Unveiling Shadow Consultancy: A Strategic Approach 

Want to know more about the Shadow Consultancy?

Shadow consultancy is a collaborative approach to project management; resources are hired off-shore to work on a project while a front-end team oversees and manages the project’s progress and delivery. Hiring remote resources while managing the project on the front end ensures seamless integration and effective collaboration, ultimately leading to complete client satisfaction and successful project outcomes.

Shadow consulting is a great technique to streamline the company’s processes, reduce costs, and drive growth. It is a strategic method of managing the human resources required to deliver innovative business operations. The basic motive behind shadow consultancy, similar to cross-cultural collaboration, is to allow companies to leverage the cost advantages of hiring offshore talent while ensuring that the project is managed effectively and in line with organizational goals.

Shadow Consulting comprises of Assistive or Buddy Consulting. It involves the master consultant (on-shore) working closely with the off-shore (or near-shore) consultants to ensure the timely delivery of work without compromising quality or quantity, providing cost effectiveness.  

The core benefits of shadow consulting are:

 Continuous Productivity

The first step is to identify the pair of master and remote consultants with the requisite skills and expertise for the project. These consultants work in sync with each other, often in a different time zone, and can provide clients with around-the-clock productivity. 

 Front-End Project Management

 While the remote consultants handle the back office’s day-to-day tasks of the project, the master consultant (front-end) provides work management, oversees the project’s progress, provides periodic updates to the clients and stakeholders, and ensures that the work delivery stays on track.

 Seamless Integration

One of the key benefits of shadow consultancy is its ability to seamlessly integrate offshore consultants into the project delivery team. Through effective communication channels and collaboration tools, remote consultants can work closely with their onshore counterparts, fostering a sense of teamwork.

Cost-Effectiveness

By hiring offshore resources, companies can significantly reduce their resource costs while maintaining the quality and efficiency of the project. This cost savings can be substantial, particularly for long-term projects or tasks that require specialized skills.

Risk Mitigation

Shadow consultancy also helps mitigate risks associated with remote hiring, such as language barriers, cultural differences, and time zone challenges. By managing the delivery at the client’s location, companies can address these issues proactively, ensuring smooth project execution.

Let’s understand through the case study of Telia, a telecom company, they were successful in implementing shadow consultancy to streamline their large project delivery process. The company required 20 resources to work on a new project, they hired 5 Master consultants (on-site) and hired 15 Shadow consultants (remote location) to optimize costs and improve efficiency. Telia decided to take this step as resources could be hired on a comparatively lower budget than all onshore resources.

By leveraging remote talent, Telia was able to reduce its development costs more than 40% while delivering the project ahead of schedule. This approach not only allowed Telia to manage work easily and ensure timely deliverables but also demonstrated the effectiveness of shadow consulting in achieving business objectives.

Shadow consultancy provides a strategic approach to remote working process. Hiring, ensuring effective project management and integration. By leveraging cost advantages and maintaining direct oversight, companies can achieve business objectives efficiently and cost-effectively. As businesses seek to optimize operations, shadow consulting is poised to drive growth and innovation.