Consultancy firm rankings
Vault has brought out its 2004 guide to the top consulting firms ranked by the employees of the consulting industry.
To no one's surprise the Firm , McKinsey & Co. ranks number one. However in a surprising development Accenture is out of the top 10 at number 12 ! Is that a result of IT services and BPO focus?
The other two in the top 3 are also the true-blue 'strategy' firms, BCG and Bain.
In fact there is no change in the top 6 firms.
What is interesting is that a HR consulting firm Mercer comes in at number 13. IBM is in at number 16, having dropped 4 places.
Here are the top 25 firms:
Rank and Name Score Last Year's Rank HQ
===============================================
1 McKinsey & Company 8.249 1 New York, NY
2 Boston Consulting Group 7.848 2 Boston, MA
3 Bain & Company 7.371 3 Boston, MA
4 Booz Allen Hamilton 6.432 4 McLean, VA
5 Monitor Group 6.060 5 Cambridge, MA
6 Mercer Management Consulting 5.801 6 New York, NY
7 Gartner 5.552 10 Stamford, CT
8 A.T. Kearney 5.528 11 Plano, TX
9 Mercer Oliver Wyman 5.524 25 New York, NY
10 Roland Berger - Strategy Consultants 5.314 21 New York, NY
11 Deloitte Consulting 5.292 8 New York, NY
12 Accenture 5.180 9 New York, NY
13 Mercer Human Resource Consulting 5.099 17 New York, NY
14 Marakon Associates 5.067 15 New York, NY
15 Parthenon Group, The 5.065 20 Boston, MA
16 IBM BCS 5.009 12 Somers, NY
17 L.E.K. Consulting 4.987 22 Boston, MA
18 Cap Gemini Ernst & Young 4.910 14 New York, NY
19 Towers Perrin 4.580 18 New York, NY
20 BearingPoint 4.550 13 McLean, VA
21 DiamondCluster International 4.266 23 Chicago, IL
22 Charles River Associates 4.211 34 Boston, MA
23 Hewitt Associates 4.205 16 Lincolnshire, IL
24 Stern Stewart 4.203 30 New York, NY
25 NERA Economic Consulting 4.175 NA White Plains, NY
Aug 27, 2003
Aug 5, 2003
Consulting News from http://www.zambeasy.com/top-consultant/UK/news/newsletter.htm
Consulting firm Mercer appears to be weathering the storm in the global management consultancy sector quite nicely, according to the latest quarterly announcement by parent company Marsh & McLennan this week.
Mercer’s Q2 revenues rose 16% compared with the year ago period, to $690m. In no small part this growth was due to the recent acquisition of Oliver, Wyman & Company. However, even excluding the effect of acquisitions, Mercer’s revenues grew 2% on a constant currency basis. At a time when the major consulting brands have reported Q2 consulting revenues down as a result of the war in Iraq, Mercer’s continued growth is welcome news indeed.
EDS yesterday reported its latest quarterly results, most notable for a plunge in profits, stagnant revenues and a weak order book. Shares were actually up on the news, reflecting analysts’ concerns that the results might have been worse still.
Revenue picture shows mixed fortunes
EDS’s quarterly revenues rose 2% to $5.52bn on the previous year’s quarter (though down 3% on a constant currency basis). Overall, modest improvements in IT and business process outsourcing revenues were offset by a continuing decline in GM revenues and the impact of a number of under-performing contracts.
Most worrying going forwards - at a time when consulting and outsourcing competitors have been reporting improving order books - EDS reported it has signed only $3.4bn in contracts in Q2, vs $6.2bn a year ago. EDS blamed the poor order book on a "tepid IT spending environment" but the reality is it has been losing ground to IBM and HP, who are aggressively targeting the market at a time that EDS has been focused on a strategic review and restructuring exercise.
The picture is no prettier when consulting is taken in isolation. Solutions Consulting revenues at EDS decreased 13%, at constant currency, from the year-ago quarter to $1.31bn. In top-end consulting, EDS’s consulting business A.T. Kearney saw revenues decrease 27% (constant currency) compared with a year ago to $212m.
check this out http://www.eds.com/news/news_release_template.shtml?rowid=3432
New competitor on UK Consulting Market
A major new competitor is set to enter the UK consulting market this year, bringing together seasoned professionals from the likes of McKinsey, Accenture and WPP.
The new consultancy - called The Ingram Partnership - will advise on branding & communications strategy and looks set to compete both with traditional management consultancies and advertising agencies. The Ingram Partnership is the brainchild of Chris Ingram, former owner of the Tempus advertising agency - sold to Martin Sorrell's WPP Group back in 2001.
Mr Ingram is understood to be injecting £10m of initial financing, part of which is being used to acquire two companies as building blocks for the new consultancy: Unity, a communications strategy agency, and The Gathering, a brand-building agency. Through these acquisitions The Ingram Partnership will inherit an impressive client list including Bosch, B&Q, Cadbury Schweppes, the Carphone Warehouse, Guardian Media Group and Lucas Film. Further acquisitions to broaden the partnership's service line are not being ruled out.
Founding partners of the new business include Ditlev Schwanenslugel (ex-McKinsey), and Alastair Rhymer (ex-WPP). Richard Eyre, former chief executive of ITV and Terry Neill, former chairman of the worldwide board of Accenture will also join the advisory board. Consultancies and ad agencies alike will be closely watching the inroads that The Ingram Partnership is able to make into their markets.
Consulting firm Mercer appears to be weathering the storm in the global management consultancy sector quite nicely, according to the latest quarterly announcement by parent company Marsh & McLennan this week.
Mercer’s Q2 revenues rose 16% compared with the year ago period, to $690m. In no small part this growth was due to the recent acquisition of Oliver, Wyman & Company. However, even excluding the effect of acquisitions, Mercer’s revenues grew 2% on a constant currency basis. At a time when the major consulting brands have reported Q2 consulting revenues down as a result of the war in Iraq, Mercer’s continued growth is welcome news indeed.
EDS yesterday reported its latest quarterly results, most notable for a plunge in profits, stagnant revenues and a weak order book. Shares were actually up on the news, reflecting analysts’ concerns that the results might have been worse still.
Revenue picture shows mixed fortunes
EDS’s quarterly revenues rose 2% to $5.52bn on the previous year’s quarter (though down 3% on a constant currency basis). Overall, modest improvements in IT and business process outsourcing revenues were offset by a continuing decline in GM revenues and the impact of a number of under-performing contracts.
Most worrying going forwards - at a time when consulting and outsourcing competitors have been reporting improving order books - EDS reported it has signed only $3.4bn in contracts in Q2, vs $6.2bn a year ago. EDS blamed the poor order book on a "tepid IT spending environment" but the reality is it has been losing ground to IBM and HP, who are aggressively targeting the market at a time that EDS has been focused on a strategic review and restructuring exercise.
The picture is no prettier when consulting is taken in isolation. Solutions Consulting revenues at EDS decreased 13%, at constant currency, from the year-ago quarter to $1.31bn. In top-end consulting, EDS’s consulting business A.T. Kearney saw revenues decrease 27% (constant currency) compared with a year ago to $212m.
check this out http://www.eds.com/news/news_release_template.shtml?rowid=3432
New competitor on UK Consulting Market
A major new competitor is set to enter the UK consulting market this year, bringing together seasoned professionals from the likes of McKinsey, Accenture and WPP.
The new consultancy - called The Ingram Partnership - will advise on branding & communications strategy and looks set to compete both with traditional management consultancies and advertising agencies. The Ingram Partnership is the brainchild of Chris Ingram, former owner of the Tempus advertising agency - sold to Martin Sorrell's WPP Group back in 2001.
Mr Ingram is understood to be injecting £10m of initial financing, part of which is being used to acquire two companies as building blocks for the new consultancy: Unity, a communications strategy agency, and The Gathering, a brand-building agency. Through these acquisitions The Ingram Partnership will inherit an impressive client list including Bosch, B&Q, Cadbury Schweppes, the Carphone Warehouse, Guardian Media Group and Lucas Film. Further acquisitions to broaden the partnership's service line are not being ruled out.
Founding partners of the new business include Ditlev Schwanenslugel (ex-McKinsey), and Alastair Rhymer (ex-WPP). Richard Eyre, former chief executive of ITV and Terry Neill, former chairman of the worldwide board of Accenture will also join the advisory board. Consultancies and ad agencies alike will be closely watching the inroads that The Ingram Partnership is able to make into their markets.
Jul 28, 2003
Jun 18, 2003
Jun 16, 2003
I got my first publication on HR.com called "Building your creativity"
It'll ask for a password. Is only accessible to registered users of HR.com :-( But its free :-)
It'll ask for a password. Is only accessible to registered users of HR.com :-( But its free :-)
May 29, 2003
On ISTT I wrote this:
Cognitive and rational decision making as marketing guys know better
than anyone (HR guys included!) comes a piddly second to the power of
emotional/aspirational appeal !
So how can cold rational logical data like "not being good for
health" compete with a message like "wanna be cool...have x/y/z" ??
Free choice did someone say?
How can choice be free when media is controlled by advertisers and
therefore information that goes out either ignores the 'bad' parts or
is heavily edited ??
Cognitive and rational decision making as marketing guys know better
than anyone (HR guys included!) comes a piddly second to the power of
emotional/aspirational appeal !
So how can cold rational logical data like "not being good for
health" compete with a message like "wanna be cool...have x/y/z" ??
Free choice did someone say?
How can choice be free when media is controlled by advertisers and
therefore information that goes out either ignores the 'bad' parts or
is heavily edited ??
In HRavenues I wrote the following on the discussion if HR was a necessary evil !
Let's admit it, HR's credibility has been in question over a long
time not just in India but across the world. People like Dave Ulrich
have even studied what HR needs to do to become more "value-adding"
to the business rather than being an operational department.
While there are many reasons for this, the prime reason has been the
rise of an economy where people's imaginations and ideas are critical
to an organizations growth. Capital and finance does not count for
much.
HR stands at a threshold today.
Of all organizational functions it apparently understands the people
more than other functions. If it cannot translate that understanding
and insight into value for the organization then it will lose even
the apparently low levels of credibility it has today.
But to do that it needs to marry its insight with the needs of the
business. An HR person no longer can be 'just' an HR person. He/she
should be a generalist, with ease of understanding the financial and
customer perspectives. The future belongs to those business leaders
who know the cross-functional perspective and are not 'wedded' to any
function.
Let's admit it, HR's credibility has been in question over a long
time not just in India but across the world. People like Dave Ulrich
have even studied what HR needs to do to become more "value-adding"
to the business rather than being an operational department.
While there are many reasons for this, the prime reason has been the
rise of an economy where people's imaginations and ideas are critical
to an organizations growth. Capital and finance does not count for
much.
HR stands at a threshold today.
Of all organizational functions it apparently understands the people
more than other functions. If it cannot translate that understanding
and insight into value for the organization then it will lose even
the apparently low levels of credibility it has today.
But to do that it needs to marry its insight with the needs of the
business. An HR person no longer can be 'just' an HR person. He/she
should be a generalist, with ease of understanding the financial and
customer perspectives. The future belongs to those business leaders
who know the cross-functional perspective and are not 'wedded' to any
function.
May 22, 2003
In the KMSI group
Well, KM is understood differently by different organizations, and
leads on to different deliverables.
For example, Buckman laboratories had a objective of increasing their
IP by doing KM ...Hughes had a different objective, and BP-Amoco had
different aims.
The key to KM success, in my humble opinion, is to set a objective
that is central to the organization and then build KM processes
around achieving that objective.
So if reducing time of proposals is the KM objective in the next 3-4
months then that objective if shared with all the employees would be
a measurable low-hanging fruit. Very often, if such an objective is
not shared then KM initiatives like creating yellow pages, and
sharing of documents etc are nice to do, but not percieved as
necessary.
Another point to keep in mind is that the objective if clashing with
the existing organizational culture would be a recipe for disaster.
So, if current performance reward systems are based on business units
achieving the target, and the KM objective is to share knowledge
across business units, then you can see which one will fail, unless
the reward system for latter are greater than that of the former.
Well, KM is understood differently by different organizations, and
leads on to different deliverables.
For example, Buckman laboratories had a objective of increasing their
IP by doing KM ...Hughes had a different objective, and BP-Amoco had
different aims.
The key to KM success, in my humble opinion, is to set a objective
that is central to the organization and then build KM processes
around achieving that objective.
So if reducing time of proposals is the KM objective in the next 3-4
months then that objective if shared with all the employees would be
a measurable low-hanging fruit. Very often, if such an objective is
not shared then KM initiatives like creating yellow pages, and
sharing of documents etc are nice to do, but not percieved as
necessary.
Another point to keep in mind is that the objective if clashing with
the existing organizational culture would be a recipe for disaster.
So, if current performance reward systems are based on business units
achieving the target, and the KM objective is to share knowledge
across business units, then you can see which one will fail, unless
the reward system for latter are greater than that of the former.
May 9, 2003
On ISTT My post :
What gives us Indians an edge in this world is a paradoxical ability
to balance the super-structured with the totally ambiguous !
In my view, no other civilisation (Jung would call it the 'collective
unconscious of a people'), save the Japanese, drills in both the
factors to such an amazing degree. So you have the example of a
Ramanujam who excelled in the so called structured world of maths
relying on mysticism and intuition.
So what, I hear you ask? What does this psycho-babble have to do with strategy? with business? with India Inc.?
Look around you ! The structured world of business as Taylor, Ford
and Sloan knew it is falling (or has fallen) like a house of
cards...and the domino effect is happening around the world. In these
chaotic times the skills that are needed most are the duality to
balance the chaos of the environment with order and structure of the
organization...and yet not be rigid !
The rise of the Knowledge Age...Drucker called it...when individual
expertise is the most coveted...in the Financial Analyst industry
(the "new Jews" is what Indian whiz kids are called on Wall Street),
in the Software industry (too numerous to chronicle), in the still
developing discipline of Management (CKP, Rajat Gupta, Sumantro
Ghosal, Ram Charan are uber-gurus!)
I believe the skills that help us succeed in these diverse fields are embedded in us, in our psyches.
What gives us Indians an edge in this world is a paradoxical ability
to balance the super-structured with the totally ambiguous !
In my view, no other civilisation (Jung would call it the 'collective
unconscious of a people'), save the Japanese, drills in both the
factors to such an amazing degree. So you have the example of a
Ramanujam who excelled in the so called structured world of maths
relying on mysticism and intuition.
So what, I hear you ask? What does this psycho-babble have to do with strategy? with business? with India Inc.?
Look around you ! The structured world of business as Taylor, Ford
and Sloan knew it is falling (or has fallen) like a house of
cards...and the domino effect is happening around the world. In these
chaotic times the skills that are needed most are the duality to
balance the chaos of the environment with order and structure of the
organization...and yet not be rigid !
The rise of the Knowledge Age...Drucker called it...when individual
expertise is the most coveted...in the Financial Analyst industry
(the "new Jews" is what Indian whiz kids are called on Wall Street),
in the Software industry (too numerous to chronicle), in the still
developing discipline of Management (CKP, Rajat Gupta, Sumantro
Ghosal, Ram Charan are uber-gurus!)
I believe the skills that help us succeed in these diverse fields are embedded in us, in our psyches.
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