Operations Consulting
Discover what operations consulting involves: how consultants help organisations improve their processes, supply chain and execution, what they do day to day, the career ladder, and how students prepare for an application.
Introduction
What is operations consulting?
Operations consulting is about an organisation's execution: how products are made, how the supply chain runs and how processes can be more efficient and reliable. Where strategy consulting decides where an organisation should go, operations focuses on how the work gets done better.
The work is concrete and measurable: the consultant measures how processes run now, finds the bottlenecks, and designs improvements that deliver demonstrable results in practice, in cost, speed or quality.
Operations is one of the oldest and most tangible parts of consulting. It appeals to students who like concrete improvement and enjoy working close to the shop floor.
The practice
Three settings where you practise this field
The breakdown below mainly says something about the type of employer and the clients you serve, not about the quality of the work.
At strategy and management firms, operations often sits alongside strategy and change. Specialist firms go deep into manufacturing and supply chain. Large technology firms often combine operations with digital solutions and automation. In addition, many operations specialists work in-house at a manufacturing or logistics company.
What they do
What operations consultants do
The work differs by project, but the building blocks below come up in almost every operations project.
Types of project
The main types of project
Operations consulting has a number of recurring project types, even though the sector and situation differ greatly.
Sub-areas
The main sub-areas
Operations is broad, and many consultants specialise over time in a sector or type of question.
Step by step
How an operations project unfolds
Most operations projects follow a similar path, from measuring the current situation to embedding the improvement. Many firms use a structured approach such as Lean.
Who does which step depends on seniority. Junior consultants do much of the measuring and analysis on the shop floor, while senior consultants set the approach and lead the change with the client.
The value of an operations project often sits in the last step: an improvement that is not embedded fades away over time.
Roles
Roles in the operations practice
Each step up the ladder shifts the emphasis further from analysis on the shop floor toward leading teams and managing the client relationship. Most consultants climb this ladder at the same firm, though moving to an operations role in the business is common at any level.
Analyst / Consultant
The entry role straight after a bachelor's or master's.
Senior Consultant
Independently handles part of a project.
Manager
Leads a team and the day-to-day running of a project.
Senior Manager / Principal
Carries responsibility for several projects and client relationships.
Partner / Director
Holds ultimate responsibility for clients and the practice.
Career timeline
How long each step takes
Operations consulting has a relatively fast career path. The pace differs by firm and individual, and relates to the projects and results you show.
Many consultants stay a few years and then move to an operations role in the business, for example in production, supply chain or procurement. Those who stay progress toward Manager and eventually partner or director.
A certification such as Lean Six Sigma is common in this field and can support progression.
| Level | Typical time in role |
|---|---|
| Consultant | 2 to 3 years |
| Senior Consultant | 2 to 4 years |
| Manager | 2 to 4 years |
| Partner | top level, 10+ years in total |
Compensation
Compensation in operations consulting
Compensation usually consists of a fixed salary that rises with seniority, and at many firms a bonus tied to individual and firm performance. Operations consulting pays well, at a level comparable to other parts of consulting.
The ranges below are general indications for larger advisory and consulting firms, and do not apply specifically to any particular firm. Actual pay varies by firm, background and year, and is listed where known in the individual vacancies on this site.
From partner or director level, the nature of compensation changes, tied more closely to your own client portfolio and the results of the firm as a whole.
| Level | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Consultant | €48.000 – €68.000 |
| Senior Consultant | €68.000 – €100.000 |
| Manager | €110.000 – €160.000 |
| Partner / Director | €200.000 – €500.000+ |
Ranges are general indications for larger advisory and consulting firms, not specific to any particular firm. See the vacancy pages for concrete salary figures where a firm publishes them.
A day in the life
A typical day for a junior consultant
The day often starts on site at the client, on the shop floor or in the factory. Much of the time goes into measuring processes, talking to staff and analysing the data that comes out of it.
An operations consultant works close to execution: the improvement has to work not only on paper but also on the shop floor. That requires practical insight and the ability to bring people along.
On a day with a steering committee, the pace shifts: the team summarises the findings, shows the results to the client's leadership and discusses the next steps.
Juniors
What junior consultants do
Junior consultants carry much of the measuring and analysis work an operations project rests on, under the supervision of a Manager.
- Measuring processes on the shop floor
- Gathering and analysing data
- Mapping bottlenecks
- Helping design improvements
- Talking to staff
- Working through the results
- Tracking progress
- Supporting the implementation
Much of this work goes back and forth between the shop floor and the team before an improvement is proposed. That repetition is not inefficiency, it is how a junior consultant learns what really works in practice.
Skills
Skills you will need
Analytical ability gets the most attention, but the consultants who stay longest often stand out for the ability to bring people on the shop floor along in a change.
Getting in
How you get into operations consulting
The routes are broad: alongside business and economics degrees, students from technical and logistics programmes also enter. An affinity with processes and figures is a plus.
Preparation
How to prepare as a student
Preparation works best when it starts well before the application. Firms test your analysis and whether you can explain an improvement practically and persuasively.
Compare
Operations versus other paths
These paths sometimes overlap, which is why students mix them up. The distinction mainly lies in the type of work and how close you sit to execution.
Operations vs Strategy Consulting
Strategy decides where an organisation should go. Operations focuses on how the work gets done better and more efficiently.
Operations vs Technology & Digital Consulting
Technology & digital improves with technology as the engine. Operations improves the processes themselves, sometimes with and sometimes without new technology.
Operations vs Data & Analytics
Data & analytics builds models and insights. Operations uses those insights to concretely improve execution.
Operations consulting vs an in-house operations role
An in-house role works for a single organisation. As a consultant you work for many clients and see many different processes in a short time.
Operations vs Financial & Deal Advisory
Deal advisory assesses the financial side of a company. Operations improves execution, sometimes as part of an improvement programme after a deal.
Employers
Operations firms in the Netherlands
A selection of firms with a strong operations practice and an office in the Netherlands. We only name firms whose practice is confirmed.
In addition, the strategy houses and the Big Four have their own operations units, and many operations specialists work in-house at a manufacturing or logistics company.
Strategy and management firms with an operations practice
Specialist and technology-driven operations firms
Vacancies
Operations vacancies
We only show real, current openings with a link to the employer. Internships, traineeships and consultant roles appear here. In the meantime, browse all current vacancies.
View all vacanciesResources
Recommended resources
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is operations consulting?
It is the advisory field around execution: consultants help organisations make their processes, supply chain and way of working more efficient and reliable.
What degree do I need?
The routes are broad. Students come from business, economics, technical and logistics programmes. Affinity with processes and figures matters more than the exact field.
What does an operations consultant do day to day?
Consultants measure processes, analyse bottlenecks, design improvements, guide implementation and embed the result, often close to the shop floor.
What is the difference with strategy consulting?
Strategy decides where an organisation should go, while operations focuses on how the work gets done better and more efficiently.
What is Lean?
Lean is a structured way to improve processes by reducing waste and enabling teams to continuously improve themselves.
How much do you earn in operations consulting?
Operations consulting pays well, at a level comparable to other parts of consulting. Actual pay varies by firm and is listed where known in the vacancies on this site.
What skills do you need?
Analytical thinking, numeracy, a practical mindset, communication and the ability to bring people on the shop floor along.
How do I get into this field as a student?
Learn the basics of process improvement, do a relevant internship, practise cases, and apply via campus or the firm's website.
Related
Related consulting paths
Start your journey in operations consulting
Browse open vacancies or discover the other consulting paths.