Sourcing Consulting is hard!
Executives are under constant pressure always to deliver more results. And when they use consultants, they don’t always get the right value for their money.
If only they could. Spend on the right projects, Work with the right consultants, Keep costs under control, Get the expected impact. It would be perfect.
But it is not that easy. Only 7 % of Procurement Executives feel well-equipped to buy Consulting, Most companies don’t have the expertise, the volume or the knowledge. And existing solutions don’t really fix the problem.
Clients face many issues when sourcing consulting.
Each time we discuss with our clients we hear issues at several steps of the process. From how decisions are made to use consulting to measuring performance and ROI.
Reducing consulting costs
Most companies don’t know how much they are spending on consulting (hint : on average 1% of sales). And when they do gather the information they immediately decide it is too much. Hard to argue one way or another as nobody knows what was the return on investment either.
Aligning spend and strategy
One of the key issues companies face is to make sure that value created through consulting supports their strategic agenda. Indeed as budgets are decentralized we observe a lot of disconnect, especially in the tail of the spend. Demand management reached the IT shores but is still at sea for consulting.
Finding the right consultants
Some companies work exclusively with large consulting firms, some will prefer to work on all topics with the same familiar faces. How do clients know those firms have the right competencies at the right price ? Today we have mapped more then 4000 consulting firms across the globe. Alas, when asking clients to name consulting firms they rarely can name more then 10. Make the test.
Managing the sourcing process
A very little portion of companies are using systematics competitions, let alone using NDAs. The sourcing process is not customized for consulting. The value battle is won or lost between scoping and selection.
Leveraging digital
Digital applications start to penetrate the procurement landscape. From new systems and processes to digitally enabled platforms options exist. But when consulting is mixed with other indirect expenses, it becomes very difficult.
Managing the category
Today most of the focus is on achieving savings at project level. Savings come first, value creation second. This creates a disconnect between procurement and operational teams. In the same way the performance and ROI on projects are not measured on a regular basis.
Change will come from the clients
Consultants have few incentives to change the status quo
When it comes to disruption, large consulting firms have no interest to disrupt the current situation. Niche consultancies and alternative business models exist, but they struggle to grow and gain visibility.
Consulting is being disrupted
The traditional integrated consulting offering is exploding into pieces. Marketing & Sales, Expert Knowledge, Analytics & Data, Methodologies & Solutions, Services, Talent & Staffing all key pillars are facing tremendous change .
Digital is changing the face of procurement
If clients take the time to look for the right consultants using state-of-the-art procurement processes, systems and specific solutions for consulting, then both savings and value will support their decision.
Clients can make it happen
Clients are more equipped than they think to take advantage of disruptions in consulting and procurement and at the same time reduce their costs and create more value. If they dare to !
How we Help
Consulting
Sourcing
Digital
Learning
1
Consulting
We help clients to manage their consulting category, reduce overall costs, accelerate strategy execution and implement best in class processes. This in turn increases the maturity of their consulting procurement capabilities.
2
Sourcing
We partner with clients throughout the entire consulting sourcing process. Our team of consulting procurement experts provides a white glove service to find and select the right consultants within the target budget.
3
Digital
We offer a full range of solutions to help companies easily manage demand, source consultants, measure their performance and manage the consulting category while reducing costs and maximizing value.
4
And Learning!
We have an extensive library of thought leadership and methodologies. We enable peer exchange and group learning though our communities and academy.
Let's Talk
Want to discuss your Project with Us?
Our experts are there to bounce ideas and explore what could be done to help you .
Feel free to reach out. No strings attached.
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