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Stages of Management Consulting Engagement – Part II

D. Solution Development  

Third phase of the problem-solving process Steps:    

Generation of solution alternative Evaluation of solution alternative Choice of the preferred solution Detailed development of the selected solution

1. Generation of Alternative Solutions  

First step in the solution development phase Approaches:    

Pattern recognition and matching approach Brainstorming approach SCAMPER approach Delphi approach

2. Evaluation of Solution Alternatives 

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After the alternative solutions are identified and refined, they must be evaluated to determine the most preferred solution Areas of consideration:      

Economic feasibility or cost/benefit analysis Operational feasibility Technical feasibility Scheduling feasibility Legal feasibility Other evaluation factors such as simplicity, flexibility,

3. Choice of the Most Preferred Solution 

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“Choose the alternative solution that yields the best fit or value relative to the established criteria” Approaches in an environment of certainty:  

Optimizing Approach Satisficing Approach

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Approaches in an environment of uncertainty    

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Maximin approach Minimax approach Maximax approach Rationality approach

Approaches in a risk environment    

Expected value calculation Decision tree approach Monte Carlo simulation approach Other risk environment approaches

d. Detailed Development of the Selected Solution 

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Implementation must be carefully planned in order to minimize required time and costly mistakes This stage will undergo deg of:     

Outputs Inputs Conversion processes Resource and data bases Organization

E. Preparation and Presentation of the Report and Recommended Solution 

Guidelines in presentation:    

Made orally with audiovisual aids Presented in a clear and concise manner Do not overwhelm the client with unnecessary details Be ready to describe facts

F. Implementation 

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It must be understood that the A should not and cannot take the responsibility for making management and policy decisions in any MAS engagement Implementation is the important and lengthy phase that follows the solution development phase during a problem-solving process

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Implementation phase activities:       

Development of a work plan Establishment of controls Selection and training of personnel Installation of physical facilities Development of standard and documentation Testing of the solution Follow-up and evaluation

G. Follow-up Evaluation of the Implemented Solution 

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A thorough post-implementation evaluation should be conducted shortly after the solution has been fully implemented. Report is presented to management. Follow-up evaluation is not a one-time process Additional evaluations should be performed at regular intervals.

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Each review and evaluation should focus on these areas:   

Economics Operations Future performance

Economic Review 

Comparison of:  

Actual benefits and costs of the new system, with Expected benefits and costs that were developed during the system design phase

Operational Review 

An operational review focuses on the actual use of the implemented system by the intended s

Future Performance Review 

It identifies potential improvements to the implemented system and estimates the effort required to implement these improvements

IV. Evaluating the Engagement and Post-engagement Follow-up 

Evaluation will cover the following:      

Proposal Engagement program Work program and schedule Source data and documentation Reports Results

Post-engagement Follow-up 

Sometimes programs and systems appear to operate effectively during the first few months but later run into difficulty because of these reasons:  

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Change in operating conditions Design may prove to be faulty

The A should observe the programs or systems for a sufficiently long time to uncover deficiencies early and to make the necessary modifications