Submitted by Fiona Czerniawska on Thu, 2010-09-09 08:58
It’s been a busy summer, at least if you’re in the business of buying and selling consulting firms.
Submitted by Fiona Czerniawska on Mon, 2010-09-06 19:39
“The 20th century was about sorting out supply. The 21st is going to be about sorting out demand. The internet makes everything available, but mere availability is meaningless if the products remain unknown to potential buyers.”
Submitted by Fiona Czerniawska on Thu, 2010-09-02 12:24
The recent announcement that PwC is acquiring Diamond Consultants isn't – and is – a surprise.
In the race to close the gap that Deloitte is perceived to have opened up between itself and the consulting practices of the other Big Four firms, technology is critical. Whether you like it or not, much consulting is driven directly or indirectly by IT changes. New systems don’t just create work for the software vendors and others who implement technology, but typically trigger a raft of changes to working practices and organisational structures.
Submitted by Edward Haigh on Thu, 2010-08-19 09:48
When we carry out the research for our briefing notes, we usually ask consulting firms what – in their opinion – the main causes of underperforming consulting projects are. Having written 18 briefing notes so far we’re starting to see a few issues cropping up consistently, so we thought we’d share them with you.
Submitted by Edward Haigh on Thu, 2010-08-12 16:02
Speaking to a senior executive within the pharmaceutical industry about the value consultants deliver recently, I was struck by one particular comment: ‘Everyone knows that half of consulting works and that the other half doesn’t’, he said. ‘The trouble is, you never know which half you’re going to get.’
Submitted by Edward Haigh on Mon, 2010-08-09 12:24
A very good friend of mine recently admitted to a rather strange affliction. She calls it shopping bulimia, and it manifests itself as a desire to buy items (particularly shoes) and then return them. The idea is that she gets to enjoy all the pleasures of retail therapy without the lasting guilt of having spent her money. For those of us of a saner disposition – or, dare I say it, for those of us who are men – this seems singularly ridiculous.
Submitted by Fiona Czerniawska on Wed, 2010-08-04 17:36
What on earth does the consulting industry have in common with the golden age of Hollywood? Quite a lot, I think.
Submitted by Fiona Czerniawska on Mon, 2010-08-02 14:38
It is tempting for large consulting firms to think they are immune from competition from independent consultants. The idea that a firm such as McKinsey might be threatened by a freelancer seems as laughable as a cartoon elephant standing on a chair above a tiny mouse.
But the truth is that competition has a domino effect – two domino effects, actually, depending on whether demand for consulting is growing or falling.
Let’s divide consulting firms into four groups:
Submitted by Fiona Czerniawska on Thu, 2010-07-29 10:07
Here is how many consulting firms develop their thought leadership:
Submitted by Fiona Czerniawska on Sun, 2010-07-25 21:40
I have written in this blog before about the extent to which the difference between clients and consultants has been eroded by increasing management education, by the availability of previously privileged information via the internet and by the number of former consultants now working in client organisations.
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