Management analystsAs business becomes more complex, the Nation�s firms are continually faced with new challenges. Firms increasingly rely on management analysts to help them remain competitive amidst these changes. Management analysts, often referred to as management consultants in private industry, analyze and propose ways to improve an organization�s structure, efficiency, or profits. For example, a small but rapidly growing company that needs help improving the system of control over inventories and expenses may decide to employ a consultant who is an expert in just-in-time inventory management. In another case, a large company that has recently acquired a new division may hire management analysts to help reorganize the corporate structure and eliminate duplicate or nonessential jobs. In recent years, information technology and electronic commerce have provided new opportunities for management analysts. Companies hire consultants to develop strategies for entering and remaining competitive in the new electronic marketplace. (For information on computer specialists working in consulting, see the following statements elsewhere in the Handbook: Computer software engineers; computer systems analysts, database administrators, and computer scientists; and computer programmers.) Firms providing management analysis range in size from a single practitioner to large international organizations employing thousands of consultants. Some analysts and consultants specialize in a specific industry, such as healthcare or telecommunications, while others specialize by type of business function, such as human resources, marketing, logistics, or information systems. In government, management analysts tend to specialize by type of agency. The work of management analysts and consultants varies with each client or employer, and from project to project. Some projects require a team of consultants, each specializing in one area. In other projects, consultants work independently with the organization�s managers. In all cases, analysts and consultants collect, review, and analyze information in order to make recommendations to managers. Both public and private organizations use consultants for a variety of reasons. Some lack the internal resources needed to handle a project, while others need a consultant�s expertise to determine what resources will be required and what problems may be encountered if they pursue a particular opportunity. To retain a consultant, a company first solicits proposals from a number of consulting firms specializing in the area in which it needs assistance. These proposals include the estimated cost and scope of the project, staffing requirements, references from a number of previous clients, and a completion deadline. The company then selects the proposal that best suits its needs. After obtaining an assignment or contract, management analysts first define the nature and extent of the problem. During this phase, they analyze relevant data, which may include annual revenues, employment, or expenditures, and interview managers and employees while observing their operations. The analyst or consultant then develops solutions to the problem. In the course of preparing their recommendations, they take into account the nature of the organization, the relationship it has with others in the industry, and its internal organization and culture. Insight into the problem often is gained by building and solving mathematical models. Once they have decided on a course of action, consultants report their findings and recommendations to the client. These suggestions usually are submitted in writing, but oral presentations regarding findings also are common. For some projects, management analysts are retained to help implement the suggestions they have made. Management analysts in government agencies use the same skills as their private-sector colleagues to advise managers on many types of issues, most of which are similar to the problems faced by private firms. For example, if an agency is planning to purchase personal computers, it must first determine which type to buy, given its budget and data processing needs. In this case, management analysts would assess the prices and characteristics of various machines and determine which best meets the agency�s needs. Related news articles PROS Revenue Management Releases Newest Version of PROS O&D ... - 16 Oct 2006 Business Wire (press release),This version of the PROS O&D solution includes major enhancements to the user interface that provide the revenue management analyst with the latest ... Attitudes on gratuities: For tipping workers at home, there are no ... - 16 Oct 2006 Reading Eagle,...deliver furniture, fix the furnace, renovate the kitchen, upgrade the wiring, et cetera,�? said Cyndy Gilbert of Adelphi, Md., a management analyst at the ... New city manager reveals his plans - 16 Oct 2006 Lawrence Journal World,A 16-year veteran of City Hall, Corliss started as a management analyst in 1990, then became director of legal services in 1996 and an assistant city manager ... Dakota County: Officials plan for aging boom - 16 Oct 2006 Bradenton Herald,...health. “We are trying to start a master plan for aging in Dakota County,�? said Carol Zierman, a county management analyst. ... BA World Cargo appoints new UK & Ireland sales manager - 16 Oct 2006 Air Cargo News.net,...across the region. Koch has seven years experience with BAWC and first joined the carrier as revenue management analyst. He later ... Executive items - 16 Oct 2006 Charleston Post Courier (subscription),He has also been executive director of the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission in Alaska and a management analyst, EEO consultant and protective service ... Lack of hurricanes boosts stone crab season outlook - 16 Oct 2006 Miami Herald,...about 3 million pounds of claws in the 2004 season to just more than 2 million pounds last season, said Bill Sharp, a fisheries management analyst with the ... London analyst discusses market developments - Oct 9, 2006 ABC Online,Seven Investment Management analyst Justin Urquhart Stewart discusses developments on the London stockmarket in the wake of the news of North Korea's nuclear ... J. Christopher Callaghan, Republican candidate for comptroller - Oct 15, 2006 Staten Island Advance,AP. EXPERIENCE: Saratoga County treasurer, 1997-2006; management analyst, Saratoga County Administrator's Office, 1983 to 1997; budget officer for the Town of ... Trio competes for Rio Vista council seats - Oct 15, 2006 TheReporter.com,Cabral, formerly a management analyst for the city and project manager for public works construction, is the 28-year-old mother of a 2-year-old daughter and ... Volunteers get dirty to spruce up Townsite homes - Oct 15, 2006 North County Times,The rest of the materials are collected through donations and sponsors, said Aly Zimmerman, a senior management analyst with the city. ... Market senses Suncorp may be on Promina's trail - Oct 11, 2006 The Age,Deutsche Asset Management analyst Nick Vidale warned that Suncorp would have to cut costs significantly from Promina to make the deal work. ... The Paper Police - Oct 9, 2006 Port Folio Weekly,But they can’t do it all, especially in Ghent and Ocean View, so several times over the last 12 months, City Management Analyst Monica Allen held training ... Segal Advisors, Inc. Hires New Vice President in Cleveland - Oct 11, 2006 Yahoo! News (press release)He has achieved the designations of Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) from the Investment Management Consultants Association, Chartered Financial ... Howard Atkinson Joins Jovian Associate - Oct 4, 2006 Canada NewsWire (press release),Business Administration (Economics), as well as Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designations. ... Calif. Encourages Bringing Worms to Work - Oct 11, 2006 ABC NewsSteven Isoda, a management analyst, holds worms kept in a plastic bin at the Department of Public Works' Bureau of Sanitation and Solid Resources offices in ... Do you tip the gutter cleaner? There are no set rules - Oct 12, 2006 HeraldNet,...deliver furniture, fix the furnace, renovate the kitchen, upgrade the wiring, et cetera," says Cyndy Gilbert of Adelphi, Md., a management analyst at the ... Federal Employee Benefits for "Domestic Partners - Oct 10, 2006 FedSmith.comA management analyst with the VA in Austin, TX said: "If domestic partners want benefits, then let them get a job and get their benefits through their own ... Defense Managers Give New Personnel System a Good Grade - Oct 9, 2006 Washington Post,Mirna Flowers , a management analyst and aide to Vaughn, said the training was "overwhelming," adding that "I have to pull out my little reference book to make ... CANDIDATES NECK AND NECK - Oct 9, 2006 San Jose Mercury News,Verna Johnson, 33, a management analyst who lives in Japantown, likes the improvements she's seen in Chavez's downtown council district, such as the conversion ... More information on Management analysts from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook Overview of Management analysts occupation Number of Management analysts in the U.S. Salary and earnings for Management analysts Working conditions for Management analysts Significant points for Management analysts Training requirements for Management analysts Labor Information Home | Occupational data by city | Search Rainforests | Madagascar | What's new |