I’m fairly cynical about the value of management consultants but they certainly have a big potential impact. And TBH they’re often a way of validating and selling to senior management the basic strategy lower level management concluded was the right approach.

Formula for shaking the money tree add large org:

1. management reads about idea/tech in mag or internet article

2. gets report from expensive research firm showing its the next big thing

3. hires big named consultation firm to prove its the right direction(which usually is just repackaging the existing employees work)

4. gets board approval

5. big checks fall from the sky

Also, if your hired to do "Analysis" understand what your role is and the real goal. Or a lot of people will get pissed when your report comes back saying how much money could be saved using open source software and the other features aren't really that important for what they're trying to do. People at big orgs don't think like small businesses and/or consumers.

I thought I was doing what they wanted. How was I supposed to know they wanted to justify a big purchase. It wasn't until I saw it happen for a 20M purchase at a much larger company that I realized the game.