Internal consultants are being used across the organization from corporate planning/business development to various human resources and other support/service functions.
Internal consulting has grown in part because organizations are trying to get more value from their overall “consulting spend.” This includes focusing more on implementation and continuous improvement in addition to more effectively transferring technology from external consultants to the organization. ICs are also often involved in negotiating external consulting contracts, teaming with external consultants on large projects and maintaining a roster of qualified consulting suppliers who can supplement their services in times of heavy or specialized demand.
One of the rapidly evolving growth areas in internal consulting is enterprise change management. Here, ICs are working with top levels in the organization to implement a consistent change methodology and build it into various activities throughout the firm, such as project management.