in that order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article is useful for those interested in consulting firms and consultants, as well as those considering a career change. Please read to the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Is a Consulting Firm? Specific Job Descriptions Also Introduced<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhat Is a Consulting Firm?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A consulting firm is a company that provides consulting services to support businesses in solving the various challenges they face<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Specific areas of work include management strategy, system development, human resource development, and M&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The history of consulting is long, beginning in 1886 when Dr. Arthur D. Little founded “ADL” in the United States \u2014 the world’s first management consulting firm. Since then, the diversification of industries, increasing complexity of business models, and the rise of IT have transformed the challenges companies face, making consulting work increasingly complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over this long history, numerous globally renowned management consulting firms have emerged, while firms specializing in different areas have also branched off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The role of a consulting firm, backed by specialized knowledge, is not only to support companies in solving their challenges, but also to resolve problems, improve operations, and ultimately increase a company’s profitability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n The organizational structure within a consulting firm differs greatly from that of a typical company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a general company, departments are divided by function \u2014 such as sales, public relations, and systems. However, in a consulting firm, teams are not formed by business function but are assembled across departments for each active project, and disbanded once the project is complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most consultants below the partner and manager level remain in a talent pool available for assignment at any time. Once assigned to a project, they begin working as a team. Outside of active project periods, they focus on deepening their specialized knowledge and skills within their home division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here we introduce the main workflow and specific job content of a consulting firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The main flow begins with receiving a request from a client company, presenting in a competitive pitch, and winning the project. After the project is formally confirmed, team members are selected based on the required areas of expertise. Once the project launches, information is thoroughly gathered, hypotheses are repeatedly tested, and solutions are determined based on the findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The finalized approach is then proposed to the client, and implementation support begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, we introduce the specific job content for research, presentation, and execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, research involves gathering information to resolve the client’s challenges \u2014 for example, market and industry research, or analysis of the client’s current situation. Research methods include not only desk research but also conducting surveys and on-site investigations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, presentations are conducted to gain the client’s approval for the proposed measures. Essential to this is creating materials that are both “easy to read” and “easy to understand.” Consultants are said to need not only specialized knowledge, but also the ability to create materials that can be understood by those without that expertise. Here we introduce the main industry types of consulting firms. These may also be referred to as categories or types depending on the context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the name suggests, general consulting firms are firms capable of making comprehensive proposals to a wide variety of companies and challenges. The biggest characteristic of a general consulting firm is the breadth of work experience available. Consultants can be involved end-to-end in diverse challenges such as management strategy, systems, and human resources, allowing them to accumulate broad experience as consultants. At the same time, these firms also tend to have a larger number of consultants compared to other types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strategy consulting firms primarily work with corporate management to propose strategies addressing mid-to-long-term challenges. Management strategy includes areas such as M&A and overseas expansion, which means consultants can be involved in relatively large-scale projects from an early stage in their careers. Additionally, since proposals are directed at the executive level, consultants can gain invaluable experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IT consulting firms aim to solve client challenges through IT-based support \u2014 for example, improving operations through systems or digitalization (DX), or introducing IT strategies. As digitalization advances, this is said to be an increasingly prominent field. IT consulting firms are generally smaller in scale than general firms, but require both foundational consulting knowledge and IT expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think tank consulting firms receive requests from public institutions to conduct research, studies, and analysis in support of solving their clients’ challenges. Another distinguishing feature from other firms is that many are stable companies operating as subsidiaries of major corporations. They specialize in research at the pre-planning stage \u2014 not merely collecting information, but analyzing it and presenting it as actionable data. Working at a think tank consulting firm requires the tenacity to continuously gather and analyze data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the name suggests, financial consulting firms are well-versed in the financial and monetary aspects of client companies. Specifically, they analyze a company’s financial condition, identify challenges, and build frameworks to increase profitability. Their scope extends beyond financial strategy to include M&A considerations and business restructuring, among many other areas. Many professionals transition from other financial institutions, bringing prior financial knowledge to the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Business restructuring consulting firms support companies whose management condition has deteriorated and are in a precarious state. Because they intervene with the goal of stabilizing companies in poor financial health, there is a significant difference in the timing of involvement compared to other consulting firms. Their main work involves identifying the causes of poor management and the businesses responsible for liabilities, then joining the management team to implement solutions. In addition to consulting knowledge, a deep understanding of corporate management is also required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n HR consulting firms provide consulting related to the organization and people within client companies. With the declining birthrate and aging population becoming a major issue, labor shortages are a problem for many businesses. In this context, how efficiently and comfortably employees can work and perform to their potential has become increasingly important. For more details on types of consulting, see the related article below.<\/p>\n\n\n The BIG4<\/a> refers to the four largest global professional groups providing accounting, auditing, and consulting services. Their scale and influence set them apart from other consulting firms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deloitte Tohmatsu is a member firm of “Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu,” one of the world’s largest accounting organizations, and is one of the leading strategy consulting firms. With over 4,000 employees, it is a large-scale foreign-affiliated firm. One of its distinctive services is “Industry Services,” which provides tailored support based on the client company’s industry. Teams are formed and consulting is delivered according to the nature of the work and field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PwC Consulting is a global general consulting firm headquartered in London, UK, with offices in over 150 countries. As a general firm, it handles a wide range of businesses \u2014 including management strategy, IT, and management consulting. Common across all services is a client-first philosophy. It responds to client needs by combining tailored measures and leveraging cutting-edge technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n EY Strategy and Consulting is a strategy consulting firm with over 140,000 members across more than 150 countries. Its strength lies in its large-scale global network, which enables the firm to draw on experience and knowledge across borders to offer diverse proposals. It is also known for its expertise in cross-border projects that span multiple countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KPMG Consulting is a general consulting firm that launched in earnest in 2014. It is home to consultants with specialized knowledge across a wide range of fields \u2014 from strategy and HR to PMO and finance \u2014 and provides an environment where even junior staff can take on challenges if they raise their hand. It handles a broad range of cases and has delivered consulting using specialized expertise across diverse engagements. It also has the unique feature of being able to work on projects and consulting related to KPMG AZSA LLC.<\/p>\n\n\n ABeam Consulting was founded in 1981 and is a Japanese consulting firm with a relatively long history. With over 5,000 employees, it is classified as a general consulting firm where consultants with various areas of expertise can handle diverse projects. One specific service is management consulting, where it takes an end-to-end approach \u2014 from diagnosing the client’s management condition to formulating and executing strategy \u2014 to deliver the most suitable consulting for each client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Accenture is a foreign-affiliated firm headquartered in Ireland, with its Japanese subsidiary based in Akasaka, Tokyo. With over 15,000 employees, it is considered one of the world’s largest management consulting firms. Its services span strategy consulting, IT consulting, and more. Among these, its strategy consulting draws on insights from AI and accumulated project experience to support client companies in resolving management challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Boston Consulting Group is a foreign-affiliated consulting firm headquartered in Boston, USA, founded in 1963. Many of its clients are large corporations, and it offers a wide range of services from strategy planning and formulation to implementation support and digital transformation. However, it is often categorized as a strategy firm due to its frequent involvement in upstream processes. It often participates in the stages where client companies determine their management direction, working together to consider how to advance their business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bain & Company was founded by consultants who originally worked at Boston Consulting Group and later became independent. Today, it is known as a world-class strategy consulting firm on par with Boston Consulting Group. Its biggest feature is the provision of tailored, bespoke services for each client. Rather than offering standardized proposals, it combines knowledge and expertise according to each client’s specific challenges and needs to deliver customized consulting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n McKinsey & Company is headquartered in the United States and has branches in over 60 countries worldwide. Its specialized knowledge is highly regarded globally, and it provides consulting to CEOs and executives of major global corporations. It is said to serve more than half of Japan’s large corporations. Leveraging this knowledge, it also supports business restructuring of existing operations and the formulation of new business ventures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Future Architect is a Japanese consulting firm whose origins trace back to the founding of its predecessor company in 1989. It is particularly strong in IT consulting, offering services such as building data-driven systems and providing digital support for management decision-making. It often serves as a technology expert, advising client companies on how to maximize their profitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gartner Japan is an IT consulting firm with offices in over 85 countries. It was established with the purpose of standing between vendors and users to provide impartial advice, enabling companies to make IT investments freely. Specific services include digital consulting \u2014 providing practical data and insights to promote growth, improving operations through digitalization, and creating roadmaps through proprietary analysis. Its unique approaches, such as industry and market research and quantitative modeling, are also highly regarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Japan Research Institute is one of the think tank consulting firms, primarily engaged in presenting new challenges to companies and society, exploring solutions to those challenges, and creating new businesses and value. In particular, its Research & Consulting division has supported the transformation of not only major corporations but also government agencies and local municipalities. Although it is a Japanese consulting firm, it also maintains networks with countries around the world, including China, and leverages these in its consulting work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nomura Research Institute, commonly known as NRI, is Japan’s largest think tank consulting firm. As a think tank, its primary business is research and analysis, but NRI is also said to excel in consulting. It focuses on formulating and planning business strategies and proposing operational improvement solutions. In particular, it is known for its strength in financial IT solutions, including system development and outsourced operations management in the financial sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting is a think tank consulting firm within the MUFG Group, with strengths in global operations. Like MUFG itself, it has a strong international presence. In addition to stable revenues as a group company, it contributes significantly to the overall MUFG Group’s earnings. For example, the think tank conducts research on which businesses the bank should invest in and whether it is appropriate to provide financing for a given venture, thereby supporting sound management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Resona Research Institute is a think tank consulting firm within the Resona Group. Although it is a group company, it handles nearly 1,000 projects per year, supporting both the group as a whole and its clients. Another distinguishing feature from other firms is its operation of a management school. It has been running a school focused on successor development and business succession knowledge for over 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mercer Japan is a foreign-affiliated consulting firm specializing in consulting related to people and organizations. It focuses exclusively on HR consulting and has a track record of over 40 years of consulting in Japan. Specific services include organizational and HR transformation consulting, support for retirement and pension benefit programs as part of employee welfare, investment management consulting, and more. It also actively supports Japanese companies expanding overseas into Asia and other regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those who have just joined \u2014 new graduates or those with limited experience as second-year new graduates \u2014 begin at the analyst level. Their main responsibilities include gathering and analyzing information for measures under consideration, and creating materials for proposals. Much of the work is driven by instructions from supervisors specifying what to deliver and by when. They may also handle administrative tasks such as taking meeting minutes and compiling documents. Analysts accumulate the foundational experience and groundwork needed to become a top-tier consultant. On average, promotion to consultant takes 2 to 3 years, though some do not reach that milestone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After progressing through the analyst role in a support capacity, one finally becomes a consultant. This level is largely made up of those who have been with the firm for about three years since joining as new graduates, or those who have joined mid-career. The main role is to take on and drive the majority of a project’s tasks and work. Unlike analysts, consultants are expected to think independently \u2014 determining what is needed and what needs to be done to advance the project \u2014 and are required to form and test hypotheses and draw insights. Promotion to the next level of manager averages 2 to 3 years, but is more difficult than the promotion from analyst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than executing project tasks directly, the manager’s role is to oversee and manage the overall project. This requires constantly monitoring the project’s progress and team members’ workload, issuing instructions as needed, and taking responsibility for outcomes. Specifically, responsibilities increase significantly and include determining the direction of the project, managing client communications, and overseeing and refining services. Reaching manager level typically requires approximately 10 years of consulting experience.<\/p>\n\n\n A senior manager serves in a managerial capacity across multiple projects simultaneously. Managing several projects at once makes this an even more demanding role. Reaching this level is said to come with an average annual income exceeding 20 million yen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/article-1137-e1747804881728-1024x538.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t\t\tOrganizational Structure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Specific Job Descriptions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Finally, once the client is convinced, execution begins. Project members coordinate and adjust schedules to work toward the successful completion of the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTypes of Consulting Firm Industries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
General Consulting Firms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Strategy Consulting Firms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
IT Consulting Firms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Think Tank Consulting Firms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Financial Consulting Firms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Business Restructuring Consulting Firms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
HR Consulting Firms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
HR consulting firms contribute to improving productivity and increasing profitability by supporting talent development, benefits design, and recruitment advice. Given their focus on human resources, group companies within the HR industry may also provide such consulting services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/article-1448-e1749032143641-1024x538.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t\t\tComparison of Consulting Firms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
BIG4 Consulting Firms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Deloitte Tohmatsu<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
PwC Consulting<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
EY Strategy and Consulting<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
KPMG Consulting<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/article-1596-668802114-e1747804905875-1024x538.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t\t\tOther Consulting Firms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
ABeam Consulting<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Accenture<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Boston Consulting Group<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Bain & Company<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
McKinsey & Company<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Future Architect<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Gartner Japan<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Japan Research Institute<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Nomura Research Institute<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Resona Research Institute<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Mercer Japan<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Consulting Firm Job Titles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Analyst<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Consultant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Manager<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/article-1599-1494139785-e1749032275622-1024x538.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t\t\tSenior Manager<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Director \/ Partner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/article-1598-1149683525-e1749032288293-1024x538.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t