Consulting News

As an executive research fellow, Accenture’s Jeanne Harris, conceives and leads original research on topics of strategic importance to business executives.

As the digital age marches on, smart phones are becoming more sophisticated, and offering more features at a more affordable price. The cellular phone has become an indispensable tool for the business traveler, and is increasingly relied on for tasks way beyond phone calls. Contacts management, word processing, email, Web surfing, and even GPS are rapidly becoming standard fare for smart phones. If you’re still only using your phone for making and receiving calls, you’re missing out on a fast-rising wave of cell phones becoming digital Swiss army knives.

In tough economic times, many consulting firms revert to two tactics that appear essential, but actually dig them deeper in the hole both during and after the downturn. The first is selling work at which they cannot be truly great, and the second is pursuing clients that do not share their values.Both tactics can help fill the short-term revenue void, but the consequences can be severe: unhappy clients who will not come back; a damaged reputation in the marketplace; and disaffected staff who will leave at the first opportunity. All of these chickens will come home to roost when the upturn comes, as it will.

Everyone knows that excellent customer service is the lynchpin of any successful business. With the economic situation driving consumers to tighten their spending, vendors have the opportunity to prove to their customers that they value their business in good times and bad, and that their relationship with them is more important than any sale. Loyal customers who have very positive experiences with a company are worth their weight in gold. The Cult of the Customer emphasizes the link between a culture of loyalty within a company and the successful transfer of that loyalty to their customers.

How can we use LinkedIn for our firm? It’s a question you may have heard from the managing partner, or you may have even thought yourself. It is a smart question with a not-so-obvious answer.

Global commerce has become so widespread that events unfolding in one country can have a ripple effect that reaches halfway around the world. The Global Consultant is aimed at showing consultants how to be successful in these international markets, and avoid common pitfalls associated with consultants working beyond their borders.