I'm just trying to understand – what's the difference between consulting and S&O? I've seen some consulting firms have S&O capabilities, but I've also heard that S&O is an exit option from consulting.
Couldn't find a good explanation of what S&O is, would somebody mind explaining it to me?
Hi there,
Strategy and Ops are two functions that you will find in industry as well as consulting:
There is no such thing as Consulting vs. Ops. That would be the same as saying Pharma vs. R&D, which is clearly not mutually exclusive.
At McKinsey, I was part of the Ops Function but also did lots of Strategy projects. And to completely blow your mind, I also did lots of Operations Strategy ;) Right now, I am in a function that integrates operations, corporate finance, and strategy.
At the end of the day, everything is connected somehow, and it would help you get exposure across all these different functions.
Hope this helps somewhat. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to learn more.
Best of luck!
Moritz
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S&O stands for Strategy and Operations. It is a specific area of focus within the broader field of consulting. While consulting encompasses a wide range of services and industries, S&O specifically focuses on helping clients develop and execute strategic initiatives to improve their operational efficiency and effectiveness.
S&O engagements typically involve working closely with clients to identify areas of improvement, develop strategic plans, optimize processes, and implement operational changes. This can include areas such as supply chain management, procurement, manufacturing, distribution, and overall business operations.
Many consulting firms have S&O capabilities as part of their service offerings, recognizing the importance of helping clients align their strategic objectives with their operational capabilities. S&O can be seen as a specialized expertise within the consulting field, combining strategic thinking with a deep understanding of operational processes.
Regarding the term "S&O" as an exit option from consulting, it is important to note that it can refer to different career paths. Some consultants may choose to specialize in S&O and build their expertise in this area, while others may transition into industry roles where S&O skills are highly valued, such as operations management or supply chain leadership.
Hi there,
Q: What's the difference between consulting and S&O?
S&O (Strategy & Operations) consulting is a subset of consulting. Usually it refers to strategic planning (eg which market to enter) or operational improvement (eg how to make a production process faster).
Consulting as an overall category includes many other subsegments. As an example, consulting might refer to strategy consulting or economic consulting, which are very different.
Hope this helps!
Francesco
Hi there,
Normally you'll see strategy & ops roles within excisting firms. For example, Doordash, Uber, Amazon, etc.
It's strategy, but on the operational side of a business. There's a bit more “realness” to the work and it's more applied (client data, implementation, etc.)
Get on the phone and speak to people in these roles :)
Hi,
As Francesco has mentioned, Consulting is a broader category and S&O is a subset. For example, a Big4 firm may have financial, legal, tax, IT, fraud consulting departments and may also have a strategy&operations consulting department.
Regards,
Nick
(edited)
Hi there, within consultancies it’s the more implementation oriented team, at Mck for instance OEP or Mck Implementation. At corporate level it’s more similar to a business development role. Happy to explain more over a coffee chat. Warm regards, Freddy
Hi!
Strategy & Ops is more of a division, whereas consulting is a field.
You could be a consultant doing work specifically within Strategy & Ops, for instance.
This is also a great question for networking so I'd recommend you try it out in your chats with consultants. Here's how to source these conversations and then conduct them:
Good luck!
Cristian
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In operations you are doing a lof of project implementation, process improvement, and other types of optimization work.
