Clients want a different price if we use AI or robotics. If we can use technology and the result is that we use fewer people, then we don’t charge for those people—it’s as simple as that. The most important thing for us is to deliver better work than our competition. If AI or robotics can help with our work, we’ll use it, but we certainly wouldn’t charge for resources not used. Andrew Stewart, A.T. Kearney

Digitisation has been a big theme in the UK market for a number of years, but it isn’t only having an effect on clients. New technologies and digital solutions are changing the way consultants operate, and that’s having an impact on what clients expect to pay for consulting work.

As firms introduce more robotics and AI tools into their workflows and reduce their reliance on people in some areas, clients and consultants alike are struggling to define exactly what it means for pricing structures. For some, the use of fewer people means lower prices, but for others, the potential for quicker delivery and the use of new technologies to provide more insights or data negates the argument for price reductions.