In a situation where a business or other organization is using the services of a consulting firm, being assigned the most senior consultants can work to that client's advantage. Senior personnel in any industry tend to posses the most industry experience, possibly in duration but often in the experiences that these personnel have encountered. Time could be saved by using senior consultants because more junior professionals might not have the same authority to make certain decisions.
Professionals who have attained senior-consultant status often have reached the pinnacle of respective careers. This designation does not necessarily reflect the number of years invested in an industry. Rather, it is often an indication of the solid industry contacts that have been developed and the level of expertise that consultants have to contribute to clients. The benefits of using senior consultants could be the caliber of the business that is generated from these individuals.
Companies turn to consultants for a host of reasons. Sometimes, support is needed from an industry specialist for complex and vital decisions that must be made. A company may not have the internal resources or could lack the expertise for a new endeavor. Business process outsourcing (BPO) is a service that companies use to outsource certain functions of a firm. Consulting firms hire senior consultants to focus solely on identifying and connecting clients with the most appropriate BPO firms either domestically or overseas. Given that consulting firms choose to assign the highly specialized tasks associated with BPO management to senior consultants suggests that the responsibilities associated with performing these tasks are great and require the most experienced professionals.
In a financial services setting, institutional investors frequently engage the services of consultants to support the investment process. Consultants might be involved in the day-to-day investment decisions or have more of a supportive role on a less frequent basis. If consultants are hired to help with logistical services that involve receiving and sorting files on behalf of third-party investment firms also engaged by an investor, a junior consultant can typically handle these demands.
In the event that a consultant is expected to shape the investment direction of a client, make recommendations, and offer warnings about potential mistakes, the input that senior consultants can provide can be second to none. This is based on the credentials of senior industry professionals. Senior consultants in financial services often earn similar certifications to money managers in order to offer the best possible advice to clients.