When to use Consultants Many companies are reluctant to use external consultants, and are confused about why and when. Using consultants is like using any resource. You need to know why you should use them and at what point in time. Once you have defined the need for help from a consultant, the following guidelines will help you to use them effectively: Being sure the business objectives of the effort are well defined Identifying the nature of the results expected clearly Recognising that the external effort is justified in terms of time, cost and/or need Having the internal resources necessary to work with the consultant to obtain the maximum benefit from the external expertise Asking "what is the likely result of not hiring the consultant in terms of delay, potential market advantage, loss of opportunity or other costs to the business?" When to use MaceCorp As an experienced consultancy company, MaceCorp can support your own resource by: Assisting in understanding all the external and internal factors from an expert and an unbiased source Helping rank the priorities and make informed decisions Providing skilled resources that are needed on an interim basis Supplying expertise that is needed but not available within the client organisation in the time frame desired Meeting commitment dates established by management Achieving a business goal where the required methodology is not available Independent evaluation of competitors, collaborators, partners and distributors Surveying the existing or potential marketplace via an unbiased source Carrying out desk and field research where it can be done better, faster or more cheaply outside the normal business environment Helping prepare or train staff for new activities where new skills/ approaches are needed Supporting the launch new products and services into areas where expertise is lacking Buying-in studies and advice where the consultant has already analysed the marketplace Evaluating competitors' strategies and products