This site offers some background for prospective clients about the purchasing & supply chain consulting & interim management assignments that I've delivered over a fifteen year period for a wide variety of clients in challenging industries.
For people considering careers in interim management, there are also some links to helpful background information.
Often clients ask: "What's the difference between an Interim Purchasing Manager and a purchasing consultant from one of the bigger consultancy firms?"
Interim Purchasing Manager |
Big Brand Purchasing Consultancy |
Credibility from track record |
Credibility from consultancy firm’s brand. |
The interim manager you meet is the interim manager you get. |
Programmes are often sold by Partners yet delivered by more junior consultants. |
Interim managers work directly for the client |
Consultants work for the consultancy |
Strong interpersonal and team building skills are vital pre-requisites for an interim manager, and if you don't have them you don't get repeat assignments. |
Younger consultants can sometimes lack tact and diplomacy. |
Highly experienced and familiar with more than one firm's methodology. |
Less experienced, but well trained in the firm's methodology. |
Taking full ownership for a programme enhances an interim manager's reputation. |
Consultancies prefer to support "client led" programmes, whilst "leading from behind". |
Interim managers deliver RESULTS with no nonsense. |
Consultants deliver for a BIG price, with all the trimmings. |
Fees are substantially less than those of an equivalently experienced consultant from a major firm. |
Fees are as expensive as client’s perception of the consultancy's brand will allow. |
An interim management solution is often best value for higher value/risk/profile assignments. |
A consultancy solution is useful for highly politically programmes: e.g. “Nobody got fired for choosing... ” |
When an assignment is complete, an interim manager collects their reference and moves on. |
Before the current assignment is finished, consultants start selling the next to the same client. |
To an interim manager; "reputation is everything". They can't afford to fail.
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Under-performing consultants can be replaced and if something goes wrong consultancies can afford the best lawyers that money can buy. |
