Is innovation within the consulting sector under enough pressure?
In a recent study (see below for details) it seems innovation activities need to change within what consultants are offerings as services to their clients.
The study makes for fascinating reading and answers a number of questions I’ve been recently having.
Let me expand on this:
One: there is increasingly less time available within the mid to large consultants to train, research and development for their services so as to differentiate themselves in innovation, in what is actually becoming even more of a crowded market.
Focusing on maximising utilization and containing overheads and costs leaves less time to think and develop.
Two: equally the cumulative experiences of clients in dealing with consultants, especially through the practice of more central procurement, has added more pressure on consultants not to provide added extra or to take more radical approaches to innovative solutions for the risk of being compared badly, not offering clear returns and then screened out of the bidding process.