Arkimeda's research reports aim to provide insightful, comprehensive and rigorous analysis on the critical issues facing consulting firms and their clients.

White Space - 2007 Edition

November 2006

WhiteSpace is the definitive analysis of how consulting firms are positioning themselves for existing and emerging markets by comparing the 'thought leadership' material published by around 50 leading consulting firms in the US and Europe.

The UK Consulting Industry Report 2004/5

May 2005

The UK Consulting Industry 2004/5 introduces unique information and analysis based on data from MCA member firms, interviews with industry leaders and award-wining case studies.

Author of the report, industry expert Fiona Czerniawska, provides an authoritative analysis of the enormous changes over the past 12 months and an overview of the prospects for the industry over the coming year. The consulting industry 2005 will be a pivotal year in the fortunes of the consulting industry. After two difficult years and something of a false start in 2003, 2004 saw many consulting firms working hard to clarify their value proposition to clients and strengthen their position in the market. For some, that meant sacrificing top-line growth in order to create more profitable, sustainable businesses. The next year will see whether that investment has paid off.

Offshore Consulting: Benchmarking Future Success

December 2003

Every consulting firm has been touched by the offshoring phenomenon. But is it a bubble or a breaking wave? With onshore consulting firms investing heavily to build their own offshore capabilities, and offshore firms building their U.S. and European presence through acquisition, finding the optimum balance of onshore/offshore resources has become a top priority for firms and their clients.

Maximising the Value of Consultants: Key lessons from clients

March 2003

The consulting industry is going through what is arguably the biggest market adjustment in its 80 year history.

Expansion in the late 1990s came to an abrupt halt in 2001, as private sector clients, faced with shrinking profits, significantly reduced the amount of money they were prepared to spend on consultancy and left consultants with an over-capacity problem of unprecedented proportions. 'This is the toughest time the consulting industry has ever experienced', says Jerry Greenberg, the Chief Executive of US-based Sapient.

This report looks at how these changes have been perceived by clients and seeks to understand:

• where consultants do and don't add value
• what clients can do to maximize that value.

The report is based on the contribution of almost 100 private and public sector clients from around the world.

Consulting on the Brink: The implications of Enron for the consulting industry

December 2002

The management consulting industry could suffer a spectacular collapse with repercussions on the scale of Enron’s impact on accountancy. Many clients now want the claims of consulting firms to be externally verified.

Based on contributions from leading consulting firms and more than 50 blue chip companies in North America and Europe, this report reveals that:

• The consulting industry has reached a critical state in which a consulting firm that knowingly over-sells its services could trigger an industry-wide scandal of Enron proportions.
• Most clients would like to see much greater transparency in the consulting industry: rather than accepting the promises of consultants, clients want to measure their impact.
• And much of what consulting firms are doing to respond to Enron is making things worse - according to their own clients.

Consulting on the Brink: The Implications of Enron for the Consulting Industry provides the single, most authoritative analysis of the impact Enron is likely to have on the consulting industry.