Digitalisierung der Unternehmensberatung – Analyse von Beratungsschulen und Digitalisierungspotenzialen

Management consultants are the drivers of progress and the therefor necessary digitalisation of consultancy services, in order to ensure and develop the efficacy, profitability, competitiveness, and sustainability of companies and organisations.
This dissertation analyses forms of management consultancy - the theories from a client and consultant perspective - in order to determine to which degree services can be digitalised.
A mixed-methods research approach was used, in combination with a parallel approach and method design. The research method was based on literature review, qualitative empirical expert interviews and quantitative computer-assisted web interviews (CAWI).
Based on the empirical and practical results, the “tetrad model of management consultancy” was developed. Consequently, an interdependency model for the interacting consultancy constellations with mutual influencing factors was developed. This dissertation examines the four areas of the tetrad - consultancy subject, clients, consultants, and degree of digitalisation.
Further insight showed the different perspectives of clients and organisations, which highlighted that companies have a more positive image of their services than their clients do. It was determined that the services currently offered do not significantly contribute to solving the clients’ problems. It was established that the digitalisation of management consultancy is viewed - by the literature, clients and companies - as an irreversible development.
Digitalisation offers a range of benefits. Firstly, an increase in efficiency due to the acceleration of process and lead times. Secondly, cost reduction due to the utilisation of innovative systems and reduction of human resources. Thirdly, exponentially increased access to knowledge in a variety of databases.
Knowledge will be more easily accessible to consultancy clients, especially smaller organisations, which results in clients being able to conduct many services themselves. Consequently, the consultancy market, as it becomes increasingly digitalised, will be reduced in function range and amount of consultancy businesses, and shift towards self-consulting by the clients. Two types of consultancy businesses will establish themselves on the market - firstly, a limited number of highly specialised digital consultancies and secondly, a larger number of consultancies focussing on the solution of interpersonal issues. Great success will likely be achieved by consultancy businesses that manage to combine digital and human expertise.