Business consulting is a key pillar for the growth, scalability and adaptation of companies to new market challenges, such as digital transformation, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain and industry 4.0.
A successful digital transition therefore requires a clear vision of the goals, benefits and risks, as well as careful planning of the change.
Business consulting is therefore a valuable ally and a professional service offering assistance, support and tailor-made solutions for business development.
If you want to know the history of business consulting, its applications, its relationship with digital transformation and industry 4.0 and how it can help you, read on.
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The importance of business consulting in the digital transformation era
Business consulting, as mentioned, helps companies improve their performance by analysing and solving existing problems. It is not just a question of best practice; it is really about integrating the essence of good management into the DNA of companies.
The JO Group cluster, for instance, distinguishes itself from others through a holistic approach that does not only look at emerging technologies, but adapts and customises them according to market needs.
Digital transformation (DT) is not a trend, but a real revolution capable of redefining the way SMEs and multinationals operate and compete. Good business consulting, therefore, adapts products and services to the new business models dictated by DT.
Business consulting history explained well
Business consultancy has deep roots that reach back into world economic history. We can fix its birth around the 19th century, when the first consultants dealt with mostly technical matters, such as engineering, accounting and production efficiency.
It was then in the early 1900s that figures such as Frederick Taylor and Henry Ford disrupted production and business management methods, laying the foundation for what we know today as “management consulting”. During the post-World War II economic boom, consultants such as Peter Drucker greatly influenced management thinking by theorising about customer- centricity.
Today, business consulting has evolved, diversified and is a competitive global industry, comprising different types of companies, from the most complex to the most generalist, from the smallest to the largest.
Notable business consulting stories include:
- the creation, in 1926, of McKinsey & Company by James O. McKinsey, considered the first consulting firm in the world to have introduced the concept of “strategic consulting”;
- the Manhattan Project during World War II, which involved technical and scientific advisors of the calibre of Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi and Robert Oppenheimer, in the development of the first atomic bomb;
- the elaboration of the Marshall Plan in 1948, in which economic and financial advisors, including George F. Kennan, Paul Hoffman and W. Averell Harriman, for the reconstruction of Europe;
- the spread of the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach in the 1980s and 1990s, which led to the emergence of consultancy firms specialising in quality, such as the Juran Institute, founded by Joseph M. Juran, and the Deming Association, founded by W. Edwards Deming, which helped so many companies improve customer satisfaction;
- Accenture’s digital transition that, after the 1989 exploit due to the demerger of the consulting division from Arthur Andersen, offered innovative technology, business and outsourcing solutions to clients worldwide.
Other successful examples of business consulting include IBM and Toyota, which reinvented their business models thanks to external consultants. In the case of IBM, the transition from a hardware manufacturer to a leader in high-tech consulting services was a major turning point in the company’s history. Similarly, Toyota revolutionised industrial production with the introduction of the Toyota Production System, an operating philosophy that greatly benefits from external consulting to optimise quality and production efficiency.
Nowadays, with the exponential growth of startups and the expansion of commerce globally, business consulting has become even more strategic for companies that want to scale businesses sustainably, adapting to new technologies and requirements.
A case in point is the role of those consultants who guide companies through the complex waters of international regulation and compliance, increasingly impactful factors in the industry 4.0 era.
What is industry 4.0?
The term industry 4.0 refers to the fourth industrial revolution, characterised by the integration of the physical and digital worlds. Industry 4.0, in fact, is based on a number of enabling technologies, such as cloud computing, AI or AI, IoT, blockchain, big data and robotics, which enable the creation of smart, connected and adaptive production systems.
Industry 4.0 today offers companies new opportunities in terms of innovation, competitiveness and sustainability, but it also requires specific skills and a corporate culture of change.
Industry 4.0 is a key area that, with the help of consulting companies, can bear fruit. Companies such as JO Consulting can support this transformation by identifying ad hoc solutions; for example, the digital twin, supply chains or, in the area of production processes, smart manufacturing.
How can a business consultant help me?
Experienced business consultants, such as those belonging to the JO Group cluster of companies, can help you:
- analysing the current state of the organisation, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis);
- define the mission, vision, objectives and best strategies within DT;
- choose the technologies best suited to the entity's characteristics;
- reorganising processes and workflows in a 4.0 perspective, taking into account technical, economic, legal and human requirements;
- train staff, customers and partners;
- monitor and evaluate results and impacts to ensure adequate ROI.
Business consulting benefits done right
Business consulting done well improves the management and development of an organisation, as a whole. Here are the 4 main benefits of business consultancy services:
- having an external resource can provide an objective and detached view of problems and opportunities, without internal influences;
- benefit from specific external expertise improves internal expertise, both technically and strategically;
- receiving customised solutions responds to the characteristics and needs of the company;
- delegating activities such as management control, process design, risk management and fundraising to a professional saves time and money.
Choose JO Group for your consulting
A virtuous example of business consulting is offered by the JO Group’s cluster. JO Group specialises in several areas, such as soft finance, marketing, software development and technological innovation.
The cluster, with more than 25 years of experience, offers its customers customised advice based on in-depth knowledge of the market, technologies and management practices. If you put your trust in us, we will take care of everything: from diagnosis to planning, from implementation to monitoring.
If you are looking for certified consultancy, especially in digitisation processes, JO Group can offer you all-round support, ranging from change management strategies to the adoption of the latest information and communication technologies (ICT). Thanks to multidisciplinary skills and tailor-made projects, JO Group can help you realise your dreams.
For more information on all our services, call +390950936053 or contact us by filling out the contact form below. We will get back to you by e-mail as soon as possible, we promise.
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