Will disruptive technology and digital consulting solutions destroy traditional consulting?

This article (in German) is an interesting post indeed. I like the stated necessity for consultants to strengthen their role of though leaders and shape advanced, future-oriented solutions.

The good thing is that possibly there is a market niche for everybody: for large and small consulting companies, as well as for “well oiled” consulting networks.

Producing “asset-based” tools is explained as being strong related to IT.

Personally, I see the necessity of a combination of conceptual consulting and technology, whereby the first step should be the decision to “own” specific topics: to succeed, consultants will have to seek recognition as the “go-to” person for the topic.

Given the digitalization around us, topic’s expertise has to include both the strategic / conceptual part and the related technology aspects. This requirement for “technical savviness” could be a challenge for some strategy purists.

In addition, – unless a consulting company already owns a necessary basis IP – there is probably the need to initiate specific partnerships. For example, assuming a company decides to “own” the topic around patient-centered medical home, it could make sense to evaluate partnerships with e.g. Apple, Google, Samsung. Powered with their basic solutions, additional value can be created by combining clients’ unmet needs, strategic requirements and conceptual consulting.

However, there is a very critical point, which can decide between success and failure: sense of urgency. Given today’s speed of change, a consulting company that is not yet embracing this way of thinking will have few months (maybe just weeks) to decide before being left behind the digitalization train.