Today's Management Consulting Pulse
KPMG partners with Anthropic to embed Claude AI across its global workforce
KPMG has formed a global alliance with Anthropic to integrate the Claude large‑language model into its Digital Gateway platform. The rollout will give employees in 138 countries direct access to the AI tool, positioning KPMG as Anthropic’s preferred consulting partner for private‑equity firms and marking the most extensive AI commitment among the Big Four.
Accenture Appoints Sripad Patil As Managing Director To Strengthen Enterprise Transformation Leadership
Accenture announced the appointment of Sripad Patil as Managing Director to bolster its enterprise transformation leadership. Patil arrives with a track record of steering complex technology programs at Ascendion, Mphasis, Coforge and Mercer. In his new role he will oversee large‑scale digital modernization initiatives across Accenture’s global markets. The hire reflects the firm’s strategy to deepen expertise as demand for sophisticated enterprise tech projects accelerates.
Building Strategic Advantage With Integrated Planning
Integrated Business Planning (IBP) unites demand, supply, and financial forecasting into a single, disciplined cycle, replacing siloed decision‑making. By sharing assumptions across sales, operations, and finance, companies achieve earlier risk visibility, cleaner trade‑offs, and tighter control of margins, service levels,...
Netrio Debuts AI Advisory Practice to Accelerate Mid-Market Adoption
Netrio announced on May 5, 2026, from its McKinney, Texas headquarters a new AI advisory and transformation practice targeting mid‑market companies. The service bundles strategy, governance and deployment to turn fragmented AI pilots into scalable, business‑impacting solutions.
APQC CONNECT 2026 Takeaways: Bridging AI, Process, and People
APQC CONNECT 2026 gathered process leaders to confront a common dilemma: AI is advancing faster than many organizations are prepared to use it effectively. Speakers emphasized that without solid process, data, and knowledge foundations, AI initiatives often fail or amplify existing...
Boone Management Group Unveils Performance Suite to Tackle 70% Execution Gap and Recover EBITDA
Boone Management Group announced the Performance Suite, a product‑based platform designed to close the 70% execution gap identified by McKinsey. The suite aims to help enterprises with revenues above $100 million recover up to 20% of EBITDA lost to execution drag.
IBM Unveils AI Operating Model and New Consulting Services at Think 2026
At its Think 2026 conference, IBM introduced a four‑part AI operating model and a suite of new AI consulting services, including the next‑gen watsonx Orchestrate, IBM Concert, and IBM Enterprise Advantage. The rollout aims to move firms from isolated AI...
BoD's Strategic Oversight for Intelligent Organization
The article argues that modern boards must evolve from traditional risk‑mitigation bodies to digital‑fit overseers of AI‑enabled enterprises. Board directors need to view AI as an enterprise‑wide operating system, enforce interoperability standards, and embed autonomous governance with real‑time audit trails....
Gemba Walks: Why Leaders Must Go and How to Do It Right
The article explains that a Gemba walk—visiting the place where value is created—is a leadership practice aimed at observing processes, uncovering hidden problems, and engaging front‑line staff. It stresses that walks must be conducted with humility, open‑ended questioning, and a...
Belief Vs. Compliance: Why Lean Still Struggles to Take Root
Lean initiatives often stall not because employees resist change, but because firms rely on compliance rather than belief. Don Ephlin’s insight—that behavior shifts only when people truly believe—remains a litmus test for sustainable transformation. Organizations that embed trust, transparent problem‑solving, and...
Episode 86: Dawn Claussen and Michael Young
In this episode, Dawn Claussen, COO of Mutual Group, and Michael Young, President of Integrated Advisors Network discuss how their platforms support independent financial advisors through technology, compliance, and strategic business coaching. They explain their firms' growth models—Mutual Group’s broker‑dealer...
9 “Whys” Every Consulting Leader Should Master
The article urges consulting leaders to adopt a childlike curiosity by mastering a set of strategic "Why" questions during discovery. It outlines eight core "Whys"—from "Why now?" to "Why not?"—that help uncover urgency, justify investment, clarify fit, and surface risks....
Elixir Consulting Group Launches Business Automation Advisory Service for SMBs
Elixir Consulting Group announced the launch of a Business Automation Advisory service aimed at small and mid-sized businesses. The offering promises to map manual processes, prioritize automation opportunities, and assess cost impacts, reflecting growing boutique demand for specialized automation consulting.
Process Over Tools: I’ll Work Anywhere You Prefer
Google doc or not - I’ll work with you. I’m more concerned about your process and not ur tools . Let’s talk 👇🏾
Few MBB Leaders Offer Genuine Intellectual Contributions Today
Very good point, Lethal. Zook, BTW is terrific but not many of his MBB colleagues take the time and think hard enough to make real intellectual contributions. George Stalk used to at BCG. Tom Peters way back when at McK....
AI, Strategy, and the Future of Work: Oxford Economist Jean-Paul Carvalho
Oxford economist Jean‑Paul Carvalho argues that artificial intelligence is reshaping corporate strategy and the future of work. He notes that AI can lift productivity by as much as 30% when embedded in core processes, but the gains hinge on addressing...
AI Replaces Cloud as Business’s New Digital Engine
"From Digital Pipes to Cognitive Engines: Why Artificial Intelligence Marks Business’s Next Great Leap", Dez Blanchfield @dez_blanchfield on why digital transformation has shifted focus from CloudComputing to Artificial Intelligence. https://t.co/DyxrBztzNy
Disney Partners IBM to Drive Transformative Digital Growth
Next up - how @Disney is working with @IBM - a conversation between @JoanneWright16 and Susan Doniz - peppered with Disney media analogies and showing great transformation returns. #IBMThink https://t.co/1Gsludi6Ki
UST Acquires SAP Silver Partner Taciti to Boost Digital Transformation Services
UST announced the acquisition of Taciti Consulting, a boutique SAP Silver Partner with more than 240 employees, to deepen its SAP S/4HANA and Business Technology Platform expertise. The deal expands UST’s reach in high‑complexity sectors such as semiconductors, manufacturing and...
Bad Data Drove $84M SAP Failure and Six‑Month Shutdown
Spending millions on SAP S/4HANA failed spectacularly, going $84M over budget and shutting down operations for 6 months. Bad data complexity was a major culprit, crippling the business. #SAP #ProjectFailure #Business https://t.co/5mfv4SmYYp
The Scenario Planners Win: A Q&A With Teneo’s Bernardo Silva on How Food Manufacturers Should Be Preparing Right Now
Bernardo Silva of Teneo explains how food manufacturers are confronting the layered shock of the Iran conflict, which hits energy, freight, agricultural inputs and consumers in succession. He stresses scenario planning as the primary tool for anticipating cost spikes and...
KPMG Cuts ~400 Advisory Jobs as Consulting Demand Slows
KPMG announced it will cut roughly 400 U.S. advisory consultants, about 4% of its advisory headcount, citing weaker demand for regulatory risk, customer operations and financial‑services work. The layoffs target lower‑performing staff while the firm continues to grow in transactions,...
Oliver Wyman to Acquire Restructuring Specialist CR3 Partners, Adding 62 Experts
Oliver Wyman, a Marsh business, agreed to acquire Dallas‑based turnaround firm CR3 Partners. The deal, closing later this quarter, will bring 62 CR3 staff into Oliver Wyman and deepen its restructuring, liquidity‑management and crisis‑response services.
ServiceNow Appoints Former Philips Exec Srikanth Akkiraju as Chief Transformation Officer
ServiceNow announced the hiring of Srikanth Akkiraju, a former Philips senior leader, as Chief Transformation Officer. The role will focus on guiding Fortune 500 customers through AI‑led operating‑model redesigns and large‑scale automation initiatives, underscoring ServiceNow’s push into deeper enterprise transformation...
Performance Improvement Partners Acquires AlphaAdvisors to Boost AI for PE Value Creation
Performance Improvement Partners (PIP) announced the acquisition of AlphaAdvisors, a leading AI and data advisory firm, to broaden its AI‑driven services for middle‑market private‑equity clients. The deal adds specialized expertise and a global delivery footprint, positioning PIP to embed AI...
PwC and OpenAI Launch First AI‑Native Finance Function for Enterprise Teams
PwC and OpenAI announced a joint effort to build an AI‑native finance function at enterprise scale, using agentic AI agents to handle planning, forecasting, procurement and more. The partnership aims to shift finance teams from manual execution to supervising AI,...
AI-Led Job Cuts Don’t Always Mean Stronger ROI — Gartner
Gartner’s survey of 350 global leaders using AI agents reveals that 80% have cut staff, some by as much as 20%, yet those reductions show no link to higher return on AI investment. The firm stresses that ROI is driven...
Brunswick Group Bolsters SF Outpost
Brunswick Group announced the addition of Christian Buss and Paul Shaw as partners in its San Francisco office, bolstering the firm’s advisory depth. Buss arrives from Teneo where he co‑led investor relations, bringing experience in shareholder activism, crisis management, M&A and...
Value Creation Beats Cost‑Cutting for Sustainable Growth
Cost-cutting is easy but it’s not a strategy for winning. When you shrink too much, competitors step in with better experiences and take your customers with them. Growth comes from improving value, not just protecting margins. Charging premium prices for a...
Agentic Process Re‑Engineering Explained: Not Just BPR
Agentic process re-engineering. It's a thing. But don't confuse it with business process re-engineering. Bret Greenstein, chief AI officer at West Monroe, walks us through the similarities and differences. (My latest in @forbes) https://t.co/RgtpwCwzZF
Energi.AI Acquires CEMAsys to Boost Data‑Driven Sustainability Consulting
Energi.AI announced the acquisition of Norway‑based sustainability advisory CEMAsys, a move that will expand its AI platform, quadruple its customer base and add advisory expertise. The deal signals a shift toward automated, decision‑grade climate data in the consulting market.
Lead Change Adaptively, Not Just as a Prophet
“Is your team/organization *adaptively* charting and sailing a course of success? Or do you need to be the prophet inside preaching the gospel of change?” 🔗 https://t.co/TR9SgSUXwm #changemanagement #organizationalchange #workplaceeffectiveness https://t.co/BZGJjnMCDd
Outperforming Leaders Turn Data Into Accountability and New Options
Every company has dashboards. Few have a system for accountability. The leaders who outperform use data to make different decisions, allocate capital differently, and see the fourth option others miss. #Strategy #Leadership #DecisionMaking #Innovation https://t.co/ITZftd870u
Finn Partners’ Steven L. De Luca Named to Marquis Who’s Who for Marketing Leadership
Steven L. De Luca, senior partner of business development and marketing at Finn Partners, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who. The honor highlights a career that delivered a 40% revenue lift at American Express’s DEPARTURES unit, tripled...
Cognizant Lands ServiceNow AI Platform Deal with JG Summit to Streamline IT Across Conglomerate
Cognizant has been chosen by JG Summit Holdings to implement ServiceNow's AI Platform and provide managed services, creating a unified IT service management framework for the conglomerate's diverse businesses. The engagement targets standardized processes, AI‑ready automation and cost‑predictable support, underscoring...
The Suite Vs. Breed Debate Has Taken A New Twist. Here’s What Replaced It.
The long‑standing "suite vs. best‑of‑breed" debate in enterprise software is being eclipsed by composable architecture, a strategy that stitches together modular, API‑first services instead of relying on monolithic suites. Vendors such as Ardoq promote visual catalogs that map dependencies, making...
The Most Expensive Person on Your Unit Is the One You Just Eliminated
Hospitals are replacing dedicated charge nurses with "working" charge nurses to trim the roughly $110,000 annual salary per unit, presenting a tidy line‑item saving to finance teams. The move, however, triggers higher turnover, longer lengths of stay, more readmissions, lower...
Conversation with Liz Jewitt-Cross: The Case for HR at the Top Table
Liz Jewitt‑Cross, founder and MD of Future HR, argues that HR must move from a transactional role to a true commercial partner within retail. Drawing on decades of experience at brands like Sainsbury’s and New Look, she emphasizes holistic system...
Why Change Fails: The Hidden Games Your Organisation Is Playing
Organisational change programs continue to flop, with Kearney reporting an 83% failure rate and Deloitte finding only 27% of firms feel they manage change well. The article argues that most initiatives focus on surface‑level content while ignoring the hidden "games"—the...
Clients Question Hourly Fees as AI Handles Work
"it's not just talent that's changing. The commercial model is under pressure too. Clients are starting to push back on hourly billing, asking why fees shouldn't fall if AI is doing some of the work."
Huron Consulting Group Posts Q1 2026 Earnings, Cites Advisory Services Growth
Huron Consulting Group announced its Q1 2026 earnings on May 5, emphasizing growth in its advisory services line. While the company did not disclose specific revenue or profit figures, it highlighted continued client demand for strategy, operations and digital transformation...
Ask Before Solving: Stop Assuming Clients' Needs
I’m a business strategy consultant and project manager so I build businesses and processes for a living and I’m excellent at it. I have learned that people are just talking and not looking to figure out or solve the problem...
When Can We Say We Are Lean, Part 2: Promise and Pitfalls of Maturity Models
IndustryWeek’s Jill Jusko reports on a podcast where John Dyer and Dr. Mohamed Saleh dissect lean maturity models. While such frameworks promise clear gap identification and progress tracking, the hosts warn they often become identity badges, prompting organizations to chase...
AI Consulting Shifts From Advice to Transform & Operate
Closing the @IBMConsultkng event with our final Executive Q&A session: Mohamad Ali, @AndyBaldwin_ and @neilkdhar discussing AI, consulting, and business transformation. I asked for the biggest transformation ahead - got a vaguish answer by Andy that it will be more...
Strategy + Accountability: Bridge the Gap to Results
I've been feeling like this is becoming sort of lost service, as people shift from strategy to implementation with no in between. Fortunately I do have a 1:1 support offer that centers around both strategy AND accountability. It's been nice to...
Unum Group CIO Shifts IT to Value‑Stream Model to Boost Business Returns
Shelia Anderson, executive vice president and chief information and digital officer at Unum Group, has overhauled the insurer's IT operating model, moving from a product‑centric structure to business‑owned value streams. The change is designed to tighten the link between technology...
AI‑Deflation and Cost Cuts Redefine India IT Outlook, Raising Stakes for Consulting Firms
Kotak Institutional Equities released a report stating that AI‑driven pricing pressure and aggressive cost‑cutting are reshaping the growth and margin outlook for India's IT services sector. The shift toward AI‑infused rate cards and outcome‑based pricing is expected to compress margins...
Anthropic Nears $1.5 Billion AI Joint Venture With Wall Street Firms
Anthropic is close to sealing a roughly $1.5 billion joint venture with a consortium of Wall Street investors including Blackstone, Goldman Sachs, and Hellman & Friedman. Each of the three lead investors will put about $300 million into the partnership, while Goldman...
Andy Baldwin Outlines IBM Consulting’s Growth Drivers
Next up it's @IBM @AndyBaldwin_ talking about where the growth for @ibmconsulting will come from #IBMThink https://t.co/VkWzOyCJWE
Accenture Teams with Moeve to Offer Emissions‑Reduction Services for Industrial Clients
Accenture announced a partnership with Moeve to deliver integrated emissions‑reduction solutions for its industrial customers. The collaboration leverages Accenture’s global strategy and technology capabilities with Moeve’s decarbonization platform, aiming to accelerate the shift toward low‑carbon operations across Europe’s heavy‑industry sector.
Execs Hire Non‑GenAI Consultants to Predict GenAI Efficiency
The great GenAI paradox: Executives are paying consultants who don’t use GenAI to tell them how GenAI will replace inefficiency. You can’t make this stuff up. Well, actually… GenAI can. 🙃 https://t.co/V95kCCFttD