As an economist, I wondered what the capitalist equivalent of communist central planners would be. Sometimes it is futures markets and sometimes it’s consultants like McKinsey. They are a way of passing information between competitors in a market, to achieve controlled growth, market segmentation, etc.

They also serve as a part-time strategy group for the company. The company couldn’t afford that quality of people full time and they wouldn’t have as much experience as at a consultancy. And having temporary people not beholden to a superior might result in more honest reports.

So, it’s not necessarily flimflam. But I do worry a group of people who determine a company’s strategy and rarely stick around to implement it and measure it’s end result.