Interesting post on the nytimes technology blog about the trends taking place in the area of cloud computing. “Cloud-based business software has come of age: the consultants are consolidating, investors are placing bigger bets, and the online giants are aiding their smaller allies…”

Background: At the foundation of cloud computing is the broader concept of infrastructure convergence and shared services This type of data centre environment allows enterprises to get their applications up and running faster, with easier manageability and less maintenance, and enables IT to more rapidly adjust IT resources (such as servers, storage, and networking) to meet fluctuating and unpredictable business demand.

Consultants lose their reputation

Germany’s best management consultancies: The comparison of the most important consulting companies as well as the consulting sections of the great accounting firms showed that customers grow increasingly unsatisfied with their consultants. And there is a change on the top of the ranking.

Hamburg – The customers in Germany are most satisfied with the work of the management consultancy McKinsey. This is the result of a study by the professor of economics, Dietmar Fink. In the newest issue of the Manager Magazin (publication date: 22th of July 2011), you can read a detailed, exclusive report on the study.

Fink compared the ten most important consultancies in Germany as well as the consulting sections of the four largest accounting firms. The basis was built by an extensive survey among the largest concerns, the customers of the consultancies.

All in all, the customers are growing more and more unsatisfied with their consultants. The top of the ranking list changed, too: new market leader McKinsey took on the position of the long lasting favourite Boston Consulting. The third place is occupied by Roland Berger, followed by Bain and Booz. The auditors only occupied the first places in their domains finance and risk management.

As a reaction to the current growth phase, the companies plan to invest more in the help with strategic planning and M&A, while the consulting budget for reorganization and restructuring decreases.

Written by Dietmar Student,  seen on manager-magazin.de

There is hope if When you read the results of the market researchers at Lünendonk and their comparison of the sales performance of the large consulting firms for the last year, there is hope.

After the collapse of the financial market in 2009 and the ensuing economic crisis, a growth in the consulting industry was recorded  in 2010 (compared to 2009).
Especially in the field of traditional management consulting an above-average growth was determined. With “traditional management consulting” Lünendonk means the areas of leadership, business management, strategy, logistics, organization and marketing.

The leading management consulting firms in Germany, who have achieved more than 60 percent of sales with classic management consultancy, are listed in a top-25 ranking. The ranking has moved a lot compared to last year – at least from the top 4. McKinsey, Boston Consulting, Roland Berger remain the top 3:

Legend:
1 sales > 500 million €
2 including the allocated costs for professional expert team
3 Sales management consulting in Germany without IT consulting and systems integration
4 Transactions with management consulting services in Germany
5 01/2010 fusion of Towers Perrin and Watson Wyatt
* Sales and / or employee numbers are estimates.
k.A. = non-specified
Droege International Group is no longer represented due to the expansion of the business model (Advisory & Capital).

The ranking is based on verified information provided by the companies and the estimates Lünendonk GmbH in Germany or from Germany.

Source: http://www.luenendonk.de/management_beratung.php | COPYRIGHT: Lünendonk GmbH, Kaufbeuren 2011 – Stand 26.05.2011 (No responsibility for company information)

Your client thinks about hiring people from other countries? Learn more about what is easier and which difficulties might arise in the following article.

The most important revisions in 2011:

On 1^st of May 2011, the free movement of workers came into force. The new law applies to employees of the following countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The German Federal Employment Agency expects an annual increase of 100.000 Eastern European employees.

Therefore, constraints in the employment permits and administrative procedures have been cancelled. Now, the Eastern European workers have unlimited access to the German employment market. They are allowed to take employment in every member state of the European Union they want – it does not matter where they come from or where they reside. Consequently, they have to work under the same circumstances like the residents with a citizenship of the respective country.

For European construction companies, the new rules mean that they have to pay the contractual or national minimum rates of pay and grant all of their employees the same holiday entitlement. This should protect the construction companies of cut-price competition and unfair competition (illegal employment).

Nevertheless, experts expect a massive price dumping in the construction industry. The reason: Polish employees, for example, are still cheaper than German employees because of the lower social benefits in their home country.

According to a survey of the German federal association for medium-sized businesses (Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft, BVMW), German companies do not see problems due to the revisions. Almost two thirds of the polled self-employed business persons are looking forward to the “rush” of the Eastern European workers.

found at: http://www.mittelstanddirekt.de/c201/m194/um250/d212/default.html?suchen=Dienstreisen

projektwerk Osteraktion:  Wo hat sich Ihr letzter Projektpartner versteckt?
Erhalten Sie eine Laufzeitverlängerung auf Ihre projektwerk Mitgliedschaft.

Es ist mal wieder so weit: Die Ostertage stehen vor der Tür, die Sonne scheint und nicht nur die Kleinsten dürfen nach ihren Ostergeschenken suchen.

projektwerk schenkt Ihnen bei Abschluss einer Premium-Mitgliedschaft einen Osterbonus:
Auf die Buchung einer 3-Monats-Mitgliedschaft erhalten Sie 14 Tage Premium-Mitgliedschaft geschenkt. Auf eine 6-Monats-Buchung bekommen Sie 30 Tage extra. Und auf eine 12-Monats-Mitgliedschaft gibt es ganze 60 Tage geschenkt.

So einfach geht’s:
Nach der Registrierung buchen Sie den von Ihnen gewählten Zeitraum und teilen uns per E-Mail an feedback@projektwerk.de mit in welchem Versteck Sie Ihren letzten Projektpartner gefunden haben (bspw. über eine Projektbörse oder über einen privaten Kontakt). Wir schalten Ihnen dann schnellstmöglich Ihre persönliche Laufzeitverlängerung frei.

Die Aktion läuft ab sofort bis einschließlich Ostermontag, dem 25.04.2011 VERLÄNGERT BIS 30.04.2011.

Wir freuen uns von Ihren „Verstecken“ zu hören und wünschen Ihnen ein schönes Osterfest!

If one starts a consulting-business there are a whole lot of things to think about. Here you find some important aspects of consulting as well as five keys to create a successful consulting business.

1. Business plan

If one founds a new business to write and follow a businessplan is essential. If a founder sets up a thorough and detailed business plan it forces all involved persons to adhere all the significant aspects of your consulting business. But it does not only put a little pressure on your co-worker, it pushes yourself to consider the necessary items of you business.

2. Focus on customer service

The world of consulting services can be extremely competitive. You have to find a way to stand out from the rank and file. So show clients why your business should be their first choice and built up good customer-relationships.

3. Be professional

Always present yourself in a way that is professional and proper, whether it is the way you answer the telephone, the way you dress for a client meeting, or the way you interact with others during networking opportunities.

4. Use the internet

A modern business must have a website. Your web-appearence does not need to be fancy or extraordinary, but should be informative, clearly arranged and look out reputable.

5. Bring yourself creatively to market

Do not fall into the trap of thinking paid advertising is the only effective way to market your services. Look for opportunities to write articles or blogs. Try to find other materials where you can demonstrate your professional knowledge and expertise.

It is important too, that you point out clear terms and conditions of service. Always be sure your service contracts are clear on the terms and conditions of service. Include specifics about deliverables, due dates, expenses, personnel and the like.

Based on: http://ezinearticles.com

Jörg Praski is working since 2002 as managing partner at consult kontor praski & partner in Hamburg and Singapore. Beyond the core business in Recruiting, Employer Branding, diagnostics he is working in personal development.

What was the most interesting project you have implemented?
Due an outplacement project I often make the experience, that my clients develop new personal and professional perspectives when you give them support to clear their situation and deal with themselves.

What was the most difficult experience you have had with a customer?
Our customers often look forward to finding a candidate who fulfills every aspects of the professional and personal skills. If there is no candidate who matches 100% (and they becoming more and more), our challenge is to convince our customers to think more in potentials and to have the courage to give somebody the chance to develop in the job.

What was the biggest challenge that you had to face?
My biggest challenge was to quit my job and work by my own in order to achieve a higher creative range not to know if it really works.

Are there customers for whom you would not work?
Absolutely yes. These are customers who cultivate a “hire and fire mentality” and do not care for their staff effectively.

Who is the client of your dreams?
A client who gives me the opportunity to accompany him through a sustainable personal development. Beginning with the recruitment over development programs to responsible reduction in staff.

Which qualifications characterize your dream team?
High emotional, professional and social competence, empathy, criticize themself and other persons in a constructive way , entrepreneurship-mentality and love for FC. St. Pauli

What was your best performance for free?
Students training how to apply

How do consulting and counseling fit together, except of the akin sound of the terms? They doesn’t only fit, they belong together is the opinion of Manfred Dahm. His business principle is alturism. Dahm is the CEO of the KiWi AG (Kirche und Wirtschaft which means church and economy) and works as a corporate consultant in this business as well as a pastor.

Manfred Dahm is annoyed of the bashed-up image of consultants. He dissociates himself from the image of an arrogant streamliner. With his work he shows companies how to improve their efficiency without reducing jobs only. It’s important for him to first offer other possibilities. A solution can be connecting the manager more with their employees and enable a dialogue. A lot of problems could be easily solved just by listening to colleagues about what is really going on in the company, Dahm says. It can be motivating as well to think about cicumstancial questions before making an important decision. Typical questions which lack no space in day-today-business are “Which aims do one have in life?”, “Playes the job a prominent role in ones life?” and “How does things like that affect the ambiance at work?”. If people know what is important for them in life most of them find it easier to make challenging decisions.

The work of KIWI has quite a pastoral effect, Dahm says. First and foremost is the question if people are happy and agreed at work. “The person which is happy, is efficient.” On the opinion of Dahm the german economy annually misses out on hundreds of billion Euro just because people are frustrated at work. Because then most employees or freelancer doesn’t feel up to render services well.

If KiWi employs new consultants the competent exposure to people is one of the most important criteria. A lot of people working for KiWi are theologians, psychologists or social worker. They all have expert knowledge about big companies, especially from Human Resource Departments. KiWi doesn’t recruit personnel who just finished University. The company assumes a lot of experience in economic life. Skills like these are necessary to put oneself in the position of the people who need advice. The consultants of KiWi have been seen as sectarians in the beginning. By now they are taken seriously. Their ultimate advantage is that nearly no one can use the terms “human”, “moral concept” and “appreciation” more authentic then the people of KIWi. Especially in an economical consulting-coherence.

Kiwi is a christian consultancy. It has been founded three years ago by the Erzdiözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart (archdiocese for the between Rottenburg and Stuttgart in southern Germany). Bishop Gebhardt Fürst administrated the german catholic church on corporate virgin soil. One aim of KiWi is to conjure up corporate accountability.

Do you think consulting-concepts like the one of KiWi are necessary? Do you accord with the opinions of Manfred Dahm? Feel free to add a reply!

I just found this interesting video I would like to share. Steven Horwath talks about the 7 keys to successful Consulting.
Do you think he mentioned all relevant aspects?

On the first of December the new business standards for consultans in the association of german management consultans (BDU) have came into force.

The guidelines, existing since 1954, have now been revised. The formulation is now more clearly and the content is expanded. The new standards were asked by the European Services Directives for the European associations to develop  and improve their codes of conduct.

The EU has the intention to make the selection of a suitable service provider easier for the economy. The BDU focuses on the responsibilities of a consultant.

Thus the need for the avoidance of conflicts of interest and confidentiality are a central point of the new standards. Another part of the new principles is that further education is mandatory.

The president of BDU Antonio Schneider says: “The standards got a high relevance, also far beyond the association.” Also in the past, courts and authorities based theid decisions on these principles. This will increase with the creation of new standards, says Schneider

The new business standards apply to all BDU-management consultants and -recruiting consultants and have been agreed to by the general assembly on the 21^st of October 2010. For more information or downloads visit the BDU