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CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY

MARION ENARD

INTEGRATING DIGITAL TOOLS INTO THE CONSULTING SERVICE:

AN EXPLANATORY CASE STUDY ON THE PROCESSES AND

PRACTICES IMPROVING THE CLIENTS’ EXPERIENCE

CRANFIELD SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

MSc in Management

MSc Thesis

Academic Year: 2018 - 2019

Supervisor: Dr Leila Alinaghian

October 2019

Word count: 7515 words

CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY

CRANFIELD SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

MSc in Management

MSc Thesis

Academic Year 2018 - 2019

MARION ENARD

INTEGRATING DIGITAL TOOLS INTO THE CONSULTING SERVICE:

AN EXPLANATORY CASE STUDY ON THE PROCESSES AND

PRACTICES IMPROVING THE CLIENTS’ EXPERIENCE

Supervisor: Dr Leila Alinaghian

October 2019

This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for

the degree of MSc in Management

© Cranfield University 2019. All rights reserved. No part of this

publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the

copyright owner.

i

ABSTRACT

It is now generally acknowledged that digitalisation has become essential in the consulting

world for organisations to remain competitive. The industry is being reshaped and is moving

towards asset-based consulting and the integration of digital tools. However, challenges arise

when it comes to integrating these tools within a classic consulting service, due to the

comparative novelty of digital transformation combined with divergences in clients’

perspectives.

This study investigates how consultants should adopt and integrate digital tools within the

service they offer, to maximise clients’ benefits and hence help grow long-term relationships

with them. To answer this question, a critical review of the existing literature was undertaken,

and seven consultants and three clients of various organisations were interviewed, using

analytic tools developed in Power BI as a case study. Opinions were analysed and compared,

and the integration of digital tools in the consulting process was scrutinised.

Results reveal that clients may encounter difficulties to understand digital tools and their

capabilities; they demonstrate user-oriented expectations and feel concerned about losing

the tailored service offered by consultants because of technology. Besides, it appears that

miscommunication associated with divergent perspectives leads to confusion regarding the

possibilities offered by the tools as well as how they should be used.

A road map was put forward, outlining the processes and practices which help maximise

benefits for both consultants and clients when integrating digital tools within the consulting

service, therefore spurring consulting firms to reassess and rethink their methods. In

particular, consultants should foster communication, develop their tools based on best

practices and provide training, both internally and externally.

However, this empirical research is based on a case study, which is why readers need to

critically assess whether findings can be extrapolated to a specific context. For them to be

validated, the adoption of digital tools within other settings and business environments

should be further investigated.

Keywords: Digitalisation, digital tools, technologies, asset-based consulting, consultancy, consulting firms, clients’ needs

ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

“Genius is 1% talent and 99% percent hard work.” – Albert Einstein (1879-1955) I cannot state that the present thesis is genius, but it is the result of 13 months of hard work to complete an MSc in Management at Cranfield University. However, this would not have been possible without the help and support of many people. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of them. First of all, I would like to thank 4C Associates for having given me the opportunity to work for them. To every person in 4C, for whom I have high regard, thank you for your goodwill and willingness to share knowledge and experience. I have learnt so much during this internship, far beyond my expectations. And I hope I will continue doing so, as I am now a permanent employee at 4C Associates. I would like to express the deepest appreciation to my Cranfield supervisor, Dr Leila Alinaghian, for imparting her knowledge and expertise, but more especially for her understanding and flexibility, which were invaluable during the past three months. My appreciation also goes to the clients who were willing to answer my questions even though they had no direct interest in doing so. Last but not least, I am most grateful to my family, for the unconditional support I have always received from them. This means a lot to me.

Marion Enard, October 2019

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................... ii

LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................. v

LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................... vi

1 - INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Consulting in digital age ................................................................................................. 1

1.2 Digitalisation at 4C Associates ....................................................................................... 1

1.3 Diverging clients’ perspectives ...................................................................................... 2

1.4 Aim and objectives of the study .................................................................................... 3

2 - LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................... 4

2.1 Digitalisation and adoption of digital tools .................................................................... 4

2.1.1 Digitalisation as a trend .......................................................................................... 4

2.1.2 Digitalisation in consultancy ................................................................................... 5

2.1.3 Applications of digital tools .................................................................................... 6

2.1.4 Digitalisation in procurement and supply chain ..................................................... 7

2.2 Comparing clients’ and consultants’ view ..................................................................... 8

2.2.1 Consultants are aware of the challenges raised by digitalisation .......................... 8

2.2.2 Clients’ view: high expectations with regard to consultancy ................................. 9

2.2.3 Comparison of both views when imagining the consulting firm of the future .... 10

2.3 The consulting process ................................................................................................. 11

2.3.1 Identification of key phases .................................................................................. 11

2.3.2 Use of tools alongside the consulting process ..................................................... 12

2.3.3 From temporary expert to trusted advisor........................................................... 13

3 - RESEARCH DESIGN .................................................................................................... 14

3.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................... 14

3.2 Conceptual phase ......................................................................................................... 14

3.3 Empirical phase ............................................................................................................ 14

3.4 Analytic phase .............................................................................................................. 16

3.5 Research validity, limitations and ethical considerations ........................................... 17

4 - RESULTS & FINDINGS ................................................................................................ 19

4.1 Gaps between consultants’ and clients’ perspectives ................................................. 20

4.1.1 Digitalisation ......................................................................................................... 20

4.1.2 Digital tools – Power BI as a case study ................................................................ 20

iv

4.2 The existing process of utilising digital tools ............................................................... 22

4.2.1 Presentation .......................................................................................................... 22

4.2.2 Data security procedures ...................................................................................... 22

4.2.3 Development ........................................................................................................ 23

4.2.4 Training ................................................................................................................. 23

4.3 Challenges related to the successful realisation of digital tools in consulting ............ 25

4.3.1 Very different views amongst clients ................................................................... 25

4.3.2 Identification of improvement opportunities....................................................... 25

5 - DISCUSSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS....................................................................... 27

5.1 Gaps between consultants’ and clients’ perspectives regarding digitalisation and the

adoption of digital tools ..................................................................................................... 27

5.2 The consulting process integrating digital tools .......................................................... 27

5.3 Practical managerial implications of the findings ........................................................ 28

5.3.1 Reach a collective view ......................................................................................... 28

5.3.2 Align to clients’ needs and level of expertise ....................................................... 29

5.4 Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 29

5.4.1 Foster communication .......................................................................................... 29

5.4.2 Develop tools based on gathered best practices ................................................. 30

5.4.3 Provide training internally and externally ............................................................ 30

5.5 Road map for the successful realisation of digital tools in consulting incorporating both

consultants’ and clients’ views .......................................................................................... 32

6 - CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................ 34

6.1 Contributions ............................................................................................................... 34

6.2 Limitations .................................................................................................................... 34

6.3 Further research .......................................................................................................... 35

REFERENCES .................................................................................................................. 36

APPENDICES .................................................................................................................. 41

Appendix 1 – Screenshot of a dashboard from 4Spend .................................................... 41

Appendix 2 – Screenshot of a dashboard from 4Margin ................................................... 42

Appendix 3 – Interview questions ..................................................................................... 43

Appendix 4 – Consent form ............................................................................................... 44

v

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 – Suite of digital analytic tools developed and used by 4C Associates (Author) ..... 2

Figure 1.2 - Structure of the study (Author) .............................................................................. 3

Figure 2.1 - Digitalisation as a trend in every sector (Bughin, LaBerge and Mellbye, 2017) .... 4

Figure 2.2 – Process model: Building dynamic capabilities for digital transformation ............. 5

Figure 2.3 – Three-stage evolution of Audi toward big data analytics (Dremel et al, 2017) .... 6

Figure 2.4 – The digital scenarios framework in Supply Chain (Srai et al, 2017) ...................... 7

Figure 2.5 – Graphic representation of Nissen et al.’s results (Author) .................................... 8

Figure 2.6 – The different types of clients in consultancy (Author) .......................................... 9

Figure 2.7 – People’s views on how digitalisation will affect industry .................................... 10

Figure 2.8 – Margerison’s, Kubr’s and Baaij’s identification of the main consulting steps (Author) ............................................................................................................................ 11

Figure 2.9 – The management consultancy cycle (Author, adapted from Baaij, 2013) .......... 12

Figure 2.10 – Tools utilised through different phases of the consulting process (Accola, 1993) .......................................................................................................................................... 12

Figure 3.1 – Procedure followed in applying NVivo (Hilal and Alabri, 2013, adapted from Bazeley, 2007) .................................................................................................................. 16

Figure 3.2 – Flow diagram illustrating the research design (Author) ...................................... 18

Figure 4.1 – Three levels of codes identified in NVivo using an inductive methodology (NVivo) .............................................................................................................................. 19

Figure 4.2 – Calculated ratios of drawbacks to benefits based on the number of occurrences (Author) ............................................................................................................................ 20

Figure 4.3 – Comparison of consultants’ and clients’ individual answers to the question ‘What is your opinion about Power BI and its capabilities?’ (Author) ............................. 21

Figure 4.5 – Themes emerging from interviewee’s answers regarding the integration of digital tools in the consulting process (Author) ............................................................... 22

Figure 4.6 – Example of what happened with the client RailCo regarding the adopting of digital tools (Author, based on interview 5) .................................................................... 25

Figure 5.1 – The consulting process integrating digital tools (Author) ................................... 28

Figure 5.2 – Providing effective trainings tailored to audience (Author) ................................ 32

Figure 5.3 – Road map for the successful realisation of digital tools in consulting ................ 33

vi

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3-1 – Panel selected for interviews (Author) ................................................................. 15

Table 4-1 – Comparison between consultants’ and clients’ perspectives regarding digitalisation (Author) ...................................................................................................... 20

Table 4-2 – 4C data classification, which determines the way data are stored and shared ... 23

Table 4-3 – Benefits and drawbacks of conducting training, both internally and externally (Author) ............................................................................................................................ 24

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- INTRODUCTION

1.1 Consulting in the digital age

In business, digitalisation refers to transforming interactions, communications and operations by leveraging digital technologies and a broader use of digitised data (Ashok, 2018). It aims to change business and organisational activities in a strategic and prioritised way, using actionable data and knowledge to achieve a specific benefit (Bharadwaj et al., 2013).

In the current world of consultancy, digitalisation has become more than a trend; it is now a necessity to remain competitive, as forecasted a few years ago by Christensen, Wang and Van Bever (2013). Source Information Services Ltd (2013) enumerate the reasons why digitalisation has become essential. According to them, it provides a consistent and easily replicable product/service, enhancing repeat business; it enables firms to save time and develop faster; finally, it creates an environment where pricing is more likely to be based on outputs rather than inputs.

In order to survive digital transformation, consultants need to continually assess their service portfolio (Nissen, 2017). According to Christensen (2013), the current and future trend in consultancy is for companies to differentiate themselves based on their knowledge and capabilities by packaging them in technology. Asset-based consulting is based on the use of tools rather than human capital as primary assets (Miller, 2015). As a result, most consultants are now using powerful analytic tools on a day-to-day basis, and they usually provide these tools to their clients, thus adding value to their offer. In that respect, digitalisation in consultancy is influencing both the structure of the market and the business models (Dötsch, 2016).

Werth and Greff (2018) identified four categories of digital consulting approaches: Core-only consulting, Platform consulting, Self-service consulting and Algorithmic consulting. According to an empirical study conducted by Nissen et al. (2019), more than half of respondents working in consulting firms are already using at least the core-only consulting approach.

But given the fact that these tools are relatively recent, how can a company make sure that every client will take full benefit of them? How would a consulting company know if its offer is sufficiently well adjusted in order to cater for differences in clients’ needs and expectations? More generally, are the consultants’ and clients’ perspectives aligned on that matter?

1.2 Digitalisation at 4C Associates

As part of the Cranfield MSc in Management, the author had an internship for three months in a company called 4C Associates, located in London. This consulting firm was founded in 2000 and now has 65 employees. Specialising in procurement, supply chain and strategy consulting, 4C Associates has expertise in cost reduction, business transformation, insight and service delivery.

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*Due to confidentiality, companies are anonymised.

4C Associates has developed a suite of digital tools which are facilitating and adding value to the service offered to its clients, using Power BI. This Microsoft service aims to process and analyse data to provide interactive data visualisation, called dashboards (see Appendices 1- 2). According to Scott (2019), this tool is combining power, ease of use and brand recognition, which explains the success it encounters. Digitalisation matters for the 4C management team and is embedded in their strategy, since the suite of tools developed (Figure 1.1) is considered an asset for the company. Associated with this need for change and innovation is the knowledge intensity required and the need for constant training (Dötsch, 2016).

1.3 Diverging clients’ perspectives

Feedback arising from informal conversations with 4C’s employees revealed various opinions with regard to clients’ experience of using digital tools and more specifically Power BI. For instance, RetailCo1*, a long-established British retail company, appears to be very engaged. One of the tools has been developed specially for them and 4C has provided training to their employees so they are now able to use it. On the other hand, OilCo*, for which 4C has already managed several projects, seems more reluctant to use the provided tools. Consultants are working with Power BI dashboards, but clients only want screenshots, which means they use a very minor part of the tool’s total capacity. Being confronted with such varied clients’ views, how can 4C find a way to offer a service which would satisfy and match clients’ expectations? In order to answer that question, two different aspects need to be considered. Indeed, needs and expectations are associated with clients’ engagement regarding digitalisation. Secondly, when it comes to the experience and the way of consuming the product, from a marketing perspective, clients must be able to use it easily and obtain the most benefit of it. The existing literature provides an overview of consultants’ and clients’ opinions concerning digitalisation. For instance, surveys were conducted (Fitzgerald et al., 2014; Nissen et al., 2019), assessing thoughts and expectations of consultants on that topic, and a few researches gather clients’ views regarding digitalisation in consultancy (Source Information Services Ltd, 2013; Wood Mackenzie, n.d.). However, limited literature has focused on the adoption of digital tools from clients’ perspectives. The present study investigates the relationships between consultancy, digital tools and clients’ needs, which distinguishes it from what can currently be found in the literature.

Figure 1.1 – Suite of digital analytic tools developed and used by 4C Associates (Author)

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1.4 Aim and objectives of the study

This study aims to investigate the benefits of adopting digital tools in consulting. Specifically, it seeks to address the question of how consultants should adopt and use digital tools to improve clients’ experience and hence help grow long-term relationships with them. Here are the key objectives of the research:

1- Identify the gaps between consultants’ and clients’ perspectives regarding digitalisation and the adoption of digital tools.

2- Map out the existing consulting process that integrates digital tools.

3- Put forward a road map for the successful realisation of digital tools in consulting incorporating both consultants’ and clients’ views.

Figure 1.2 gives an overview of the structure of this report.

Figure 1.2 - Structure of the study (Author)

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- LITERATURE REVIEW

In order to achieve the objectives mentioned in Chapter 1, existing knowledge produced by scholars and practitioners has been reviewed. When running an initial research to explore the scope of the topic, three key themes rapidly emerged. Firstly, digitalisation and the adoption of digital tools are examined more and more precisely, from a general trend to focusing on consultancy and procurement. The second part critically analyses existing research on consultants’ and clients’ views regarding digitalisation. Finally, the reader will be led through the investigation into the consulting process and its different phases.

2.1 Digitalisation and adoption of digital tools

2.1.1 Digitalisation as a trend

Warner and Wäger (2019) define digital transformation as “the use of new digital technologies, such as mobile, artificial intelligence, cloud, blockchain, and the Internet of things technologies, to enable major business improvements to augment customer experience, streamline operations, or create new business models”.

Digitalisation is emerging in every sector, from healthcare (Bhattacharyya et al., 2019) and consulting psychology (Winsborough and Chamorro-Premuzic, 2013) to financial management and forecasting (Mishra, 2018), and marketing and media (Küng, 2017), as illustrated by Figure 2.1. Consultancy is no exception.

Figure 2.1 - Digitalisation as a trend in every sector (Bughin, LaBerge and Mellbye, 2017)

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2.1.2 Digitalisation in consultancy

Digitalisation speed in consultancy varies depending on factors such as industry and localisation (Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates Ltd and Analysys Mason, 2017). But generally, most authors agree on digitalisation being inevitable and even necessary in the long-run for consultancies to survive the reshaping of the industry structure (Christensen, 2013). Indeed, Bughin et al. (2017) demonstrate that digitalisation is transforming the competition and has a major impact on financial indicators. Different degrees of digitalisation and virtualisation of consulting services do exist (Nissen, 2017), which leads to the following question: Is it useful to be fully virtualised? Fitzgerald et al. (2014) and Kane et al. (2015) concur that digitalisation is important but what is even more important is having a specific purpose and strategy to adhere to. There is no need to speed up digitalisation: the process needs to be controlled for the changes implemented to be sustainable. According to Warner and Wäger (2019), there are core internal enablers and barriers organisations need to be conscious of to achieve digital transformation (Figure 2.2). For them, digital transformation is “an ongoing process of using new digital technologies in everyday organisational life”, which leads us to the next section of this chapter.

Figure 2.2 – Process model: Building dynamic capabilities for digital transformation

(Warner and Wäger, 2019)

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2.1.3 Applications of digital tools

Analytical and management tools have always been used in consultancy since they enable consultants to demonstrate methods and professionalism by providing structured processes, analyses and results (Kubr, 2002). Today, organisations collect and use more and more digital data, as mentioned by Mutiganda et al. (2018), which explains the need for tools to be digitalised so that consultancies can exploit this increasing amount of available data. Benefits of digital tools are many. They are replicable, transparent, they offer new potential in measuring performance and analysing data (Mutiganda et al., 2018) and they engage analyses more rapidly and more comprehensively than is feasible manually (Grubert and Siders, 2016). Dremel et al. (2017) describe Audi’s past evolution toward big data analytics. It has led the organisation to Leveraging, defined by the development of internal capabilities of analytics- as-a-service and predictive and advanced descriptive analytics, allowing for evidence-based decision making (Figure 2.3).

Figure 2.3 – Three-stage evolution of Audi towards big data analytics (Dremel et al., 2017)

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2.1.4 Digitalisation in procurement and the supply chain

Digitalisation is already embedded and is falling deeper into procurement. As stated by Schrauf and Berttram (2016), the digital, integrated, supply chain ecosystem is characterised by higher transparency, communication, collaboration, flexibility and responsiveness. This is made possible by automation, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), machine-to- machine communication and autonomous contracting (Morsinkhof, 2018).

Schrauf and Berttram (2016) divide the technologies used in different areas, from integrated planning and execution to autonomous and B2C logistics, including smart warehousing and prescriptive supply chain analytics. As shown in Figure 2.4, they are all interrelated and rely on the use of different tools: digital mapping tools, 3D printing, e-auction, real-time monitoring, vendor managed inventory, enterprise resource planning (ERP), automation and collaborative robotics, big data analytics (Srai et al., 2017).

Figure 2.4 – The digital scenarios framework in Supply Chain (Srai et al., 2017)

Procurement and the supply chain are being digitalised globally, which means that clients of consultancies in procurement are used to the new processes and tools used in that regard. However, this phenomenon is associated with challenges. Srai et al. (2017) revealed that skills gaps are more troublesome than technology gaps. This issue is not easy to address, since it requires reconsidering the way digital skills are taught as well as the way culture change is spreading in organisations, which requires time.

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2.2 Comparing clients’ and consultants’ views

2.2.1 Consultants are aware of the challenges raised by digitalisation

Several researches, most of them including surveys, examine consultants’ opinions and views on digitalisation in consultancy. This section aims to analyse and compare them to draw some general conclusions. According to a survey carried out by Nissen et al. (2019), the majority of consultants (52.8%) believe that combining classic consulting services with digital technologies is necessary, because the consulting firm primarily offers classic consulting services. Only 36% of respondents think of it as not necessary since digital consulting technologies are set to replace traditional consulting services. Detailed opinions are given in Figure 2.5.

Another survey conducted by Fitzgerald et al. (2014) reinforces the point that respondents in various organisations believe technology has a major role to play to enhance transformation in their business. However, people, regardless of their role in the organisation, also find it hard to obtain great results from new technology and believe the adoption is too slow (Fitzgerald et al., 2014). In the same report, innovation fatigue and information overload are described as possible hurdles for digitalisation. Lee, Son and Kim (2016) hold a similar view, demonstrating that information overload is a well-known factor resulting in fatigue and stress for the individuals. According to Fitzgerald et al. (2014), providing employees with good training is the key to avoiding such issues.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Indispensable to meet the needs of the clients and the trend of digitalisation

Necessary to apply digital consulting technologies with priority in projects

Necessary to support classic consulting services through digital consulting technologies

Depending on the individual project and client

Combining classical with digital forms of consulting is…

Figure 2.5 – Graphic representation of Nissen et al.’s results (Author)

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2.2.2 Clients’ view: high expectations with regard to consultancy

The client-consultant relationship plays a key role in the success of a project in consultancy. Several types of clients, categorised in Figure 2.6, must be considered according to their involvement and role with regard to the project (Kubr, 2002; Newcombe, 2003). Views and expectations vary depending on those categories as well as the personalities of individuals. Primary and intermediate clients usually demonstrate a need for tailor-made services and want the consulting firm they work with to meet all three requirements which are: collaboration, sharing of knowledge and trust (Kubr, 2002).

Figure 2.6 – The different types of clients in consultancy (Author)

Because they may be exposed to many doubts when hiring consultants, fearing a loss of control or feeling sceptical regarding their capabilities, clients will assess consultants before they are ready to truly discuss their issue. When doing so, they are looking for credibility, competencies, trustworthiness and empathy (Baaij, 2013). Even afterwards, clients remain very demanding and expect both effort for achievement and tangible results (Babaeian Jelodar, Yiu and Wilkinson, 2016). When it comes to digitalisation, it is becoming the norm in people’s mindset, clients included, even though they might not have realised it, as shown in Figure 2.7 (Wood Mackenzie, n.d.). More generally, the digital world is turning into a showcase of the real world. Let us consider a simple example. If someone looks at the mobile application of a cafeteria and think it is bad, this same person will conclude the coffee sold at that place must also be bad. The same principle applies to consulting firms and the services they offer (Salomon Figueroa, 2017).

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Figure 2.7 – People’s views on how digitalisation will affect industry (Author, adapted from Wood Mackenzie, n.d.)

2.2.3 Comparison of both views when imagining the consulting firm of the future

A study was conducted by Source Information Services Ltd in 2013, gathering both clients’ and consultants’ perspectives on the consulting industry and its future. Key findings are summarised below.

1. Clients want customisation and flexibility.

2. Asset-based consulting seems promising since assets are aligned with results and “will help to shift the prevailing mindset of consulting firms away from inputs and towards solutions” (p.6).

3. The influence of technology is increasing continuously, but clients are still asking for close monitoring and relationship building through face-to-face contact. For consultants, the challenge is to show clients how adopting technologies will add value to the service they are offering.

4. Developing internal tools and services enables consulting firms to deliver powerful and commoditised services matching their clients’ needs.

The above-mentioned study compares clients’ and consultants’ views regarding consultancy, including the use of technologies, which is one of the objectives of the present report. However, given the hyper speed of digitalisation (Muro and Liu, 2017), people’s mindsets have certainly changed since 2013. Additionally, the study does investigate a wide range of subjects concerning change in consultancy, and the section on technologies is succinct.

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2.3 The consulting process

2.3.1 Identification of key phases

According to Margerison (2017), Kubr (2002) and Baaij (2013), the consulting process can be divided into key activities. They all use their own classification, but the phases identified are very similar overall, even if terminologies differ, as illustrated by Figure 2.8.

Comparing the views of the three authors, it appears that Margerison (2017) focuses less on termination than his peers. Conversely, Accola (1993) and Baaij (2013) attribute importance to this last phase since it may create opportunities to continue working with the client on another project when the previous one comes to an end. This is called repeat business, known to be the most effective because it is a sustainable way of generating sales leads, represented by the link between ‘Client relationship management’ and ‘Marketing’ in the management consultancy cycle (Figure 2.9).

Figure 2.8 – Margerison’s, Kubr’s and Baaij’s identification of the main consulting steps (Author)

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Figure 2.9 – The management consultancy cycle (Author, adapted from Baaij, 2013)

2.3.2 Use of tools alongside the consulting process

According to Kubr (2002), phase 1 -Entry- is closely related to a marketing approach. During this phase, the consulting firm is selling a service which, in consultancy, is nothing other than a promise. Kubr claims that consultants should not hesitate to be entrepreneurial, innovative and even aggressive, if necessary, in marketing. Preddy (2017) also agrees on the fact that having a marketing programme is key to designing a consulting service, and even goes further, emphasising that having a good service is simply not good enough anymore.

Similarly, methods and tools are helpful at every stage of the consulting project. Accola (1993) identified tools which are usually used along with the different steps described in the previous section (Figure 2.10).

Figure 2.10 – Tools utilised through different phases of the consulting process (Accola, 1993)

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2.3.3 From temporary expert to trusted advisor

Consultants who are constantly interacting with their client throughout the consulting process develop strong relationships with them. Therefore, they are not only viewed as temporary experts but become trusted advisors for their clients, which is the goal of any consulting firm (Blanton, 2017; Maister, Green and Galford, 2001; Vogel, 2015).

Undoubtedly, being considered as a trusted advisor fosters the possibility of starting a subsequent project and thus completing Baaij’s cycle (2013). Offering a service, including a digital tool providing data analysis and follow-up, being used by both the consultants and the clients in the long run, may help a consultancy achieve this goal.

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- RESEARCH DESIGN

3.1 Overview

The present research aims to meet the three key objectives formulated in Chapter 1. For this

purpose, Chapter 2 investigates the existing evidence base and thus gathers some useful

findings. But what makes this study valuable is its connection to a real business environment.

Benefiting from that, empirical research has been conducted and a grounded theory approach

has been used. As a result, this study provides a combination of both theory driven and

experience driven findings.

This chapter aims to explain the research design (Figure 3.2), which follows the conceptual, empirical, analytic and dissemination phases of design decisions in research described by Whittemore and Melkus (2008). The reader will be pointed towards the data collection procedure and sampling methods. This is followed by a description of the process chosen for the data analysis and interpretation. This section also includes a reflection on the reliability, limitations and ethical considerations regarding the methods adopted.

3.2 Conceptual phase

Time was spent examining and critiquing the existing evidence based on the topic of interest,

in order to understand in more detail the scope of the research questions and the current

state of science. A critical review of the literature has been undertaken, covering a large

spectrum of papers and documents. Raw data have been transformed into a set of resources

ordered by themes. This method gave a structure to the research and thus made it easier to

extract and synthesise data, comparing the conflicting or similar views of different authors

when referring to the same topic.

Additionally, internal resources have been reviewed, such as documents explaining processes and procedures for clients’ data safety, providing some additional insights.

3.3 Empirical phase

To obtain experience driven findings, the opinions of stakeholders and professionals within

the consulting industry have been gathered through interviews. The sample selection ensures

that both consultants’ and clients’ views have been collected, with Objective 1 aiming to

identify gaps between them.

A panel of 4C employees (representing the “consultants”) has been selected to span multiple

areas and thus transcribe every aspect and opinion. Three categories of employee were

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interviewed: analysts, working with Power BI directly; consultants, managers and directors,

who deal with clients’ requests and have feedback to share; and developers, having valuable

insights about 4C’s strategy and digitalisation.

On the other hand, clients’ views have been collected both through feedback reported by 4C employees and interviews conducted with some clients directly. Table 3-1 presents participants’ profiles, based on their function, role and organisation.

Table 3-1 – Panel selected for interviews (Author)

ID Role Organisation Interview duration

Analysts

(1) Analyst 4C Associates 40 minutes

(2) Analyst 4C Associates 45 minutes

Consultants / Managers

(3) Account manager 4C Associates 35 minutes

(5) Senior manager 4C Associates 40 minutes

(8) Director 4C Associates 45 minutes

Developers

(4) Consultant in IaaS* team 4C Associates 60 minutes

(9) CTO 4C Associates 75 minutes

Clients

(6) Project Manager OilCo 25 minutes

(7) Data Insight Manager OilCo 40 minutes

(10) Programme Manager RailCo 45 minutes

*IaaS = Insight as a Service, 4C’s programme of digital tools development

Regarding the data collection plan, semi-structured interviews were undertaken. This choice

is due to the natural flow of conversation and opportunities to ask follow-up questions to

elaborate on or identify new areas of investigation during the interview (Gill et al., 2008).

Average interview duration is 45 minutes.

Interviews with consultants were conducted in a semi-formal way. Indeed, a relationship was

already established between interviewer and interviewee, through work, which facilitated the

conversation and fostered spontaneity. Additionally, as 4C is taking on interns from Cranfield

University every year, most employees understand the issues at stake and are happy to

contribute to the thesis process. On the other hand, for the purpose of creating an

atmosphere of trust during interviews with clients, special attention has been paid to making

very clear the purpose and outputs of the process.

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Interview questions (Appendix 3) cover the following subjects of discussion: personal views

and organisation’s strategy regarding digitalisation, personal opinions and feedback on Power

BI, and possible improvements regarding the process used. Questions are open-ended and

impartial, as the main objective is to obtain ideas and experience from stakeholders without

influencing them.

3.4 Analytic phase

Data collected through interviews is transcribed verbatim, using Otter, with special attention

being paid to the accuracy of the transcriptions. Next, the analytical software NVivo helps

identify patterns and relationships, using open coding at first to then develop core categories,

as shown in Figure 3.1. Data categorisation allows easy comparison of the different views

gathered and to match them with findings from the literature review.

Grounded theory methodology is thus adopted, using conceptualisation, reduction and

elaboration (Strauss and Corbin, 1994). According to Martin and Turner (1986), the grounded

theory approach is particularly effective in organisational research as it helps in identifying

possible improvements, which is the aim of Objective 3.

Figure 3.1 – Procedure followed in applying NVivo (Hilal and Alabri, 2013, adapted from Bazeley, 2007)

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3.5 Research validity, limitations and ethical considerations

According to Overmars, Verburg and Veldkamp (2005), the inductive approach, although

more rigid than the deductive methodology, is transparent and allows the rapid identification

of key elements of discussion, which makes it ideal to investigate topics without starting from

a hypothesis. Additionally, the sample selection has been made representative and balanced,

adding to the validity of the study.

However, the research is empirical, based on observation, therefore subjective. To ensure the

findings are still reliable, the key is to carefully and rigorously conduct observations (Patten

and Newhart, 2017), which the author has endeavoured to do.

Ethical considerations, such as informed consent, anonymity, right to privacy and protection

of clients’ sensitive data, arose out of the research design (Patten and Newhart, 2017). To

address them, a consent form (Appendix 4) has been designed and was signed by both parties

before each interview, guaranteeing anonymisation, possibility to withdraw at any time

without penalty, and explaining the purpose and outputs of the interviews. Also, any sensitive

or personal data have been removed from the analysis.

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Figure 3.2 – Flow diagram illustrating the research design (Author)

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- RESULTS & FINDINGS

Codes have been identified in NVivo, the first level being based on the themes identified in

Chapter 2 (Figure 4.1). The thematic distribution presented below seems unbalanced, ‘digital

tools’ gathering more references, because they are very specific and short, whereas entire

paragraphs detailing an idea are coded in ‘digitalisation’ and ‘process’.

Figure 4.1 – Three levels of codes identified in NVivo using an inductive methodology (NVivo)

This chapter presents the findings tied to the research objectives.

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4.1 Gaps between consultants’ and clients’ perspectives

4.1.1 Digitalisation

Overall, consultants’ and clients’ views regarding digitalisation are aligned (Table 4-1). What

is noticeable is the general consensus around digitalisation being the right direction to follow

and the growth, although slow, of the phenomenon.

Table 4-1 – Comparison between consultants’ and clients’ perspectives regarding digitalisation (Author)

Illustrative quotes - Consultants Illustrative quotes - Clients

The right way to go “It's so obvious. It's going to be a table stake.” (9)

“It is definitely the right way to go.” (6, 10)

Save time and money

“We can get that back to a client in a couple of days now (…) that used to take like a month (…) the cost of the

diagnostic now is so much lower.” (9)

“It's seen as something that can save the organisation money, reduce costs.”

(7)

Growing awareness

“people are realising that there is a lot of data” (9)

“we are open to adoption” (7)

Adoption takes time

“When you ask people what digital procurement means, everyone says: ‘I don’t know what that means’.” (5)

“I think people are still anti, they don’t want to change.” (6)

Need to combine technology and

knowledge

“No one buys us because of our tools. They might buy us because our tools give us an edge and help us do things others can't quicker. And give

us better results.” (3)

“I think that's where digitalisation perhaps, isn't as strong as, obviously

human beings. It needs to be smart to be used correctly.” (10)

Overused “that word does get heavily overused” (3)

4.1.2 Digital tools – Power BI as a case study

Unlike ‘digitalisation’, the category ‘digital tool’, outlining opinions on Power BI, reveals a gap

between views. Consultants tend to depict benefits whereas clients are highlighting almost

as many drawbacks (Figure 4.2).

Figure 4.2 – Calculated ratios of drawbacks to benefits based on the number of occurrences (Author)

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Figure 4.3 gives the detailed comparison between clients’ and consultants’ views.

Figure 4.3 – Comparison of consultants’ and clients’ individual answers to the question ‘What is your opinion about Power BI and its capabilities?’ (Author)

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4.2 The existing process of utilising digital tools

Four areas have been identified (Figure 4.4); they are described below.

Figure 4.4 – Themes emerging from interviewee’s answers regarding the integration of digital tools

in the consulting process (Author)

4.2.1 Presentation

Digital tools are considered an asset, “a selling channel” (3), by consultants. However, clients have never experienced it and can be reluctant to learn something new (1). Both consultants and clients cite demos as the best way to present the tool. For consultants, the aim is to “show them how easy it is” (1,2). For clients, demos are helpful and spark interest (5). Besides, consultants are presenting a tangible tool implemented successfully in the past, not simply promises, thus allowing clients to develop trust (10). Presenting the tool’s capabilities is essential, but consultants should also demonstrate insights. Indeed, what clients don’t buy is the tool itself but the opportunities it creates (3). One client interviewed stated: “Power BI can be used by anyone. It then depends on the way of using it.” (6).

4.2.2 Data security procedures

As mentioned by (9), along with the adoption of digital tools in consultancy comes the issue of data security. Clients are sharing sensitive data and are therefore very demanding in that regard. To convince and reassure them, it has become essential for consultancies to present detailed procedures, proof of reliability and professionalism (9). Internal documents describing policies of 4C in terms of client data security have been reviewed. They lay down the procedure adopted regarding data retention, sharing and protection, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Table 4-2).

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Table 4-2 – 4C data classification, which determines the way data are stored and shared (Author, adapted from 4C Associates)

4.2.3 Development

Tools are developed according to clients’ needs and expectations (1,4,6). However, the two developers interviewed advocate the ‘Listen/Don’t listen’ strategy: the objective is to “get to a point where once you do understand what they want, stop listening” (10,4), because clients are always asking for more.

4.2.4 Training

Training was mentioned during every interview. Findings are summarised following three key questions.

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Why training?

Table 4-3 – Benefits and drawbacks of conducting training, both internally and externally (Author)

Internal (to consultants) External (to clients)

B E

N E

F IT

S

▪ “Teach people the basic skills or the basic awareness they need in order to use it” (4)

▪ Increase the number of resources capable of developing the tool as it is being used increasingly (9)

▪ Develop capabilities, learning curve (9)

▪ Meet clients’ expectations (6) ▪ Raise awareness of the tool and thus

increase the number of users (10) ▪ Have clients able to understand and

use the tool properly and independently (1, 10)

▪ Show value to the clients before savings are actually delivered (9)

D R

A W

B A

C K

S

▪ Clients who deeply understand the tool and the way it is built will ask for very precise features and developments (1)

▪ Having clients able to maintain the tool on their own compromises opportunities to obtain recurring revenues (9)

How to deliver training?

Whether using dashboards or building them, knowledge comes from practice (1,4,6,7,8,10),

initial sessions are helpful to give the first insights (1,4,9), and an expert able to answer

specific questions is needed (1,2,10).

Who should be trained?

Consultants strongly believe that everyone should be trained internally, at all levels

(1,2,4,5,8,9). Naturally, analysts work on data science, while managers deal with the

specification part. As such, they don’t use tools such as Power BI, and even if they do, they

don’t build them. “I think everyone should have a basic understanding. After that, it's about

how much you need to use it.” (5)

In contrast, no one really expressed a strong view on who should be trained on the client side.

This probably reflects a lack of clarity in terms of who should use the tools in the first place.

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4.3 Challenges related to the successful realisation of digital tools in consulting

4.3.1 Very different views amongst clients

Even though only three clients have been interviewed, it was obvious they had very different

and sometimes controversial views regarding the adoption of digital tools as part of the

consulting service. (6) believes digital tools are becoming the norm and wants them to be

included in the offer: “When I went to get to know the capabilities of teams, they didn’t even

need to sell it to me. I mean, it's part of the base layer. It's a tool.”

However, this statement is in total disagreement with the opinion of (10), who doesn’t know

anything about Power BI and its capabilities and doesn’t seem to believe there is a value in

using such tools. Therefore, there is a challenge for consultants to make sure the process

adopted is suitable for all types of client reaction.

4.3.2 Identification of improvement opportunities

The example of the project conducted for RailCo, the biggest account 4C is working on at the

moment, described by (5), outlines many areas for improvement (Figure 4.6).

Figure 4.5 – Example of what happened with the client RailCo regarding the adopting of digital tools (Author, based on interview 5)

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Digital tools are presented to clients during sales pitches and proposals, whose structure

doesn’t include a proper conversation about the use of digital tools (8).

Regarding development, consultants and clients concur with the tool being

“overcomplicated” (8,9), which leads to a lack of clarity on the client side (10). In some

instances, tools could have been better developed: “It has to be intuitive to use and to

navigate” (7), “We need to make it easy, relevant and accessible” (10). Additionally, the line

is thin between customisable, which consultants limit because it adds low value and is time-

consuming, and configurable. The latter means the possibility of adding new functionalities

and improving the tool (9).

Training is not perfect either. Internally, people seek training to reach consultants and

managers as well as analysts, stating that managers “don't know how much time it takes, how

difficult it is, because they have never done it themselves” (2,4,9). One of the managers

interviewed has confirmed the statement above, by describing Power BI as “a basic tool, just

like Excel” (5). Client-wise, it appears that the vast majority of clients don’t know how to use

the tool, even if they acknowledge its potential (10).

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- DISCUSSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter first re-examines objectives 1 and 2 of the research by analysing findings

gathered in Chapters 2 and 4. Practical managerial implications are then discussed, which

leads to consider objective 3 and draw up recommendations on how to manage digital tools

in consultancy. To conclude, a road map is put forward, gathering together the findings and

recommendations.

5.1 Gaps between consultants’ and clients’ perspectives regarding

digitalisation and the adoption of digital tools

Based on the review of the existing literature and interviews conducted using Power BI as a

case study, consultants’ and clients’ views regarding digitalisation and the use of digital tools

were compared. Similarities as well as gaps emerged from this comparison.

Consultants and clients generally concur that digitalisation is the right way to go, notably

because it saves time and money, despite the slowness of the process. They also agree on the

fact that even though technology and digital tools bring value to the proposition, what clients

buy is the insight, not the tool itself. This is aligned with Baaij’s view: “Staff are the ultimate

source of a sustainable competitive advantage for management consultancy firms” (2013,

p.231).

On the other hand, gaps have been identified. As shown by Figure 4.2, clients are generally

less enthusiastic when it comes to digital tools, as they spontaneously exposed more

drawbacks (or fewer benefits) than consultants. Besides, clients don’t seem to recognise the

technical benefits of the tool (multi-user access, integration of multiple sources, detection of

errors). More surprisingly, out of the three clients interviewed, none emphasised the

possibility for customisation or continuous improvement of the tool. It seems that they trust

consultants regarding functionalities and are more demanding when it comes to ease of use,

accessibility and attractiveness. They have expectations of pure users. The same observation

can be drawn for the drawbacks identified by participants (Figure 4.3).

5.2 The consulting process that integrates digital tools

This study combines theory driven findings, which depict the classic consulting process, with

experience driven findings, which examine the integration of an analytic digital tool (Power

BI) in the consulting process. Areas identified through interviews coincide with the 5-step

process defined by Kubr (2002). Additionally, findings reveal that using technologies as part

of the consulting service is interrelated with the need to develop internal capabilities, through

training and experience.

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Objective 2 has been achieved and the existing process made clear. The resulting mapping

out (Figure 5.1) serves as a basis to analyse the process and identify opportunities for

improvements in integrating digital tools within the consulting service for both consultants’

and clients’ benefits.

Figure 5.1 – The consulting process integrating digital tools (Author)

5.3 Practical managerial implications of the findings

5.3.1 Reach a collective view

Through the achievement of Objective 1, gaps have been identified between consultants’ and

clients’ views on the digital tools used by 4C. This divergence can be explained by the fact that

consultants are adopting a very practical and technical point of view whereas clients only

consider the tool as simple users, finding it hard sometimes to use and control. This can

certainly be generalised to other digital tools, even if the present study does not prove that.

In any buyer-seller relationship, divergence of opinions creates challenges. In this case, there

is a risk that clients don’t see the value of the tool and don’t receive the full benefit of it.

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Conflicts of opinion could also be a source of misunderstanding and confusion, altering

communication between the two parties. This challenge is reinforced by opinions varying

largely among clients (4.3.1). Therefore, it is essential for consultants and clients to reach a

collective view on the value brought by the adoption of digital tools and how it should be

managed and integrated within the service offered.

5.3.2 Align to clients’ needs and level of expertise

For the purposes of meeting Objective 3, areas for improvement were identified in Chapter

4. Globally, a general issue of communication emerges, leading to confusion among clients,

who see the use of digital tools as overly difficult. This feeling is reinforced by the fact that

consultants can overcomplicate the tools during the development phase (4.3.2).

Besides, possible drawbacks resulting from training clients were identified. One of them is

clients becoming capable of maintaining the tools themselves, which compromises

opportunities for recurring revenues (9). To prevent this, consultants’ capabilities must

always remain ahead of those of clients. According to Duddridge (2018), this is a major

challenge in consultancy and relies on the capacity to develop the right knowledge and skills,

which makes it both a human resource and a technology issue.

5.4 Recommendations

5.4.1 Foster communication

An issue emerging from the interviews’ analysis is a global lack of communication between

clients and consultants, leading to confusion on both sides. Consultants need to remember

two key points: 1-They are the experts, clients are only users and therefore don’t have the

same skills and expectations. 2-There is no such thing as over-communication: “The great

enemy of communication is the illusion of it” (Whyte, 1950).

Practical recommendations would be to include a section in the proposals to present the

benefits of digital tools, and to have a conversation with clients during phase 3 – action

planning, to clearly define the objectives, terms of use and key stakeholders related to the

digital tools. Communication then needs to remain effective on a regular basis, through

weekly and monthly reporting meetings.

The review of the literature has shown that clients are asking for flexibility and tailor-made

services (Kubr, 2002). The point of ensuring effective communication is to reassure clients

that digital tools are supporting and reinforcing the classic, tailored consulting service, not

replacing it.

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5.4.2 Develop tools based on gathered best practices

Tools developed are unique, because they are configurable depending on clients’ needs,

which makes it impossible to define a common detailed procedure. However, technical

specifications can be listed, highlighting functionalities of tools developed in the past, and

associated to a development cost. This could serve as a starting point for clients to choose the

functionalities they want, designed like a catalogue.

Then, the tool must be developed by consultants, reporting progress to clients regularly to

ensure it fits their specifications as much as possible. Clients shouldn’t choose blindly what

their tool will be, but they will be involved and make the final decision, being advised by

consultants, as it is always the case in the consulting world that the client is king.

However, falling into extreme customisation needs to be avoided; consultants should adopt

the ‘Listen/Don’t listen’ strategy described by (4) and (9) – 4C developers who have

experienced such situations. Besides, consultants should be able to create a limit regarding

sophistication, to prevent digital tools that are developed from being overcomplicated.

A recommendation would be to create a document gathering best practices and learning.

Currently, experiences are not shared formally, whereas they could benefit everyone.

Strategies should be built from that and be spread across all employees working with digital

tools.

5.4.3 Provide training internally and externally

Training design

The key objective is to develop employees’ competencies and autonomy. For that, some

practical methods are suggested. Training sessions should be:

▪ Practice-based, to enhance self-belief and develop active learning strategies.

▪ Organised by small groups of two or three people who converse to solve exercises,

which prepares them to think logically and have similar conversations with themselves

when facing problems on their own. Brophy (2000) calls this concept ‘thoughtful

discourse’.

▪ Animated by two people considered to be ‘experts’ by attendees, to foster

engagement and confidence (Stephens, 2015).

Internal training

Findings reveal that all employees should be trained, since consulting firms need to grow

global capabilities. As such, the existing analyst-focused training should be extended to

consultants and managers.

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Besides training sessions, exercises should be designed internally, with indicative levels of

difficulty. They could serve to evaluate and assess competencies of analysts, who must be

able to develop the tool and answer clients’ queries.

Additionally, an internal conversation/forum could be created, including analysts, developers,

and consultants on a voluntary basis, so people can request help on a specific matter. In

addition to saving time, the group effect would increase engagement and motivation, and

since everyone can see questions and answers, capabilities would be developed as a whole

and not only by separate individuals.

External training

Providing training sessions to clients has been done by 4C for RetailCo1, because the client

asked specifically for it, and was deemed successful. This should become the norm, as doing

so has many benefits. Indeed, it raises interest in the tool and thus increases the chances for

it to be used; it shows value to the clients before savings are delivered; it demonstrates

knowledge and expertise and thus connects to the image of trusted advisor, adding an

intangible value to the service offered.

Motivator

People need a motivator. Sometimes, the motivator is the learning process itself: “If you can

produce something that adds a value relatively easily, like the visualisation side, then you're

encouraged to come back to it for more, and then you pick up more by osmosis” (4). But

developing the capability to use a digital tool is time- and effort-consuming, as stated by

participants. This may act as an impediment to learning. Besides, Gegenfurtner et al. (2016)

demonstrate that “The correlation coefficient between performance‐approach goal

orientation and transfer of training was more positive when entry into training programs was

obligatory”. Therefore, training should be mandatory, regardless of trainees’ status, and

capabilities should be part of personal objectives or job requirements.

Figure 5.2 outlines the key practical recommendations regarding training, according to the

role and thus needs of the audience.

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Figure 5.2 – Providing effective training tailored to the audience (Author)

5.5 Road map for the successful realisation of digital tools in consulting

incorporating both consultants’ and clients’ views

All things considered, objectives 1 and 2 expose the current state of the adoption of digital tools and their integration into the consulting process. Combining them with recommendations enables to put forward a road map (Figure 5.3) and thus fulfil Objective 3 of the study.

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Figure 5.3 – Road map for the successful realisation of digital tools in consulting

incorporating both consultants’ and clients’ views (Author)

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- CONCLUSION

6.1 Contributions

As stated in Chapter 1, this study aims to investigate how consultants should adopt and use

digital tools to improve clients’ experience and hence help grow long-term relationships with

them.

Through the achievement of Objective 1, clients’ and consultants’ perspectives have been

compared. Notably, this research revealed that clients have difficulties in fully understanding

digital tools; they have user-oriented expectations and feel concerned about losing the

tailored service offered by consultants because of technology. Besides, the existing process

that integrates digital tools has been mapped out based on theory and experience driven

findings (Objective 2), and areas for improvement have been identified.

Thanks to the findings gathered, practical business recommendations were drawn up and

explained: foster communication, develop tools based on gathered best practices, and

provide training internally and externally. As per Objective 3, a road map was put forward,

summarising findings and recommendations, highlighting the practices and processes

consultants should use in maximising the benefits of digital tools in the consulting service.

A contribution has been made to both academic theory and practice. Indeed, this study has

enriched the existing evidence base, breaking new ground by linking consultancy, digital tools

and clients’ needs. Using an empirical approach and combining theory driven findings with

experience driven findings adds value to the research. Additionally, practical managerial

implications and recommendations arise from the study, which can be used by consulting

firms to reassess and rethink the way they integrate technologies within their service.

6.2 Limitations

Although many efforts were made for this study to be as accurate and relevant as it possibly

could be, limitations are unavoidable, especially when it comes to empirical research.

Firstly, any investigation around digitalisation is truly relevant only for a certain amount of

time, as it is a fast moving and ever-changing phenomenon.

The major limitation of this study is certainly the fact that findings are based on a case study,

which means they are linked to a very particular context in terms of sector, company and

tool’s specifications and use. Results could vary if the same research were conducted in

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another context. Therefore, general conclusions are drawn but need to be challenged to

assess whether they can be extrapolated or not, which is left to the reader’s judgement. For

instance, Power BI is largely used by 4C through different phases of their programmes.

However, if considering a less central tool, it may not be useful to spend time and resources

training all employees.

The number of interviewees is another limitation. Although distribution by role within the

panel is representative of reality, gathering more views would have reinforced the validity of

the research, especially when considering a topic such as digitalisation, where opinions vary

significantly.

Additionally, time constraints inhibited the fulfilment of further analyses and validation. It

would have been interesting to collect quantitative data to validate or invalidate findings

gathered through interviews, but there was no time for that.

6.3 Further research

Each one of the recommendations could be further investigated. Regarding tools

development, this study gives some managerial recommendations, but technical aspects also

need to be considered. Additionally, a broad range of literature on how to provide effective

training is available and would be worth considering to supplement the recommendations

formulated in the previous chapter.

Similarly, it would be valuable to further analyse clients’ appetite for the integration of

technology in the consulting service. Based on that, a marketing approach could be identified,

which would address the problem raised by (8): “We have to pitch it right. It should be an

enabler that we come with as part of our toolkit. The issue we are having is how can we

commercialise that? Does the client value it?”

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APPENDICES

Appendix 1 – Screenshot of a dashboard from 4Spend

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Appendix 2 – Screenshots of dashboards from 4Margin

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Appendix 3 – Interview questions

Interviewees’ identification:

▪ For how long have you been working with this company (4C/Client)?

▪ Role?

▪ How often do you use and work with Power BI? In what circumstances?

Personal views and organisation’s strategy regarding digitalisation:

▪ What do you personally think about digitalisation?

▪ How do you think your organisation is doing in terms of digitalisation? Compared to competitors?

Personal opinions and feedback on Power BI:

▪ What do you think about Power BI?

▪ Do you think 4C is utilising Power BI in a right way, given the capabilities and possibilities offered by the tool?

▪ How do you think it adds value for the client? (competitive advantage)

Possible improvements regarding the process used:

▪ Questions about the use of the tool during the whole process: how it is presented to the client?

▪ What are the different phases which integrate the tools to the consulting service?

▪ How is the tool developed? Do clients contribute to the development?

▪ Any feedback from clients you could share?

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Appendix 4 –

Informed Consent Form

Title of the project: Adoption of digital tools in consultancy

Name of the researcher: Marion Enard

Researcher’s contact details:

• email: marion.enard@4cassociates.com

• phone number: +33638587684

Participant number:

Part I: Request consent to participate and note the ability to withdraw.

• I confirm that I have been informed about this research project and I agree to take part.

• I understand that all personal information I provide will be treated with confidence and my name will not be used in any report, publication or presentation.

• I understand that I am sharing my personal point of view and am speaking for myself, not for the company I am working at.

• I have been provided with a participant number as shown above. The researcher will record data against my participant number instead of recording my name. The file linking my name to my participant number will be accessible only to the researcher and will be securely destroyed after 18 October 2019.

• I understand that I can withdraw from this project at any stage by informing the researcher, for whom contact details have been provided.

Part II: Confirm the security of data storage.

• I understand that the data I provide will be used by Cranfield University for the purpose of research. The data will be stored on the University’s network that can only be accessed by authorised users, in line with UK data protection regulation.

• Interviews will be recorded and stored by the researcher only as audio files. These audio files will be securely deleted when they are no longer required, that is after 18/10/19.

• The recordings will be transcribed and saved as text files. Anonymised transcripts will be created, by removing or replacing identifiers such as name, role, and location. These files will be attached in annex of the final report, and any backups will be securely deleted when they are no longer required.

• An analytical software (NVivo) will be used to aggregate the results of the research, and every reasonable step will be taken to anonymise the data.

I understand that the aggregated data will be published in support of the research findings.

I confirm that I have read and understand the information provided on this form and give my consent to taking part in this research.

Participant’s name:

Participant’s signature: Date:

Researcher’s signature: Date:

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