8th August 2021 /// ALCMS + AGL Review…….

Why do Airports need Independent Consultants?

At first glance, it’s strange to understand why airports need to hire independent consultants rather than just have their own staff solve the problems and issues whether it be cost reduction, project management, reviews and audits or refurbishment and upgrade works.

However, Independent Consultants have the ability to provide a significant amount of value to an organisation. They can help develop strategies for growth, manage projects, look at specific operational issues, review current systems and procedures and offer views on their effectiveness and suggest improvements. Since consultants are not committed to a single airport, they bring experience not only from their own background but also from a variety of companies and industries that they have previously worked in. This allows a consultant to offer a range of solutions to issues and enables lateral or “out of the box” thinking.

Independent consultants can provide an objective viewpoint as they are generally able to stand on the edge of an issue and view it equitably rather than from a viewpoint of being immersed in the emotions and politics of the day to day. A consultant may have a higher level of business experience or specific experience of the consulting task than the average employee and therefore can provide unique solutions to meet the business requirements.

Airports should consider some of the advantages of having of the expertise that an independent consultant can bring to bear. Listed below are some key factors which often play into airports hiring an  independent consultant:

 

Temporary Problems require Temporary Solutions

Hiring permanent full-time employees for a short-term project is not always cost effective. Sometimes its hard to tell how long an airport / airfield project will go on for and how many internal resources will be required. Independent consultants usually have access to other consultants who can be brought in with the appropriate expertise to ensure a timely conclusion to the project, whilst allowing the airports full time employees to concentrate on their normal duties without overload.

Specific skills requirement is not available in house  

Not everyone can be an expert in all fields, and from time to time a situation arises that existing airport employees have little or no experience of dealing with. Independent consultants have abilities and team connections that have experience of dealing with a similar issue to that faced by the airport. Consultants are solutions orientated and passionate about providing solutions to problems or developing strategies for airport growthy and technology implementations.

Objective Decision Making not biased

Unlike a permanent employee who may be subject to the internal politics and wangling’s inside an airport organisation, consultants bring an autonomous view to their work. Independent consultants provide unbiased and objective solutions as they have no personal connection with the airport organisation. Also by virtue of the fact that consultants provide objective decision making, difficult decisions can be proposed with a sufficient amount of distance from the emotion of the subject matter.

Industry best practices

Generally, a consultants experiences puts them in a good position to offer their airport clients insight into the best practices employed in the industry. The consultant can offer suggestions which can improve an airports operation, save costs, increase capabilities, and help reorganise for efficiency.

Broader Perspective and Creative Thinking

Without being tied to certain ways of doing things or being subject to the airports historic culture, customs and methods, independent consultants can offer an objective viewpoint toward creative technical solutions.

Credibility

An independent consultant can offer that trusted pair of hands feeling to an airport organisation to oversee a project. In a busy dynamic industry such as an airport, experience and reputation often serves as quality assurance where an individual with a proven track record has been able to demonstrate his expertise through his actions and past projects.

 

Cost Effective

Beyond the fee paid to an independent consultant, an airport organisation does not incur additional overhead costs incumbent with employing permanent staff such as sickness benefits, holiday pay and National Insurance Payments. Also, in addition the airport does not even have to supply the basic working tools such as a computer or office space as most independent consultants are set up to work from their own offices with the necessary business tools.

In addition, once a project is completed a consultant’s involvement can be concluded, meaning that the airport no longer incurs costs.

In comparison, hiring a permanent member of staff means that airports need to pay their salary, whilst if that employee turns out not to be a good fit, the airport has not only incurred salary payments for a period of time to assess the individuals’ capability, but could also find itself in an expensive and difficult process, with todays employment laws, to remove the individual and start again.