The manufacturing sector remained one of the largest consulting markets in DACH and was the fastest growing in 2017. The recent trend towards digitally-driven transformation continued, with consultants seeing more opportunities in automotive, consumer goods, and industrial goods.

As Industry 4.0 continued to mature, consultants helped clients discover how best to use digital tools to improve customer-facing initiatives as well as back-office operations. The ongoing use of robotics to streamline the manufacturing process and reduce reliance on people was a big driver of demand, as was clients’ growing interest in AI and virtual reality.