Was talking to my boss recently ... he was criticising consultants........ we give the consultants all the information about our problems .... then pay them a fortune for them to present back the very same information with suggestions to outsource the bloody work ....How tru is this for the typical assignment?

100% spot on

Close but, sometimes we present back the same information with some oneliners as to how to fix it.... "Fix IT architecture", Understand Target Operating Model", "Enhance Supply Chain"And THEN we submit a proposal to do ALOT more work for ALOT more money to come up with some more detail... And THEN... we might even do something about it... but only for ALOT more money...

The best one is when you attend the first meeting with consultants, who have been bought in for their sector knowledge and expertise (market analysis / strategy piece of work).They then proceed to ask you "about your understanding of the issue". That is what I am paying you for, so as an ex consultant I tend to flip it back with "why don't you go first".If they can't answer then kiss goodbye to any further work or extensions. As if I asked my boss what he knew about the issue I was asked to examine I would rapidly be collecting my P45 from HR :-)

I have been a consumer, deliverer and seller of consultancy. In my experience consultants are valuable in two situations:1) When senior management already know the answer but want someone else to tell the company they are going to have to restructure / cut costs/ do something else that is uncomfortable and difficult2) When the management don't know why the things they have already done don't work. This is usually because they are treating the symptoms and not the cause of the problem.Anon is right in identifying that "subject matter experts" in consultancy are often anyone on the bench with access to the internet and a few hours to spare. However in may cases industry knowledge is not the most important value add - we can assume that the management of the client know their own markets - undertanding what makes an organisation work - or not- is far more important and often clients cannot see the wood for the trees.We should be far more bullish about the value we add to clients.Here endeth the lesson.

Thoughtful - you speak much wisdom...But surely it's alot more fun to take the p!ss!!Sorry - I should stop putting consultancy into disrepute! Maybe next week...