What does a business process consultant do?
Business Process Consultants are individual contributors whose services are often needed by companies. They usually have extensive experience in business and consulting. They have high business acumen and are updated on the current trends in business. Business process consultants help the company document their processes, usually related to main operations, finance, or human resources. Business process consultants study the company's processes, identify possible gaps or opportunities for improvement, and recommend the company's alternatives. They usually find more efficient ways to perform business-related activities to streamline their processes and possibly save up on costs.
Business process consultant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real business process consultant resumes:
- Manage on site client relationships for operational excellence projects throughout SDLC.
- Provide RFP responses and technical solution options, raise issues and manage scope creep.
- Lead development and installation of the voice/data network for a national healthcare management company.
- Participate in and hold daily scrum meetings to perform iterative and incremental agile software development framework when managing product development.
- Identify collection and reporting tools to link different levels of organization with metrics collection and data analysis.
- Root cause analysis in an ISO 9001-2008 facility.
- Apply wide-ranging experience to prepare level 3 BPMN.
- Document final results for entry into UAT phase of the project.
- Train senior staff on payroll procedures for newly implement payroll system.
- Coordinate UAT testing and communicate business needs, processes, and testing issues.
- Conduct RFP initiatives with major ERP software providers both SaaS and company host applications.
- Upgrade the standard costing methodology, and redesign plant ERP operations set-up for financial alignment.
- Work on a project delivery team supporting all technology tools used in the SDLC process.
- Implement, advise, and document lean and sigma practices for storage and data protection operations.
- Provide independent evaluation and validation of a variety of ERP systems against current and evolving business needs.
Business process consultant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Business Process Consultants are proficient in Project Management, Lean Six Sigma, and Sigma. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Business Process Consultants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 9%
Managed strategic, innovative and operational projects leveraging project management, change management and process/performance improvement core capabilities of cross-functional teams.
- Lean Six Sigma, 8%
Led Team in identifying and implementing Lean Six Sigma process enhancements/improvements across the organization.
- Sigma, 7%
Key results:* Business process consultant providing expertise with improvements to business process by leveraging technology and six sigma methodology.
- Data Analysis, 5%
Provided decision support to senior management by engaging in data analysis and generating periodic business reports.
- CRM, 4%
Provided guidance on acquisition of new CRM application to provide end-to-end visibility within business.
- Process Maps, 4%
Eliminated waste and standardized global sales operations processes by reconciling business requirements, analyzing gaps, and implementing optimizing process maps.
Most business process consultants use their skills in "project management," "lean six sigma," and "sigma" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential business process consultant responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a business process consultant to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "management analysts must be able to interpret information and use their findings to make proposals." Business process consultants often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "led lean six sigma process improvement analysis and documentation across business process departments. "
Communication skills. Many business process consultant duties rely on communication skills. "management analysts must be able to convey information clearly in both writing and speaking," so a business process consultant will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways business process consultant responsibilities rely on communication skills: "created communication strategy and all training materials in support of the new site launch. "
Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of business process consultants is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday business process consultant duties, as "management analysts work with managers and other employees of the organizations for which they provide consulting services." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "use excellent interpersonal skills to interact productively with both co-workers and management. "
Time-management skills. A big part of what business process consultants do relies on "time-management skills." You can see how essential it is to business process consultant responsibilities because "management analysts often work under tight deadlines and must use their time efficiently to complete projects on schedule." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical business process consultant tasks: "project ended under budget, on time and met roi projection. "
Problem-solving skills. A commonly-found skill in business process consultant job descriptions, "problem-solving skills" is essential to what business process consultants do. Business process consultant responsibilities rely on this skill because "management analysts must be able to think creatively to solve clients’ problems." You can also see how business process consultant duties rely on problem-solving skills in this resume example: "utilize analytical acumen to provide lean six sigma solutions and research for cross-functional improvement initiatives within wells fargo home mortgage. "
The three companies that hire the most business process consultants are:
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Compare different business process consultants
Business process consultant vs. Process leader
A process leader is responsible for overseeing the operational processes of an organization to support business functions and client requirements. Process leaders evaluate the efficiency of workflow procedures, identifying inconsistencies, and revising processing techniques as needed to improve deliverables and maximize productivity. They also train new employees, share best practices, and address their difficulties by organizing a specific learning approach. A process leader must have excellent communication and organizational skills, such as writing progress reports and identifying opportunities that would drive revenue resources for the business.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, business process consultant responsibilities require skills like "data analysis," "crm," "process maps," and "visio." Meanwhile a typical process leader has skills in areas such as "customer service," "cleanliness," "sales floor," and "process improvement." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Process leaders earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $83,430. On the other hand, business process consultants are paid more in the technology industry with an average salary of $126,843.On average, process leaders reach similar levels of education than business process consultants. Process leaders are 4.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Business process consultant vs. Business & finance analyst
A financial business analyst is also referred to as a business analyst who recommends and enforces corporate efficiency and profitability methods. Financial business analysts analyze the business model and finances of an organization. Their findings serve as the source of their suggestions to improve businesses' budgeting, management, and overall operations. They have the ability to predict the outcome of the decisions made by enterprises. The skills necessary for this job include interpersonal skills, management experience, financial reporting, and strong communication skills.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, business process consultant responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "project management," "lean six sigma," "sigma," and "crm." Meanwhile, a business & finance analyst has duties that require skills in areas such as "financial analysis," "financial data," "process improvement," and "business process." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, business & finance analysts earn a lower salary than business process consultants. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, business & finance analysts earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $82,379. Whereas business process consultants have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $126,843.business & finance analysts earn similar levels of education than business process consultants in general. They're 3.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for business process consultants in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Brian Simmons
Associate Provost, Columbia International University
Business process consultant vs. Strategy consultant
A strategy consultant specializes in examining and analyzing business processes to identify areas needing improvement, ensuring to provide strategies for optimal performance. A strategy consultant may work as a member of a company or as a freelancer. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around discussing business vision and goals with clients, assessing the workflow and the workforce of a company, observing competitors, identifying risks, and recommending strategies for profitable growth and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, as a strategy consultant, it is essential to adhere to the company's vision and mission throughout the process.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, business process consultants are more likely to have skills like "sigma," "process maps," "visio," and "business analysis." But a strategy consultant is more likely to have skills like "healthcare," "digital transformation," "develop recommendations," and "market research."
Strategy consultants make a very good living in the finance industry with an average annual salary of $114,533. On the other hand, business process consultants are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $126,843.When it comes to education, strategy consultants tend to earn higher degree levels compared to business process consultants. In fact, they're 10.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Business process consultant vs. Data consultant
A data consultant is primarily responsible for devising strategies on finding data and utilizing them according to the needs of a company. Most of the time, they are in charge of gathering data through various means and opportunities, maintaining and designing a database, coordinating with multiple data specialists, inspecting data for any inconsistencies, and performing corrective measures. Furthermore, a data consultant may develop systems and networks for data storage, all while adhering to the policies and standards of the company.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between business process consultants and data consultants, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a business process consultant might have more use for skills like "project management," "lean six sigma," "sigma," and "process maps." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of data consultants require skills like "analytics," "data management," "data governance," and "informatica. "
The health care industry tends to pay the highest salaries for data consultants, with average annual pay of $106,674. Comparatively, the highest business process consultant annual salary comes from the technology industry.The average resume of data consultants showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to business process consultants. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 1.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 2.9%.Types of business process consultant
Updated January 8, 2025
