Choosing an operations consultant is a more consequential decision than it might initially appear. The wrong fit does not just waste money; it can produce changes that make things worse, or create a dependency that leaves the organisation no more capable than it was before the engagement. This article covers the questions that, in our experience, tend to reveal the most about whether a consultancy is likely to be genuinely useful.
Ask what happens after the report is delivered ¶
A significant proportion of consulting engagements end with a document. The document may be excellent. But if the consultancy's involvement ends at delivery, the implementation risk falls entirely on the client organisation. Ask specifically: what is the consultancy's role during implementation? Do they track adoption metrics? Do they adjust the plan if early results diverge from expectations? The answers will tell you a great deal about whether the engagement is designed to produce change or to produce a deliverable.
Ask about engagements that did not go well ¶
Every consultancy has had engagements that did not produce the intended results. A consultancy that cannot describe one, or that attributes every difficulty entirely to the client, is either inexperienced or not being honest with you. A thoughtful account of what went wrong and what was learned from it is a more reliable signal of quality than a polished case study of a success.
Ask who will actually do the work ¶
In larger consultancies, the partner who wins the engagement is often not the person who delivers it. The team that shows up on day one may be significantly less experienced than the team that presented in the pitch. Ask directly: who will be the lead consultant on this engagement, what is their background, and will they be present throughout? If the answer is vague, that is worth pressing on.
Be cautious of proposals that arrive very quickly ¶
A proposal produced within twenty-four hours of an initial conversation is almost certainly a template with your name inserted. A proposal that reflects genuine understanding of your situation takes time to produce, because it requires the consultant to think carefully about what you described. A short turnaround is not always a red flag, but it is worth asking how the proposal was developed and what assumptions it is based on.
We are happy to answer any of these questions about our own practice. The story behind the practice covers how SyncPath CoreXys was founded and what shaped our approach. If you want to ask them directly, book a discovery call.