Today's Management Consulting Pulse
KPMG partners with Anthropic to embed Claude AI across its global workforce
KPMG announced a global alliance with Anthropic to integrate the Claude large‑language model into its Digital Gateway platform. The move gives every employee in 138 countries direct access to the AI tool and positions KPMG as Anthropic’s preferred consulting partner for private‑equity firms, marking the most extensive AI commitment among the Big Four.
Deloitte Unveils Google Cloud Agentic Transformation Practice to Scale Gemini Enterprise AI
Deloitte announced a dedicated Google Cloud Agentic Transformation practice at Cloud Next 2026 in Las Vegas, aiming to accelerate enterprise AI adoption with over 1,000 pre‑built agents and expanding Gemini Enterprise access from 25,000 to 100,000 professionals. The move deepens Deloitte’s alliance with Google Cloud and positions the firm to help clients shift from AI pilots to production‑grade deployments.
Vodafone and Google Cloud Deploy AI‑Powered Security and Concierge Services for SMBs
Vodafone Business and Google Cloud have launched a managed detection and response service and an AI Concierge tool for small‑ and medium‑size enterprises in Germany and Greece. The offerings extend the firms' $1 billion strategic partnership and create fresh consulting opportunities...
US Management Consulting Market Forecast to Hit $160.11 Bn by 2034
Renub Research projects the United States management consulting services market to expand from $111.43 bn in 2025 to $160.11 bn by 2034, a compound annual growth rate of 4.11%. The forecast reflects rising demand for digital transformation, cost‑optimization and regulatory advisory across...
Use “Light” Lean Six Sigma When the Textbook Approach Is Not Possible
Practitioners eager to apply Lean Six Sigma often face environments lacking continuous‑improvement culture, senior sponsorship, or low‑cost measurement, making textbook projects impractical. A "light" LSS approach breaks the methodology into modular tools—VOC for internal SMEs, simple RACI structures, 5S, and...
Chapin Newhard Puts Founders First in Middle‑Market M&A Advisory
Chapin Newhard, managing partner of 48North Partners, is championing a founder‑first approach to middle‑market M&A advisory. By engaging owners early and aligning deal strategy with personal goals, the boutique aims to challenge large banks and reshape how founders navigate exits.
Consulting vs Advisory
The article draws a clear line between consulting, which delivers finite, project‑based solutions to known problems, and advisory, which offers ongoing strategic guidance for ambiguous, evolving challenges. It introduces the concept of the “Locus of Certainty” to explain why one...
Better Employee Experience Directly Boosts EBITDA
#TimTalk - For the cynical CFO, what is the direct correlation between Employee Experience Design and a company’s EBITDA? with Dean E. Carter https://t.co/Gii3tiBtQn via @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Leadership #FutureofWork #HumanResources #HR #EX #Culture #WorkPlace #EmployeeWellbeing
Former Accenture and EY Exec Frank O’Dea Launches AI‑Focused Boutique Klarus
Frank O’Dea, former Accenture UK communications tech head and EY Ireland chief innovation officer, has launched Klarus, a London‑based AI consultancy backed by Crownway Investments. The firm pledges a senior‑talent, outcome‑focused model to shift AI from experimental silos to measurable...
Negotiating Without a Plan B: How Dealmakers Turn Power Imbalance Into Leverage
Harvard Business Review outlines how seasoned negotiators succeed even when a clear BATNA is missing. By expanding the definition of alternatives and using unilateral moves, dealmakers can shift power dynamics and protect their interests.
Sourcing Excellence IS Optimization!
The article argues that true sourcing excellence hinges on rigorous optimization rather than emerging AI tools. It highlights a dwindling pool of seasoned professionals capable of delivering such optimization, naming Paul Martyn as one of the few remaining masters with...
Weber Shandwick's AI Guru Moves to FGS Global
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how brands manage media, reputation, and content creation, from automated monitoring to predictive crisis modeling. In response, communications firms are building dedicated AI advisory practices to help clients translate technology into strategic advantage. FGS Global’s...
BP Board Faces Triple Climate Rebellion as Shareholders Defeat Key Resolutions
At BP's annual general meeting, shareholders voted down two climate‑related resolutions and rejected chair Albert Manifold’s re‑election, marking a triple rebellion. The outcome underscores mounting pressure on the energy giant to retain robust ESG reporting and has immediate implications for...
Major SAP Partner Bristlecone Plans Acquisitions, New Investments To Grow Supply Chain Business
Bristlecone, a Mahindra‑owned SAP partner, announced its first acquisition plans and a major investment program to expand its end‑to‑end supply‑chain business. The firm reported 30% revenue growth last year, with 70% of earnings coming from U.S. customers. It will triple...
How Northwell Health Engages Specialists in Value-Based Care
Northwell Health, overseeing 29 hospitals and 800+ ambulatory sites, is tackling the specialist‑centric gap in value‑based care. While most ACO contracts focus on primary‑care metrics, specialists account for the bulk of utilization costs and patient complexity. To bridge this, Northwell...
Merkle's Stauffer Tapped To Expand Dentsu's BX Consultancy
Dentsu has named John Stauffer, Merkle Americas’ Chief Strategy Officer, as Practice President for Business Transformation (BX) – International Markets. The new role tasks him with scaling Dentsu’s consultative BX services beyond Japan, where the unit now employs over 100...
Standardize YouTube Descriptions with a Simple Affiliate Template
I've been helping a client audit their content marketing strategy including their YouTube setup, and the description problem jumped out immediately. Five hundred videos with descriptions that were either bare-bones or wildly inconsistent, and an affiliate links program they'd barely...
How to Empower a “Number Two” To Execute Vision
#TimTalk - Great leaders often struggle to delegate. What is the specific strategy for empowering a “Number Two” who can actually execute the vision? with Dave Berkus https://t.co/oG8s59zLD8 via @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Leadership #FutureOfWork #Strategy #Culture #Entrepreneur #Business
Job‑Insecurity Survey Spurs Surge in HR and Change‑Management Consulting Demand
A new ADP survey of 39,000 workers across 36 countries shows fewer than one‑quarter feel their job is safe, igniting demand for HR, change‑management and talent‑development consulting. Firms such as Mercer, SAP and other boutique consultancies are racing to help...
SAP Flop Costs Lamb Weston $135M, Erodes Trust
A failed SAP implementation cost Lamb Weston $135M in lost sales, reduced net income by $72M, and dropped their stock price 20%. Customers lost trust due to unreliable supply. A costly lesson in project management. #SAPFailure #BusinessLessons https://t.co/QNMRcdyOOB
Data Debt Undermines AI Value Amid Organizational Silos
Data debt: AI’s value killer hidden in plain sight https://t.co/4x1ZfQU3h9 Which is news to no one who has been paying attention. But data has owners inside of most orgs. And they often don’t want it to serve everyone. Org culture is...
Egypt Launches Green Aviation Strategy, Engages Advisors for SAF and Digital Overhaul
Egypt’s civil aviation ministry announced a comprehensive green aviation roadmap that adds 34 new aircraft, builds a solar‑powered Terminal 4, studies domestic SAF production and rolls out a digital passport system. Officials said external advisory support will be key to delivering...
Chuck Fawcett Launches Owner’s Representation for Animatronics Across the Attractions Industry
Chuck Fawcett relaunched his firm FGR8 in late 2024 as an independent owner’s representation platform for animatronics, moving away from traditional vendor roles. Leveraging more than 35 years of experience with Disney, Universal and Warner Bros., he now advises developers,...
How Successful Leaders Guide Change without Overwhelm or Burnout
Episode 350 of The Change Signal podcast tackles why most change programs now fail, citing an 85‑95% failure rate as organizations wrestle with relentless disruption. Host David and author Michael Bungay Stanier argue that traditional top‑down mandates are outdated and that leaders must...
Artefact Deepens Google Cloud Collaboration W/ Gemini Enterprise, Wins 2026 Google Cloud AI Partner of the Year for EMEA
Artefact announced an expanded partnership with Google Cloud to deliver Gemini Enterprise‑powered, agentic AI solutions for large enterprises. The collaboration combines Gemini models, Vertex AI, and Artefact’s consulting expertise to accelerate AI transformation across sectors such as retail, finance, and...
Payslip and Deloitte Accelerate Global Payroll Centralisation Amid EU Pay‑Transparency Rules
Payslip and Deloitte unveiled a joint initiative that now automates over 1.3 million payslips a year across 125+ countries, processing roughly €5 billion ($5.5 billion) in payroll. The partnership, marking its two‑year anniversary, aims to meet tightening EU pay‑transparency directives with a unified,...
Dijital Team and Ex-Pax8 Academy’s Diana Drury Help IT Service Providers Level Up
Dijital Team partnered with former Pax8 Academy executive coach Diana Drury to launch the Better Business Pathway, a free enablement program for IT service providers. The initiative shifts focus from technical training to business capability, aiming to improve margins, scalability, and operational...
Former MBTA Chief Brian Shortsleeve Launches Governor Bid, Promises Data‑Driven Reforms
Brian Shortsleeve, the former chief administrator of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, has entered the Republican primary for governor. He vows to run the state with the same data‑driven, cost‑cutting playbook he used to halve the T’s operating deficit, positioning...
CrowdStrike Unveils Project QuiltWorks Coalition to Tackle AI‑Driven Vulnerabilities
CrowdStrike announced Project QuiltWorks, a cross‑industry coalition that includes Accenture, EY, IBM Consulting, Kroll and AI model providers OpenAI and Anthropic. The initiative will deliver continuous AI‑vulnerability assessments, board‑level risk reporting and guided remediation for enterprises facing a surge in...
Wilding Coaches Warn FOBO Fear Is Undermining Productivity and Retention
New York‑based Wilding coaches warn that fear of becoming obsolete (FOBO) is sapping employee productivity and retention. Their alert follows an ADP survey showing fewer than one‑in‑four workers feel their jobs are safe, a trend that could reshape talent strategy...
From Disruption to Stability: How Cortessia Limited Helps Growing Platforms Scale Without Breaking
Cortessia Limited warns that fast‑moving product teams often outpace operations, documentation, and decision‑making, creating hidden fractures that explode at scale. Its research identifies five pressure points—hand‑off seams, single‑point tools, aging assumptions, metric drift, and premature senior hires—that combine to force...
Clorox Shows What SAP S/4HANA Transformations Require Before 2027
The Clorox Company completed a five‑year, $580 million SAP S/4HANA transformation, treating it as an enterprise reinvention rather than a simple system swap. Early decisions around strategic framing, realistic benchmarking, and a built‑in adoption network shaped the program’s stability after go‑live....
McKinsey and Google Cloud Launch Joint AI Transformation Group
McKinsey & Company and Google Cloud unveiled the McKinsey Google Transformation Group at Cloud Next ’26 in Las Vegas, creating a joint unit to accelerate AI‑driven business transformation. The partnership blends McKinsey’s industry and change‑management know‑how with Google’s Gemini AI...
Scaling Agentic AI Demands Integrated Governance and Infrastructure
What does it take to scale Agentic AI responsibly? At Google Cloud Next, the message was clear: autonomous agents are moving from experimentation to production fast. And walking the IBM booth highlighted a more grounded reality: agentic scale is not...
AI Disrupts Junior Consulting Layer, Redefining Delivery and Pricing
#CIOChat Q2: The classic consulting pyramid depends on junior-heavy leverage. If AI replaces that layer, what do you expect happens to delivery models, price, timelines? Are you seeing less people, new skills, lower-cost engagements, or the “Holy Grail”, value-based pricing? https://t.co/BEjAwNGQC1
Change Management Is Getting More Sophisticated. So, Why Does It Feel Less Human?
Change management frameworks have become technically sophisticated, yet employees experience them as cold and transactional. Recent Gallup data shows global employee engagement slipping to 21% and manager engagement to 27%, underscoring the human cost of rapid restructuring. Leaders often rely...
GenAI Is Reshaping Consulting: Tasks Displaced or Accelerated
#CIOChat Q1: GenAI can clearly now draft decks, analyze markets, map processes, even propose architectures. Where are you already seeing consulting work getting displaced or compressed by AI? What’s actually gone vs. just faster? https://t.co/3nFFOrCofT
Reimagining Fortune 500 Processes with GenAI, Not Just Deployment
I am not helping f500 companies to deploy GenAI I help them to reimagine processes powered by GenAI
AI-Focused Services Make up 40 per Cent of BCG’s 2025 Revenue
Boston Consulting Group reported a 7% rise in global revenue to $14.4 bn in 2025, its 22nd consecutive growth year. AI‑focused services now account for over 40% of total revenue, driven by a 25% year‑over‑year increase in AI offerings. The firm...
CIO Chat: Are Consultants and SIs Facing Disruption?
Join this week’s #CIOChat 2-3 p.m. EST today. Topic: Consultants, SIs: Disrupted or Not? https://t.co/JWPjnulgap
Resistance Is Inevitable Even After Initial Buy‑In
Change management sounds simple, but resistance is inevitable. Even when everyone seems on board initially, expect pushback as the project progresses. It's a universal truth in project work. #ChangeManagement #ProjectTips https://t.co/PhW6ykcUmv
System Change Without Process Clarity: A Guaranteed Failure Point
System change projects often fail because organizations lack process clarity. Without a shared, documented understanding of workflow steps, responsibilities, and decision points, new software merely exposes existing gaps. The article outlines a typical failure pattern—from design based on assumptions to...
Assign AI Owner Before Q3 Board Deadline
Forty-five days before your Q3 board locks the priority list. Every AI controls action shipped before then lands in the same board pack as the AI capex line. Everything after that waits for the next cycle. Name the owner this week.
Align IT, Ops, and Finance for Cohesive Digital Transformation
Don't implement tech in a vacuum. Align IT, operations, and finance from the start. Integrate tech updates into your broader digital transformation roadmap to bridge the gap between current capabilities and future potential. #DigitalTransformation #ITStrategy https://t.co/B8WW3UADNU
300. The CEO’s Agenda for Thriving in the Agentic Age
In this 300th episode of Inside the Strategy Room, McKinsey partners Tangi, Sandra, Laurie, and Antoine discuss how CEOs must navigate the "agentic age" of generative AI, which they view as a true general‑purpose technology reshaping industries and company performance....
AI Agents Demand Heavy Onboarding, Not Universal Fix
McKinsey implemented and observed 50+ agentic AI builds for one year, but found "digital employees" require a lot of work to get up to speed. Maybe AI agents aren't the best answer to all business needs. https://t.co/MTl5oXt3aS via @ZDNET
Maximize AMPEAK 2026 with Strategic Alignment & CEO Briefings
Getting the Most Out of AMPEAK 2026: A Guide to Strategic Alignment and Private CEO Briefings https://t.co/EKVmRtm6sS
PwC India Eyes Consulting Changes to Standardise Services Across Regions
PwC India is evaluating a global overhaul to standardize its consulting services across all member firms. The unified model would align methodologies, processes, and delivery to give multinational clients consistent, faster advice. The push comes as the professional‑services market faces...
Demandbase Launches Premier+ Partner Tier to Power AI‑Driven GTM for Enterprises
Demandbase announced the Premier+ Service Delivery Partner tier, expanding its agency program to let select partners like Marketbridge provide end‑to‑end AI GTM services. The move aims to turn fragmented data insights into coordinated revenue actions for large enterprises.
Registrar Corp Acquires Dell Tech to Bolster Canadian Regulatory Consulting
Registrar Corp announced the acquisition of Dell Tech, a niche consultancy specializing in Canadian chemical regulatory compliance. The deal adds more than 30 regulatory experts to Registrar’s 300‑plus staff, strengthening its global advisory platform for food, cosmetics, medical devices and...
Hillhouse‑Backed Ascentium Acquires Dezan Shira to Ride $174 Billion China Outbound Surge
Ascentium, the Hillhouse‑backed business‑services platform, announced the acquisition of Dezan Shira & Associates, adding offices in Guangzhou and Tianjin and doubling its Vietnam footprint. The deal positions Ascentium to capture China’s $174 billion outbound investment surge and the growing demand from...