Types of Consultants

Because a BPM project requires such a diverse range of skills and because the market is still relatively new, many consultants gain engagements based on the specialization they bring to different aspects of the process. There are currently five types of BPM consultants. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each group before choosing a firm to partner with.

Vendor consultants. For obvious reasons, consultants employed by the software vendor are the technical experts in their products and are very good at implementing them. However, they may be less well-versed in the intricacies of integrating their offering with other systems, and they may be less knowledgeable than other types of consultants about the business needs of a particular industry. In addition, some vendor consultants are weak at project management. Most provide a rudimentary project management capability that is focused on schedules and deliverables and is not adequate for complex BPM implementations. Moreover, some vendors have greatly reduced their in-house consulting staff over the past few years and are experiencing a backlog of projects as a result.

Professional services consultants -- vendor aligned. These third-party firms are like specialized extensions of the vendor. They have chosen to focus primarily on one vendor while specializing in a particular industry or BPM component (e.g., forecasting). At the hands-on implementation level, these nonvendor consulting firms are sometimes a better choice than vendor consultants because they may be less expensive and may have expertise in a particular industry.

Professional services consultants -- multivendor partnered. Although similar to the vendor-aligned firms, these consultants work with a group of different vendors. As a result, their relationship with any specific vendor may not be as closely knit as that of the vendor-aligned firm. This can translate into less experience and less up-to-date knowledge about particular vendors or just fewer resources available to support each product. However, because they work with multiple vendors, they can be a great help in the selection process if their partner list matches an organization's software shortlist.

Professional services consultants -- independent. These firms tend to work with all vendors, and they are well-suited to objectively assist organizations with the vendor selection process. One of their hallmarks is a detailed understanding of the broad range of vendor offerings and those products' ease of integration with different accounting and ERP systems. Many independent professional services firms also offer strong project management capabilities. These firms are especially well-suited to BPM initiatives that require solutions from more than one vendor. However, for hands-on product implementation, these firms usually must rely on vendor consultants or third-party vendor experts.

Management and process consultants. These firms provide strategic consulting services and focus on the business process implications of a BPM initiative. Areas of expertise include performance management, change management, and organizational transformation. Consider these firms for assistance in reviewing current business processes and evaluating new processes apart from and in conjunction with new software. Management and process consultants can also provide expertise on specific BPM methodologies, such as the Balanced Scorecard, EVA, or Six Sigma. For many organizations, these metrics can be the driving force behind significant system and process change management.