Taking Stock of an Integrated Service Model

Yearend is opportune for stocktaking. ALM Intelligence introduced in mid-2017 a new taxonomy, which we internally referred to as the “wheel.” The conceit was that management consulting was increasingly being delivered as integrated services targeted at cross-functional transformations powered by digitization. The wheel arrayed service spokes against client functions with digital at the hub and risk embedded throughout. This was a departure from ALM’s traditional conception of consulting as a loose collection of service pillars that rested on a foundation of industry and geographic practices.

ALM analysts observe much micro-level anecdotal evidence for this integrated service model in their conversations with consultants and clients, but we also assess it at a macro-level through our market sizing and forecasting. Comparing the patterns of growth across the nine services that make up the wheel reveals two distinct periods.