Consulting is Dead. Long live Consulting!
During my first 90 days at EA
As Partner and CCO, I’ve been spending time with our amazing clients to hear what’s top of mind for them as they seek to unlock growth for their organizations. It’s been incredibly energising, listening to their respective challenges and exploring the support they need to resolve them. During these discussions, here’s what I heard:
35% 3yr growth vs. 8% market growth
Much has been written recently about the “death of consulting” in an AI-world. Like every industry it’s going through change, but our clients have been clear on where the future lies:
- Away from generic “management consulting” focused on strategy & insights, historically dominated by larger firms
- Towards solving client-specific problems that deliver measurable business outcomes
A big decision-driver for me joining EA was the opportunity to focus firmly on the latter – the success of this approach is demonstrated by 35% growth for EA over the past 3 years vs. just 8% for the broader UK consulting market.
84% of organizations are currently going through a transformation
Change is a persistent and pervasive feature of our world. It’s also a key ingredient to growth – rather than being concerned by change, our clients are embracing the opportunities it presents.
In common with 84% of all organizations, our clients have recognized that their future looks different to their past and have embarked on a transformation journey. When that takes you to places you’ve never been before, it helps to have a guide who can recommend the right path to take.
26% of employee time is spent on low-value admin
People are typically an organization’s biggest asset, but are often hampered by internal bureaucracy and inefficient processes. 26% of employee time is spent on admin and inefficient ways of working. By understanding and addressing these inefficiencies, our clients are focused on driving growth, by enabling employees to concentrate on delivering value to customers.
Transformation too often focuses on technology and tools vs. the customers and employees it’s meant to help. Taking a CX and EX-first approach is key, identifying pain points and using tools to addresses them, delivering measurable benefits and outcomes.
A 6-month launch delay reduces value by up to 35%
As organizations increase in size, their speed of execution typically slows. This can be fatal when faced with rapidly changing market conditions, regulations, and the emergence of new competitors.
A 6-month launch delay for a new product or service typically reduces 5yr value-creation by 35%. By understanding and removing barriers to speed, our clients are focused on maximizing value generation and RoI.
Only 5% of organizations have seen a P&L benefit from AI
Almost every organization is experimenting with AI, but only 5% have seen measurable P&L benefits so far. Open AI’s recent creation of a consultancy focused on engagements >$10M is an indication that adoption is proving a challenge.
Our clients need support to understand and map their current business and decision-making processes before identifying those pieces that can be automated (with or without AI). This enables value to be delivered much earlier, with lessons embedded in a continuous cycle of automation.
What next...
As I continue my journey at Esher Advisory, I’m excited by what lies ahead. Every day brings an opportunity to partner closely with our clients to add real value, by understanding and addressing their unique challenges. By the thoughtful deployment of our talented team members, we’re able to consistently deliver quantifiable business outcomes, unlocking growth.
Tom Harris, Partner, CCO
Sep 2025.
