The Consulting Quest marketing team had the privilege of sitting down with Helene, the founder of Consulting Quest, to chat about their latest software – Consource.
Now, for those who aren’t familiar, Consource is an all-inclusive digital procurement software designed to streamline the purchasing process from beginning to end.
With such a revolutionary product on their hands, it was no surprise that the team had a plethora of questions for Helene. From inquiries about the software’s unique features to the motivation behind creating such a comprehensive program, the conversation was insightful and enlightening.
Let’s now take you through all the happenings from that special interview with Helene.
“Effective procurement solutions can save businesses up to 20% on their overall costs, driving higher profitability and growth.”
Tell us something about Consource: a software that completely digitalizes the processes involving consulting procurement.
Okay, so Consource is basically an end-to-end consulting digital procurement software. It’s everything you need in order to get the most out of your consulting budget. And not to forget, it is touted as the best platform for consulting procurement professionals.
Also, let me tell you what makes Consource a category of one. Well, firstly, it makes consulting sourcing very easy by helping you streamline your project lifecycle with a seamless collaborative end-to-end workflow tailored to consulting.
Secondly, it focuses on the ROI and strategic priorities by treating consulting as a strategic investment and aligns your spend with your strategic priorities. Thirdly, I’d say, its helps revolutionize your consulting supplier management in order to become your suppliers’ number 1 priority.
Next, it spurs collaboration for maximum impact and ensures the success of your consulting projects. It also always works with the best fit from your existing panel or from our global network of consulting firms.
And lastly, it gives you access to on-demand consulting sourcing expertise and helps you stay ahead of the curve and expand your horizons. How good is that?
What inspired you to create this solution?
Well, as you know, it’s no secret that businesses are diversifying their procurement spend categories. And with a focus on their core capabilities, more and more companies are looking to hire experts in areas such as IT, law, and marketing.
And when it comes to management consulting, the process is much trickier, right? One-size-fits-all procurement strategies simply don’t cut it. That’s why we’ve been working hard to create our own unique solutions specifically tailored to consulting sourcing.
We’ve taken all of our expertise and combined it onto one easy-to-use platform (called Consource), so companies can focus on their core business, safe in the knowledge that their consultancy needs are being handled professionally.
“Billions are wasted each year due to insufficient market knowledge or best practices and digital solutions such as Consource is here to help businesses solve a plethora of problems.”
What problems do you believe Consource will solve for businesses, and how will it improve the process of sourcing consulting services?
Billions and billions of dollars are wasted each year due to insufficient market knowledge or best practices. And I reckon with the help of Consource, it will help businesses solve many problems. That’s because the impact Consource will have, it will be immense.
Firstly, Consource will help optimize your workflow. It will assist you in doing everything more quickly and effectively thanks to an intuitive and intelligent user interface. It will help you focus on the important things while Consource will take care of the heavy work.
Secondly, risks will be reduced drastically. It will make sure your consultants are trustworthy. It will help in verifying their level of knowledge and experience, as well as their reputation for thought leadership and positive customer feedback. And not to forget, engage stakeholders in the process of data-driven decision making.
Thirdly, collaborate in real time will increase rapidly. You can easily involve your internal team members, exchange with consulting firms, and also get insights from our user community. Everything will take place in a safe and secure environment.
And last but not least, Consource will provide you with greater value. It will help you identify the optimal consulting firms in order to maximize your impact. Also, it will help create relevant competitions to keep your costs down. And yes, it will also increase your return on investment and the value you create.
Can you explain some of the technical details about how your solution works and what sets it apart from other similar solutions in the market?
Okay, so Consource is the industry’s leading suite for consulting sourcing. We created the suite by incorporating all of the process steps. Although each module is available separately.
This software is tailored for the consulting category and was initially created for Consulting Quest’s own needs. Consource is also powered by the largest consulting databank in the world – Improveo.
And let me tell you this, Consource was specifically built to reduce both costs as well as maximize value. It creates relevant competition among the appropriate tier of consultants that will result in material savings. And working with the right consultants will help you make the most of your time. So basically, the combination of the two will help create value.
And oh, one more thing. Consource will help leverage the power of the smart consulting sourcing community. Essentials such as templates, insights, rate cards, knowledge base, Q&A’s, and consultant ratings are all available on Consource. Simply put, you become stronger as a result of your involvement in the community.
How do you see businesses benefiting from this solution in the short term, and what long-term benefits can they expect to see?
Businesses can greatly benefit from this solution, both in the short term as well as in the long term as well. Let me break it down for you. Okay, so with the help of Consource, businesses can source faster with our intuitive and intelligent user interface, self-service portal and template libraries.
Secondly, the software can help in reducing your costs. It is also beneficial in optimizing what you buy and create relevant competition by combining your panel and our network.
Also, this solution will help supercharge your consulting ROI and will help you get more impact from your consulting budget as well as equip your teams with cutting-edge practices and on-demand support from our plethora of consulting sourcing experts.
In in all, Consource will help businesses both in the short and long run.
“Procurement solutions powered by advanced analytics can provide actionable insights and help businesses achieve up to 50% faster supplier response times.”
What kind of businesses do you believe will benefit the most from this solution, and why?
Look, our solution Consource is designed for consulting procurement needs, and it offers a modular system that is designed to cater to all your needs. Whether you’re a large company looking to implement demand & category management or a smaller company wanting to professionalize your project life cycle, Consource will have you covered.
It has an easy-to-use interface, which you can toggle off whichever parts you don’t need and customize the platform to meet your specific requirements. Also, Consource is adept at controlling costs, which makes it an excellent choice for larger firms that need to keep a close eye on their budgets.
So, I’d say that if you’re looking for a reliable consulting procurement solution, you should look no further than Consource.
Finally, what kind of post-adoption support services do you offer to businesses that adopt your solution?
We understand the importance of providing comprehensive post-adoption support services to businesses that have adopted our solution. We offer a range of support services to ensure our customers get the most out of our product and achieve their desired outcomes.
One of the key support services we provide is the Smart Consulting Sourcing Academy. This academy offers live webinar sessions once every two months, where businesses can participate and gain valuable insights. These sessions cover various topics related to demand management, project support, and procurement benchmarks, among others.
In terms of project support, we are committed to assisting our customers throughout the entire project lifecycle. Whether it’s helping them define their demand management strategies, providing support during the project execution phase, or offering guidance in activities such as Request for Proposal (RFP) writing, review, firm identification and selection, or negotiations, we are there every step of the way. This support is included in the subscription to our solution.
Furthermore, we conduct annual surveys and benchmarks to assess procurement maturity and consulting pricing, among other relevant factors. These surveys and benchmarks are also included in the subscription, providing businesses with valuable insights into industry trends and best practices.
Overall, our post-adoption support services aim to ensure that our customers receive ongoing assistance, guidance, and access to valuable resources. We are dedicated to helping businesses succeed and maximize the benefits of our solution long after the adoption stage.
Final Thoughts
We thank Helene for her time and willingness to answer questions pertaining to Consource. It is truly remarkable the technology that Consulting Quest has been able to create and make available for all.
Consource bridges the market gap by offering an all-encompassing digital procurement solution tailored exclusively for the consulting category.
All set to debut this September, Consource has already sparked interest among procurement professionals. Are you prepared to hop aboard and experience the future of procurement?
P.S: The official Consource website is currently being revamped in order to provide you with an even better experience. Stay tuned for exciting updates!