Consulting is the practice of helping organizations to improve their performance. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultants for a number of reasons, including gaining external (and presumably objective) advice and access to consultants’ specialized expertise.

As a result of their exposure to, and relationships with numerous organizations, consulting firms are typically aware of industry “best practices”. However, the specific nature of situations under consideration may limit the ability or appropriateness of transferring such practices from one organization to another.

Consultancies may provide organizational change-management assistance, development of coaching skills, process analysis, technology implementation, strategy development, or operational improvement services. Management consultants often bring their own proprietary methodologies or frameworks to guide the identification of problems, and to serve as the basis for recommendations with a view to more effective or efficient ways of performing work tasks.