Private Equity Consulting: Services, Deals, and Portfolio Value Creation

What private equity consulting means

Private equity consulting is advisory work tailored to investors that buy, grow, and sell companies. The focus is not only on individual deals but on the entire way a fund sources, selects, improves, and exits investments.

Consultants help answer questions such as which targets fit the fund’s mandate, where real value creation will come from, how to organize portfolio operations, and how to prepare assets for sale or refinancing. They work with deal teams, operating partners, and portfolio management.

NMS Consulting sets out its dedicated offer on the Private Equity Services page and explains the basics in What Is Private Equity Consulting.

How private equity consulting supports the deal cycle

A private equity investment passes through a series of stages, from first look at a target to exit. Consulting support can appear at any stage, but several points are especially common.

• Deal screening.
  Early reviews of targets to filter by growth, cash generation, and fit with the fund strategy.
• Commercial and operational due diligence.
  Deep review of markets, customers, competition, pricing, cost base, capex, and technology.
• Value creation planning before signing.
  High level plan for growth and margin improvement, linked to the investment case.
• 100 day planning around closing.
  Detailed actions for the first months after close, with clear owners and metrics.
• Exit preparation.
  Work on performance, story, and materials that support a sale, continuation vehicle, or listing.

NMS Consulting’s Private Equity Consulting Guide 2025 describes how diligence, value creation, portfolio operations, carve outs, and PMO link across this cycle.

Work with portfolio companies

Once an investment is made, most of the value is created inside the portfolio company. Private equity consulting then turns toward management teams and day to day performance.

Typical aims include:

• Translating the deal thesis into a practical plan that managers own.
• Setting up a simple rhythm of weekly and monthly reviews with a small set of key indicators.
• Making sure growth and cost actions are realistic given resources and market conditions.
• Aligning management incentives with the plan, with clarity on how success will be shared.

Articles such as Top 5 Ways to Improve Your Private Equity Practice and Private Equity Consulting Playbook 2025: Portfolio Operations show how sponsors and consultants work together to raise performance across multiple assets.

Common private equity consulting projects

Private equity consulting assignments vary by fund size, sector, and ownership style, but many fall into familiar patterns.

1. Commercial and operational due diligence

Consultants analyze revenue drivers, pricing, channels, cost levels, and capex needs. They stress test management plans and present clear views of upside, downside, and key watch points for the investment period.

2. Value creation and 100 day plans

Work here focuses on the first wave of actions after close. Typical elements include margin and cash quick wins, initial growth moves, and near term organization changes. The goal is to create momentum and verify the most important levers in the thesis.

3. Portfolio operations and performance improvement

Portfolio work often covers pricing and sales effectiveness, supply chain and procurement, SG&A efficiency, working capital discipline, and management reporting. NMS Consulting’s private equity portfolio operations material sets out examples on the Portfolio Operations Playbook.

4. Carve outs and integration

When a deal involves carving out a unit from a larger group or combining assets, consultants help design standalone models, separation steps, and integration plans. This often links with NMS Consulting services in Business Transformation and related post merger work.

5. Exit readiness and sell side support

In the years and months before exit, consultants help sharpen performance, clarify the story for buyers, and prepare materials that support due diligence. This can include vendor reports, detailed business cases, and support during management presentations.

Benefits for funds and portfolio companies

Private equity consulting is not a replacement for investment judgment. It supports that judgment with clearer analysis and stronger execution. When used well, it can provide several advantages.

• Better screening and selection of deals, so time and capital focus on the most promising targets.
• More realistic value creation plans, with actions and metrics that portfolio teams can follow.
• Faster identification of performance issues during ownership and earlier corrective action.
• Improved communication with limited partners through clearer reporting on progress and risks.
• More orderly exits, with fewer surprises during buyer diligence.

NMS Consulting discusses these benefits in How Management Consultants Help Private Equity Firms and 5 Reasons to Hire Private Equity Consulting Firms.

Choosing a private equity consulting firm

Selecting the right partner is a meaningful decision for general partners and operating partners. Several practical checks can help.

• Fund and sponsor experience.
  Look for consulting teams that already work with private equity funds and understand sponsor ways of working.
• Sector and functional knowledge.
  Check fit with your focus sectors and with the types of work you need, such as diligence, pricing, operations, or digital.
• Track record and references.
  Ask for references from investment professionals and portfolio company leaders, not only from central contacts.
• Team structure and seniority.
  Confirm who will work on your projects day to day, including senior involvement at key points such as investment committees.
• Fee model and alignment.
  Make sure fees link to clearly described outputs, timetables, and ways of working. Some funds also use success related elements where suitable.

The Private Equity Services page provides a summary of how NMS Consulting works with investors, while related insights detail specific project types and results.

How NMS Consulting serves private equity clients

NMS Consulting works with private equity sponsors, family offices, and other investors across regions. The firm combines investment, operational, and consulting experience in its private equity team.

Support often spans:

• Commercial and operational due diligence on new investments.
• Design and delivery of 100 day and longer term value creation plans.
• Portfolio operations focused on revenue growth, margin, and cash.
• Carve outs, integrations, and wider business transformation.
• Exit readiness and related performance improvement work.

Private equity related material on the site includes the Private Equity Consulting Guide 2025, the Portfolio Operations Playbook, and sector work such as Financial Institutions and Private Equity.

FAQ on private equity consulting

Do private equity consultants only work for funds?

No. Many assignments are commissioned by sponsors, but portfolio company CEOs and CFOs also work directly with consultants on topics such as growth, margin, and readiness for sale.

Is private equity consulting only about cost cutting?

Cost and cash are important, but growth and strategic positioning are just as central. Good private equity consulting balances revenue, margin, and cash, based on what the investment case demands.

How early should funds involve consultants in a deal?

Many funds invite consultants into early screening of targets, while others wait until late stage diligence. Early involvement can help shape hypotheses, identify risks, and sharpen questions for management.

Can the same consulting firm support both diligence and later value creation?

Yes, and this is common. Diligence findings often feed directly into 100 day plans and portfolio initiatives, so keeping the same team can save time and reduce loss of knowledge between stages.

How does private equity consulting relate to general management consulting?

Private equity consulting uses many of the same tools as management consulting but applies them with sponsor timelines, ownership structures, and exit plans in mind. Many firms, including NMS Consulting, run private equity work as a focused part of wider Core Consulting Services.