All too often, companies hire outside consultants to suggest ways for company to operate more efficiently. If companies were to spend more time listening to their own employees, such consultants would be unnecessary. (I have presented the following essay

When faced with the concern of improving efficiency, companies often have to weigh on whether to hire outside conslultants or to deal with the issues using its own employees. There are advantages to utilizing in-house employees on matters that need consulting. Employees are more familiar with the company and the issues at hand, and they may have a more vested interest in the success of the company than a transient outside consultant. However, I argue that outside consultants are essential to businesses because they bring in a fresh perspective, an objective assessement and a crucial set of knowledge that may not be available within the company.

The first reason for the vitality of outside consultants is the need for a fresh perspective when faced with an issues that require a thorough analysis and a novel solution. It is very easy for a person or a company to get entangled in trying to solve a particular problem. Outside consultants who may not be as equaly familiar with the issue at hand, can bring in ideas that are considered 'out of the box' that can be critical to solving efficiency problems.

Secondly, outside consultants are essential when a company needs an objective assessement on how to improve efficiency. For example, a company might be currently operating inefficiently because there are more employees than needed and thus may need to fire a lot of people. An employee who has strong personal connections with his or her colleagues may find it diffuclt to bring up or undertake this needed firing. Nonetheless, an outside consultant firm can take this actions with more ease, to the betterment of the company.

Furthemore, outside consultants are of immense importance to small companies that do not necessarily have the man power or the technical know-how to undertake an assessment of the ways to improve efficiency. For example, a small complany owned by an acquientance of mine has recently hired an outside consulting firm because the small company could not deal with the issue on their own since they had no technical knowledge of the laws and regulations that would affect their decision. In such cases, outside consulting firms provide crucial help with their expertise in the laws and regulations that govern business, which the businesses themeselves arenot necesaarily aware of. In addition, outside consulting firm
s have more man-power to undertake a detailed analysis of the problems facing the company.

On the other hand, one may argue that outside consulting firms are detrimental to businesses because they have less familiarty with the company thatn the employees and that their interests in the company are only ephemeral. Nevertheless, a good outside consulting firm would incorporate the views of the employees of the company they are consulting. For example, they can try to arrange for meeting with employees to see how the employees themselves think the company can improve its efficiency. With regards to the issue of the long-term interest of the company, the department that is reposnsible for hiring outside consultants can try acertan that the outside consulting firm values the relationship with the company and they are getting solid, long lasting answers than can solves their concern regarding efficiency.

As I have demonstrated aboved, outside consultants are crucial to businesses. Although there are merits to listening to the opinions of employees to solves concerns regarding efficiency, it is very helpful to hire outside consultants because they bring a fresh perspective, an objective analysis of the issue at hand, can incorporate employees perspectives, and they have the better man-power and the technical expertise needed to analyze and recommend ways a company can operate more efficiently.