Internal or External Consultants

Should you use outside consultants, or use your own internal team and resources for your projects?

It’s a common question, and it’s often a conversation point for the many different hospitals we speak with.

Here are a few things you want to consider:

1. They Possess Expertise

When you use outside companies, you bring them in for their expertise.

They’re subject matter experts. They’re performing this kind of work on a consistent basis. They see trends, best practices from around the world, and from different industries.

Expert guidance takes the guesswork out of the best steps to move forward. Click To Tweet

2. They Offer Support

The other thing to consider is that an outside consultant can bring value to your organization with the support that they offer.

Healthcare is ever-changing. There are so many things to juggle at once, including new requirements and mandates, new technology, shifts in reimbursement and countless other elements you may not even be thinking about! It can be overwhelming when you don’t have an outside perspective and the extra “pair of hands” of offer support.

3. They Provide Mentorship

The third area to think about is surrounding mentorship, notably that the right outside consultant is able to offer it. We’ve often been asked to come in to help on a project, whether it’s cost savings, or profitability, or a performance improvement project. But, we’ve also been asked to assist with the mentoring of key people. This can be a real key in choosing the right consulting partner and provide staff with fresh eyes and thinking to help them grow and develop as members of your team.

4. They Get Things Done

Finally, outside firms are also able to help with fast-tracking projects.

Yes, you may have the internal resources to work on a specific project, but as is the case with all fast-paced industries, priorities shift, and the internal resources are forced to juggle tasks and this often leads to delays or rush work. An outside firm, however, is able to be given a deadline and then is held to meet or exceed it. As projects get accomplished quickly, savings accumulate, and profitability increases, not just as a direct result of the completed projects, but also by internal resources not being forced to constantly push back tasks to make room for new ones.

So, should you use an outside consultant? If the benefits above are appealing to you, then the idea of an outside consultant should be as well.

Let us know in the comments, do you rely on internal resources or choose to work with outside companies?