Europe Consulting Markets: Slow Recovery, Growth in the East
Kennedy’s New Research Uncovers Overall Signs of Recovery — With Dynamic Growth in the Emerging Markets of Eastern Europe
PETERBOROUGH, NH–(Marketwire – Jan 11, 2012) – Comprehensive new research from Kennedy on consulting markets in every subregion of Europe shows that the overall market for consulting is recovering slowly. However, Eastern Europe consulting markets — most notably East Central Europe and the Confederation of Independent States (CIS) — are growing, and expected to be the envy of the entire region throughout Kennedy’s forecast period.
According to new research from Kennedy Consulting Research & Advisory, Europe Consulting Marketplace, key demand drivers include clients’ increasing need to comprehend and compensate for vulnerability in all manner of business, political and legal relationships — while simplifying their internal tangle of multi-layered, outmoded processes and systems. European client companies also need support around developing more agility in an era of rapid change and instability — plus the ability to constantly recognize meaningful change and understand its implications. The report includes detailed case studies from clients that have engaged consulting firms to solve some of these key challenges.
“In Western Europe, clients are struggling to reduce inefficiency but they are also highly cost-conscious,” says Karen Nickel Anhalt, Associate Director and Kennedy’s EMEA Research Lead. “They are cautious about engaging consultants for large scale projects with the result being that demand for consulting services is growing slowly, but steadily.”
Kennedy Research Analyst Tomek Jankowski adds, “By far the greater volume of consulting work is taking place in Western Europe, but the rapidly developing economies of Eastern Europe are playing an increasingly important role in firms’ growth agenda. This is true of all emerging market growth regions, but Eastern Europe’s proximity to Western Europe and the Middle East & Africa (MEA) subregion make it particularly attractive for consultants, both as a destination for global clients and as a springboard for projects further afield.”
Kennedy analysts also predict that financial services companies will be the largest consumers of consulting services — with demand for operations management consulting outpacing that of other service lines. According to Nickel Anhalt, “The pressing need for assistance on compliance-related projects is driving banks in particular to seek consulting and advisory services.”
Additional findings reveal that companies and organizations in the public sector, healthcare, and energy industries will also significantly increase their use of consulting during this forecast period.
Europe Consulting Marketplace details these and other trends impacting client demand for services, and rates the competitive positioning of today’s leading Europe consulting providers — assessing their capabilities in terms of both breadth and depth. Among the firms profiled are: Accenture, Bain & Company, BDO International, BearingPoint, The Boston Consulting Group, Capgemini, CSC, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, IBM, KPMG, McKinsey & Company, Mercer, PwC, and Towers Watson. Also featured in research are: Alix Partners, Aon Hewitt, A.T. Kearney, HP, Grant Thornton, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, Siemens IT, Steria, and more.