Implementation consulting is also not the same as operations consulting. Operations consulting, when done well, is very similar to strategy consulting. However, operations consultants advise on a different part of the business than strategy consultants.
At the end of the day, implementation consultants are hired to implement an already decided upon strategy, although no strategy adequately forecasts all the needs of a particular project. Thus, implementation consultants use the overall strategy as a guide, and are effective problem-solvers to ensure that the solution can work in the “real world.
Many firms offer implementation consulting services, including firms like McKinsey, which have been branded “strategy houses.” In the purest sense of the term, they are not, as they offer a full litany of downstream consulting services. Accenture excels in IT implementation work, and the Big 4 generally have well regarded implementation practices.
Our definition of an implementation consultant is that implementation consultants carry out often-complex ideas or initiatives for companies. Implementation consultants are tasked with working across segments of a business as project management specialists to take a project from start to finish, whether it is the launch of a new division or carrying out a cost-cutting initiative. Implementation consultants won’t do all the work, but they will oversee the project.