During the time that Robert Decusati was Corporate Controller America
at Klockner Pentaplast, private equity company The Blackstone Group
initiated four separate consultancy studies – byErnst &Young, by
Alix Partners, by McKinsey and by Proudfoot. Managers may see
consultants as potentially helpful, as obstructive or in any position
between those extremes, but when the investors demand it, the only
possible route is cooperation. Robert Decusati took charge of the
financial side of each study.
Consultancy studies give the chance to examine in depth processes that may have been looked at rarely. The disadvantage is that the consultant will rarely have direct experience that precisely matches the company. However, this can be a benefit at the same time asthat means that things are looked at in a new light. The manager explains to the consultant how things are done and why they are done that way. On occasion, just the process of explaining will cause the manager to think, “That was the way to do it when we started, but maybe it isn’t the way to do it now”. Or perhaps the new set of eyes and ears sees things from a different perspective and throws out suggestions on how processes can be improved.
Robert Decusati used the consultancy process at Klockner Pentaplast to the company’s benefit, because he implemented a factoring program that released $60 million in cash. Since that happened immediately before a severe credit crunch, the benefit to the company was immense.
Consultancy studies give the chance to examine in depth processes that may have been looked at rarely. The disadvantage is that the consultant will rarely have direct experience that precisely matches the company. However, this can be a benefit at the same time asthat means that things are looked at in a new light. The manager explains to the consultant how things are done and why they are done that way. On occasion, just the process of explaining will cause the manager to think, “That was the way to do it when we started, but maybe it isn’t the way to do it now”. Or perhaps the new set of eyes and ears sees things from a different perspective and throws out suggestions on how processes can be improved.
Robert Decusati used the consultancy process at Klockner Pentaplast to the company’s benefit, because he implemented a factoring program that released $60 million in cash. Since that happened immediately before a severe credit crunch, the benefit to the company was immense.
