Evolution or Obsolescence? Redefining the Responsibilities of Consultants
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Evolution or Obsolescence? Redefining the Responsibilities of Consultants
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By Naam Chakravorty and Chethan Reddy
May, 2024
The role of consultants is transforming.
Traditionally, we operated in a project-based world, acting as hired guns brought in to solve specific problems. Once the solution was delivered, we moved on to the next challenge, typically with a new client.
However, climate change, geopolitical tensions, and lingering effects of global pandemics all illustrate the complex and ever-changing nature of the business environment. These external factors, along with the inherent interconnectedness of market trends, regulations, and socio-economic dynamics demand a more forward-thinking and holistic approach from consultants.
Consultants need to transcend mere problem-solving. Their broad exposure across clients, industries, and regions should empower them to break down silos and foster multi-stakeholder collaboration that can help unlock broader, structural transformation.
Additionally, the current business environment demands agility. Consultants must skillfully reframe client risks as strategic opportunities, navigating the ever-changing landscape with real-time responsiveness.
Breaking the Cycle of Siloed Solutions
Consultants often encounter familiar problem sets with clients facing similar challenges across different locations or industries. This has traditionally led to solutions being repurposed repeatedly. However, a more collaborative and integrative approach is essential to break this cycle and prevent perpetuating the status quo. Consultants are now leveraging their networks and industry knowledge to act as collaborative catalysts.
A real-world example perfectly illustrates this. A joint effort between Botho and a European-based client led to the development of a tool that contextualizes African sustainability needs. The impetus for this collaboration stemmed from recognizing that various decision-makers and stakeholders have been working in silos on sustainability issues on the African continent. A critical need emerged for a tool that could orchestrate a collaborative ecosystem. The resulting product is Africa's first-ever sustainability index. This data-driven tool is specifically designed to tackle the continent's unique challenges. It empowers policymakers, investors, and others to make informed decisions and prioritize initiatives that promote sustainable development across Africa.
But extrapolating individual client problem sets into potential ecosystem plays is just the first step. In the current business climate, consultants need to be able to experiment with innovative solution-delivery models. Konsälidön serves as a unique example here. More of a consulting network than a consulting firm, Konsälidön has brought together over 350 boutique consulting teams hailing from all over the world, and with experience from over 4000 consulting projects, under one “roof”, enabling them to work together as one team to deliver out-sized value with minimal overhead costs. Their success is evident – they have already collaborated with over 200 clients on more than 350 projects.
Geopolitics as a Catalyst to Reimagine Risk
While collaboration is undoubtedly a powerful tool for creating impactful solutions, consultants now also recognize that shifting geopolitics presents not just risks to be mitigated, but also exciting opportunities to be seized. This reframing of risk as a potential catalyst for positive change requires a shift in perspective.
For instance, In the aftermath of the Israel-Palestine conflict, major ports in East Africa, including Mombasa (Kenya), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), and Beira (Mozambique), have benefited from increased traffic lying outside the traditional shipping lanes connecting Asia with Europe. This is despite the ongoing regional humanitarian crisis, as vessels now prefer navigating around the Cape rather than through the Red Sea. This creates new business opportunities for these ports as they experience a surge in rerouted traffic, highlighting their previously untapped potential.
Shipping, logistics, and investors can optimize this opportunity by investing in upgrades and partnerships. Public entities can attract this investment with supportive policies and incentives. Consultants, attuned to the evolving landscape, can guide clients to unlock this multifaceted opportunity.
AI as the Evolving Toolkit for Consultants
The need for collaboration and viewing risk as a strategic opportunity are crucial in today's business climate, but there's another essential element for the modern consultant: AI-savviness.
Market volatility demands more work, done better and faster. This pressure extends to both clients and the consultants who serve them. Boutique consultancies can sometimes face limitations in terms of time and manpower.
This is where AI steps in as a game-changer. AI tools can dramatically reduce a consultant's workload while boosting the quality of deliverables a small team can produce. From research and data analysis to email drafting and automation, AI offers a wide range of capabilities.
A recent Business Process Excellence project at Konsälidön for a large insurance provider presented a tight deadline. Crucial customer data unearthed critical insights, but impactful visualizations were needed to effectively present the findings. The team lacked a data scientist, and the clock was ticking.
This is where AI shone. ChatGPT, an AI tool, generated the Python code for the desired visualizations within minutes. The code, executed in a Jupyter Notebook, produced rich visuals that significantly elevated the final deliverable and enhanced the client's value proposition.
Evolution or Obsolescence? It’s our choice
A constantly shifting business landscape, fueled by climate change, geopolitical tensions, and lingering pandemics, presents a unique opportunity for consultants. Our privileged vantage point, seeing across industries and situations, positions us perfectly to navigate these complexities for companies. But this privilege comes with a responsibility – to act as the bridge. We must connect the dots between seemingly disparate issues and leverage our cross-industry insights to scale our impact beyond siloed problem sets.
Naam is a Gulf Lead at Botho Emerging Markets Group and Chethan Reddy is an AI Consultant at Konsälidön.