Socrates, the famous Greek Philosopher, this is what I knew about this eight letter word before coming to IIFT. After coming here I found another Socrates, which is famous not for philosophy but for Consulting.
Consulting, I feel is an art as well as a science. One needs to be innovative & creative in his thinking and at the same time he needs to be intelligent enough to correlate the various factors affecting a problem. If he’s capable of doing this only then he can suggest & draw a blueprint of a solution for peoples’ problems.
The workshop organised by the Socrates last week provided me with an insight into the Consulting field in the corporate world.
The speakers at the workshop shared their experiences and viewpoints relating to different aspects of Consulting. The work of a Consultant is to first patiently understand the problem of his client. He shouldn’t try to suggest different solutions instantly. He should discuss the problem with the client in complete detail so that no doubts remain in his mind. It is after this stage he should start working on his Research & Analysis work to come out with different possible solutions to the problem.
The speakers reiterated the fact that the initial years of a Consultant go in working on diverse types of problems. It is after that he becomes an expert of a particular domain or so. The job of a Consultant looks very challenging and takes best out of a person.
I hope to inculcate in me the qualities that make up a good Consultant during my stay at IIFT.
As Socrates has said “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is a habit.”
We also work here in Socrates to make Excellence our Habit.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
National Consulting Symposium, 2008
THEME: ROLE OF CONSULTANTS IN AN EMERGING KNOWLEDGE-BASED ECONOMY
The growing complexity and sophistication of doing business in national and international environments, market deregulation and liberalization, new opportunities for innovative consulting, growing demand for integrated and “one-stop” professional services, competitive pressure coming from other professions, and above all the advancement of information technologies and their rapid penetration into management and business processes have changed the role of consultants in the economy. In using consulting and other professional services, the clients are asking “What value is added to my business?” and the service providers must inevitably adopt the same perspective. In this new environment, consultants have felt the need to expand their activity to business consulting which is a much wider concept and service portfolio thus providing a complete, integrated and first-hand service in combination with know-how about the latest technology and the sector in general. Some consultants provide detailed knowledgeS of a specific technical area or a system whereas some help in resolving organizational problems and devising action programmes for organizational change and performance improvement, introducing and improving knowledge management systems and making sure that such programmes and systems are implemented. Their service is defined neither by the area of intervention nor by the problem to be tackled but by the consulting approach or method used. Thus, in the emerging globalised knowledge society/economy, this group of professionals, namely experts and consultants gain in importance. The scene is set for further developments and structural changes in consulting as well as other professional service sectors. The markets for consulting and other business services are liberal, vibrant and receptive to innovations and structural changes. The knowledge economy and the growing complexity of the business world create new demands and new opportunities for consulting and other professional services.
SESSION I:MANAGING INNOVATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
We are increasingly in a knowledge economy.
In an economy, which is so dependent on knowledge, in a world, which has become a global village and where competition is intense, the challenge is “how to derive competitive strength through knowledge management?” Excellence of course means that the standards are continuously increasing and higher standards are set up. Another aspect of knowledge management is the capacity to generate ideas. Marketing ideas can be just as innovative as the technological ones. But, unlike cutting jobs, or making an acquisition, innovation does not happen just because the chief executive wills it. That brings us to the issue of “how to manage innovation?” So, what is the formula that we are looking for?
SESSION II:ACHIEVING BUSINESS RESULTS THROUGH PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT
Traditionally, productivity is viewed mainly as an efficiency concept; it is now viewed increasingly as an efficiency and effectiveness concept, effectiveness being how the enterprise meets the dynamic needs and expectations of customers. Because of the very dynamic markets, rapid advance of production and information technology, changes in resource availability and constantly changing customer needs and expectation, constant innovations in products, processes and organizations are essential for productivity. Where an enterprise relies on network of suppliers, service providers, extended and disaggregated supply and delivery networks, its effectiveness and efficiency are very much dependent on the way it manages its value-chain. The notion of value-chain productivity is becoming of increasing significance. The question “Are we doing the right things?”, if not “How do we do the things rightly” is becoming increasingly important for achieving business results.
The growing complexity and sophistication of doing business in national and international environments, market deregulation and liberalization, new opportunities for innovative consulting, growing demand for integrated and “one-stop” professional services, competitive pressure coming from other professions, and above all the advancement of information technologies and their rapid penetration into management and business processes have changed the role of consultants in the economy. In using consulting and other professional services, the clients are asking “What value is added to my business?” and the service providers must inevitably adopt the same perspective. In this new environment, consultants have felt the need to expand their activity to business consulting which is a much wider concept and service portfolio thus providing a complete, integrated and first-hand service in combination with know-how about the latest technology and the sector in general. Some consultants provide detailed knowledgeS of a specific technical area or a system whereas some help in resolving organizational problems and devising action programmes for organizational change and performance improvement, introducing and improving knowledge management systems and making sure that such programmes and systems are implemented. Their service is defined neither by the area of intervention nor by the problem to be tackled but by the consulting approach or method used. Thus, in the emerging globalised knowledge society/economy, this group of professionals, namely experts and consultants gain in importance. The scene is set for further developments and structural changes in consulting as well as other professional service sectors. The markets for consulting and other business services are liberal, vibrant and receptive to innovations and structural changes. The knowledge economy and the growing complexity of the business world create new demands and new opportunities for consulting and other professional services.
SESSION I:MANAGING INNOVATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
We are increasingly in a knowledge economy.
In an economy, which is so dependent on knowledge, in a world, which has become a global village and where competition is intense, the challenge is “how to derive competitive strength through knowledge management?” Excellence of course means that the standards are continuously increasing and higher standards are set up. Another aspect of knowledge management is the capacity to generate ideas. Marketing ideas can be just as innovative as the technological ones. But, unlike cutting jobs, or making an acquisition, innovation does not happen just because the chief executive wills it. That brings us to the issue of “how to manage innovation?” So, what is the formula that we are looking for?
SESSION II:ACHIEVING BUSINESS RESULTS THROUGH PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT
Traditionally, productivity is viewed mainly as an efficiency concept; it is now viewed increasingly as an efficiency and effectiveness concept, effectiveness being how the enterprise meets the dynamic needs and expectations of customers. Because of the very dynamic markets, rapid advance of production and information technology, changes in resource availability and constantly changing customer needs and expectation, constant innovations in products, processes and organizations are essential for productivity. Where an enterprise relies on network of suppliers, service providers, extended and disaggregated supply and delivery networks, its effectiveness and efficiency are very much dependent on the way it manages its value-chain. The notion of value-chain productivity is becoming of increasing significance. The question “Are we doing the right things?”, if not “How do we do the things rightly” is becoming increasingly important for achieving business results.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
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