Technology has changed the way companies do business. As such, it has changed the way consultants dispense their expertise. Without a thorough re‐evaluation of the technology vs consultant ratio, companies are likely to squander funds and waste valuable resources and opportunities. Following the Second World War, companies started offering a plethora of company‐sponsored benefit plans. As these plans grew in complexity, consultants where brought for their experience and expertise. With stretched resources and companies expected to do more with less employees, HR outsourcing has become a nationwide trend. With this came many opportunities for consultants. With all these opportunities come situations where technology could be leveraged to complete projects better or in a more cost‐effective manner than consultants. With the advent of the internet, companies can leverage existing tools and services to do what a consultant does for a fraction of the cost. The value of a good consultant may be how he or she interacts with and augments face‐and‐brain time with technology. This article proposes that understanding and evaluating the return on investment of outsourcing consulting services in light of the new role of technology is vital for companies and their budget.
Article navigation
1 December 2005
This article was originally published in
Handbook of Business Strategy
