or project status can be game-changers. Remember, it's not just about minimizing operational costs but maximizing value. In the SaaS domain, where metrics evolve rapidly, using tech for real-time insight generation can differentiate a good consultant from a great one

All true. Designating a focal point for specific tasks and providing resources to them may help improve chances of effectiveness of collaboration. Also, meetings whether online or face to face need to adequately short and as frequent as decided collaboratively.

With real-time technology we can get someone local to survey an area while sharing live video and captured images to others anywhere in the country or even the world. This means that expertise can be brought to bear on particular problems without the time and expense of travel.

There are many different collaboration tools available, such as project collaboration tools, document sharing tools, and video conferencing tools. Choose the tools that will help you to work effectively with others on projects, regardless of their location.

Remote collaboration powered by technology is a game-changer. Selecting suitable tools and channels fosters efficient communication. Clarity in project objectives is paramount, coupled with consistent check-ins and constructive feedback loops. Secure file sharing streamlines workflows. Time zones and work styles must be respected, bolstering trust and camaraderie. Navigating these aspects ensures remote collaboration maintains high standards of quality, professionalism, and ethics.

As the sectors that we work in evolve, it is important to stay up to speed with the evolving market trends. Some of this can come in the form of online courses, part of it can come through on-the-ground experience but the bulk of this will need to come from a firm grasp on first principles, an ability to learn from across various disciplines and apply those to the sector in which the consultant operates.

All those source listed are fine, but at times some are questionable as the authors intent may not be to share new knowledge or insight. One not mentioned is, and I pose it as a question why do you have LinkedIn? As your career grows you meet new people with different skill sets to your own, you may even know or meet a guru or two along the way or you may know someone who knows a guru at what your are after. Use your "Who you know" to get your new "What you know" . Good luck.

For consultant, continuous learning is not an option, it’s must. There are several on-demand and class room courses available at very low cost ( of course few courses are bit expensive but worth trying ). The most important part of learning is putting it in practice and discuss the how you plan to apply on your problem with your groups. This helps in reinforcing the learning and also gives confidence when discussed in your groups.

Hands-on experience is indeed one of the best ways to learn, but that doesn't mean you should dive into things blindly. Sometimes being a generalist can help you adapt to various situations. And obtaining the theory behind it. Soft skills and technical skills go hand in hand. Having a mentor or coach can prepare you for challenging moments, and maintaining an open mindset will help you discover new ways of doing things and, consequently, new technologies to assist you and your customers.

If you know what you're looking for, there are so many great platforms to learn (almost) for free! Cousera and Udemy for almost anything, HubSpot for marketing... But also Youtube or LinkedIn. For me, it used to be quite difficult to gather enough overview of a certain domain (especially if it's a new one, not part of my specialization but something potentially useful to my work) to know what exactly to search for, which made learning online more difficult. However, AI tools help me with this issue nowadays, thanks to the amount of information they can go through very quickly. For example, I can ask ChatGPT to test my knowledge and suggest which areas I should focus on. Then I find related courses online.

AI / Gen AI is a consultants' best companion in optimizing workflow. In order to optimize workflow, consultants should up skill themselves in AI to meet following needs of the clients: a) Technological advancement in their domain b) Process efficiency Following tools help you stay focused : 1. AI Bots to help gather sentiments, 2. AI Agents to automate self-service of references to knowledge center, 3. Productivity tools to optimize the workflow, using AI generated reports 4. Create dashboards using scripts to be able to take quick decisions 5. The basic tools of G-Suite help analyze data .

Technology has become a necessity in keeping projects on track and ensuring collaborative communication for project teams across the world. Project management tools like Asana and Click up are great to track progress, identify risks, and communicate while remote. Being able to access tools not only at your desk but on your phone helps to create more productive time to optimizing your time and making work/life integration possible.

Consider learning power BI for this purpose can help a lot in creating work flows and tracking project works. MS PowerPoint is also very helpful for this.

Tech, tools and tasks go hand in hand. Many large companies are still using share-points or spreadsheets and sending tools like dropbox. This leaves too much room for human error. Many evolving workflow tools are available to put everything in one realtime hub. It's trial and error regarding which fits your budget, timeframe and culture. I recommend testing tools with your Project Management leads for a while without going into full commitment. As a consultant, I bring these to the table to help narrow the scope and give clients a starting point while vetting ideas internally.

The cost of changing is always a factor in any decision to change or move away from existing technology solutions. That is or should not be a driver at all times. Depending on budget or financial availability a decision or support from the top may be needed in order not to look at the financial cost only. Medium long term value creation may be more important, if a firm can afford them.

Leveraging technology is essential for consultants aiming to enhance efficiency. Use project management tools for task tracking, video conferencing for remote meetings, and data analytics for evidence-based insights. CRM systems help manage client relationships, while automation streamlines routine tasks. Advanced analytics and AI can uncover deeper insights, making you a more effective consultant. Staying updated on tech trends is crucial to stay competitive and continually improve your consulting practice.

In my experience, a vital asset in consulting is strategic planning. Strategy serves as an overarching framework for the activities outlined in this article. Planning naturally comes after strategy, as it dictates the sequence of tasks. For instance, when a client presents the challenge of "Doubling revenue in 3 years," the initial focus should be on the strategy to tackle the issue. This involves comprehending the existing business landscape, obstacles, internal structure, competition, clientele, pricing model, and various other factors. Achieving this requires conducting thorough due diligence, paving the way for subsequent actions. Lacking a strategy hampers direction, just as absence of planning hinders task prioritization.

The Culture of Technology Before covid our clients in the food sector did not really embrace many aspects of remote support. They wanted our food safety experts to be on-site or at the end of a phone. Those behaviours and attitudes rapidly changed during lockdown. Embracing remote video working was rapidly accepted because not only us as consultants required it but also Food Safety Standard organisations had to adapt. Now the culture of technology is blended and on the whole works for both parties.

As a transformational leader and learning consultant, I facilitate and create Augmented Intelligence through the 5Cs of human Curiosity, Continuous Learning, Creativity, Compassion, and Courage to deal with critical challenges and gaps with help from processes, technology, and tools.

Nice effort to cover the topic. The wonder of AI has really revolutionized the human faculty of imagination. Probably what all you could imagine in the past you can virtually create it. This recent impressive availability of creation has added phenomenal capacity for the consultants while at the same time posed challenges also. Every possible scenario can be accounted for before hand through these latest developments. Therefore, consultants can really add huge value to their domains.