Gray Consultancy

By Y.H. Gharpure

1. INTRODUCTION  :-

Any senior professional sometime or other during his career feels an itch to be his own and be a consultant.  In any case, or retirement, this becomes a distinct possibility.  No wonder there is a poem.

Breathe there an executive with soul so dead

Who never to himself had saidn

Carrier life becomes so repurgant.

I think I will quit and become a consultant

2. CONSULTANCY PERCEPTION  :-

Perception of a consultant varies as perception of everything else in the world and the following strategy illustrates.

This is story told on the eve of end of last millennium when the Y2K problem was very much alive.  God called Yelstin, Bill Clinton and Bill Gates and informed that the word is going to end at millennium.  Yelstin felt bad because of the existence of God and because the world was ending.  Bill Clinton felt good that the God exists but felt bad that the world is going to end.  Bill Gates felt good that he is one of the three people called by God and also felt good that there won’t be any more Y2K problem !

On the lighter side, there is also a definition of the consultant as the person  who takes your watch, looks at it, tells you the time and keeps the watch for fees!

The word “consultant” comes from Latin word “Consular” meaning Consult.  The job of the consultant is to investigate and diagnose the problems, recommend prescription and help implementation successfully to cue.  Gray Consultancy to my mind is restricted to the only first two viz. diagnosis  of problem and recommendation of prescription.

3. COMMERCIAL CONSULTANCY  :-

In the modern times, formal commercial consultancy was started in 1881 by Arthur D Little and the company today is the largest commercial consultancy organization with turnover of US$ 3 Billions.  There  are equally large consultancy organizations like Anderson, Earnest & Yong, KPMG, Price Waterhous, Mc Kinsey etc. The  last one has over 3000 professional consultants with a turnover of US$ 500000 / Consultant.  Gray Consultancy is not about such consultancy.

4. CONSULTANCY IN INDIA  :-

Formal Consultancy can be traced in India to year 1910 when Mr. P.C. Char started consultancy in Structural Engineering.  In 1918, Birla Brothers started consultancy.  The Government of India itself started its own consultancy organization viz. National Industrial Development Corporation in 1953.  As per Consultancy Development Center, there are 1200 consultancy in India today.

5. ROLE OF CONSULTANT  :-

In the 21st Century, with the globalization and liberalization, there are tremendous changes taking place in the Industry, Trade and Commerce and it has posed challenges where consultants can play a major role.  There are  problems, problems and problems.  The larger the economy, larger are the problems.  Thus as per the study of  largest economy in the World (USA) 10 years back had indicated that every year in USA, there are 700 new companies started, 170 companies go bankrupt and 100 become millionairs.  No wonde, there are 400000 consultants in USA to help these companies in  new start up etc.  The global consultancy business is worth US$ 120 billions.

6. MAJOR AREAS OF CONSULTANCY  :-

There  are six major areas in which consultant can operate viz. Men, Materials, Machines, Money, Marketing and Methods.  Let us look at each of these areas and identify the role of consultant.

1. Men  :-  With the fast changes in the technologies, newer skills and techniques are required and  proper selection and training of men becomes necessary i.e Human Resource Development.
2. Machines / Technologies  :-  Newer Machines, newer technologies etc. are introduced faster than one can  imagine and in the IT sector, the memory of the chip is doubling every one and half years.  Consultancy is therefore required not only to  improve existing facilities and processes but also to upgrade technologies.  Consulation for the thrust of R & D is also required.
3. Materials  :-  From Materials’s Management, Finished Product Managment etc., it has changed to supply chain  management.
4. Money :- The entire success of companies apart from various other financial management, has boiled down to working capital management.
5. Marketing :- The emphasis is now on marketing rather than selling.  Internet and E Commerce  has brought in new dimensions.
6. Methods :-  Strategy   Management,   Structural changes, organization design, systems managment and other issues require application of newer methods.

The consultancy as a whole deals with above and many other issues not only to diagnosis and prescription but also implementation for achieving better results.

7. CONSULTANCY BASIC  :-

While new challenges are posed due to globalization, liberalization etc., the fundamental approach remains the same viz. asking questions such as WHAT, WHY, WHEN, HOW, WHERE & WHO. The   process starts with data collection, data analysis, working  out a proposal, implementing the proposal, reviewing the results and taking corrective action.  This is the consultancy cycle.

The data collection could be desk research, interviewing people, getting answers to questionnaire, having group discussions, process - mapping etc.  and forms the foundation on which a consultant thrives.

8. GRAY CONSULTANCY  :-

There are several areas of formal consultancy which a person on retiremen may not be familiar and is required to have experience before he can become effective  even in two areas out of three viz.  Diagnosis and prescription for doing consultancy, whether  free  or other wise.  These  areas are :-

1. Report Writing
2. Keep abrast with  latest developments
3. Being in circulation.

We shall discuss some of  these  issues in detail.

9. REPORT WRITING  :-

A formal report invariably must have following chapters among other things.

1. Introduction
2. About Consultant
3. About Client
4. About Assignment
5. Investigation done by consultant
6. Findings of the consultant
7. Discussions about the findings and conclusion.
8. Recommendation
9. Executive Summary

There could be several Annexures giving details with supporting data and documents.

10. KEEPING ABBEST :-

If the Sr. Executive wishes to do consultancy  on retirement, he has to keep abrest with the developments in  his profession including following :

1. Being member  of the professional bodies, trade association etc. as applicable.
2. Attending lectures, seminars etc. on related subjects.
3. Books, periodicals etc.

11. BEING IN CIRCULATION :-

It is also necessary that the person keeps himself in circulation with the people active in the field   of his specialization by following means :

1. Writing articles
2. Giving lectures etc.

In addition, it may be worthwhile to altleast have a website of his own.

12. WHY GRAY CONSULTANCY  :-

With rapid changes in technologies alongwith globalization, there is paradigm shifts and retired Sr. Executive is ably suitable to act as a

consultant due to following reasons :

1. He can have the wisdom and wide vision with a capacity to focus on an issue at hand with a wider  prospective.
2. There are fast changes and wisdom and maturity of the Sr. Executive may help him to bring about the change smoothly.
3. Although the  changes look complicated, the basis  is always simple and can be kept simple.

13. ETHICS  :-

Be it regular consultancy or gray consultancy, certain ethics are to be followed and they among other things include :

1. Giving independent and objective advice
2. Rapid response
3. Service and benefit to the client based on the competence
4. Secrecy
5. Should avoid conflict
6. Should strive for  excellence
7.  In any case, should not have any axe to grind.

14. DIFFICULTIES  :-

The gray consultant therefore has number of difficult objective to fulfil.  He should not only be expert and agent of changes but should also educate and train others to bring about the changes.  He  is also required to solve problems as they arise based on actual position.  His long knowledge and experience  will be under test and this is  possible only if he has the ability to attend the same in business like manner.  This requires administrative skill.

15. CONCLUSION  :-

Consultancy involves diagnosis, prescription and cure.  Gray Consultancy is restricted to the first two viz. diagnosis and prescription.  Under  the globalization and liberalization rigim, it is immense challenge to put ones lifetime of expertise to test for the benefit of the trade, commerce and industry.  It is the need of the hour not only in the interest of the society at large but also to himself  because only  by keeping himself  busy, he can keep himself active and relevant.  It has been said that people do not grow old.  They stop growing and they become old.  Let the Sr. Executive not stop growing.  Professionally, do consultancy, if not for money than  at least for fun.

ENGAGEMENTS :

VEFI Meet : We meet Sunday following 2nd and 4th Saturdays at 9.30 a.m at Senior Citizens Club, Vashi.

Next  Meetings –28th May & 11th June 2006

Legal & Grievance Cell operates on 1st and 3rd Saturdays between 11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. at MLC Industries Ltd. 315, Shiv Centre, Sector 17, Vashi, Navi Mumbai 400703 Tel  :  55912155.  

Next Meetings – 3rd and 17th June 2006