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Compare and contrast the efforts management consulting firms have made to develop their design capabilities. Particularly interested in McKinsey, Accenture, BCG, Bain, and IBM, but notable efforts by other players are worthwhile, too (Strategy&/PwC, Deloitte),
Hello, and thanks for your question about what efforts different management consultancy firms have made in order to develop their design capabilities. Below I have compared and contrasted evidence that I found relating to the efforts made by McKinsey, Accenture, BCG, Bain and IBM. Below you will find a deep dive into my research.
OVERVIEW/ METHODOLOGY
In order to answer your question thoroughly I have searched primarily for articles and reports on design capabilities within the different management firms. I have sought to find information on how the firms are deploying design capabilities, including how their being deployed, how they're staffed and organised and how they've changed in recent years. I have also included details on relevant recent acquisitions and internal investments, as well as information on how each firm's design offerings impact on internal work at the firm.
FINDINGS
MCKINSEY
In 2015 McKinsey acquired top design firm, Lunar. It this point they were considered to be a management consultancy who were just selling expertise to large global companies, rather than developing their design talents from within. Wired called the move part of a "well-established trend: big companies paying big bucks for design expertise."
However, since then it has been working to develop it's capabilities from within, rather than making acquisitions. Firstly it has focussed on bringing design talent in house. McKinsey have put together a digital design team where influential members have joined from institutions more associated with creativity, such as Facebook, Google, and Apple. Firstly, Collin Cole and Nitin Gupta, co-founders of digital design studio Carbon12 Creative, were added to the design team referred to as "the firm". Cole states that McKinsey are "steadily amassing some of the world's top design talent. People I would consider thought leaders in the experience-design field are peers of mine here".
In addition to Cole and Gupta, Jared Braiterman joined the team after founding Social Models, a design research studio. Braiterman is McKinsey’s Tokyo-based VP of experience design for Asia-Pacific. He comes from a background of working with big clients such as Hitachi, Facebook and Mitsui, and Tokyo Green Space.
Alongside the formation of a talented in house team McKinsey have opened dedicated design studios in Berlin, London, New York City, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo.
In addition to this they have invested in powerful research techniques in the design field. They conduct interviews, field research and ethnography, as well as taking lateral-thinking approaches to create innovative solutions.
Finally, whilst McKinsey have been working on developing their own internal structure they are also still working on making acquisitions to strengthen their design resources. In 2016 they acquired Veryday, one of the world's top ranking innovation consultancies. The firm has won over 240 awards, and has been granted more than 300 patents.
ACCENTURE
Like McKinsey Accenture have also made strategic acquisitions to strengthen their design offerings. In 2016 they acquired Swedish design firm Fjord, and before that they acquired Chaotic Moon in 2015. These acquisitions have strengthened Accenture's marketing division, they are now able to incorporate mobile and digital design into their offerings to all corporate clients. Fjord have been able to add more to Accenture's offerings, they provide cutting edge insights into design for Accenture's clients.
Further to this they have been opening innovation centers, recently one in Singapore and one in Paris. With these innovation centers, Accenture is aiming to help organisations rethink their digital strategies and create new products through multidisciplinary collaboration.
Accenture are hoping to use their footing in design to acquire a larger section of the advertising market. According to Accenture Interactive’s managing director and global head of digital content, Donna Tuths, Accenture wanted to make a move to digital marketing, mobility and analytics though their development of design capabilities.
BCG
Boston Consulting Group have launched BCG Digital Ventures, a digital innovation, product development, and commercialisation firm. BCG is incorporating design along with technology services in order to form unique strategic venture teams which have the capabilities to develop, launch, and grow transformational digital products, platforms, and businesses.
Further to this BCG are setting itself from the other consultancies by designing the office of the future for themselves. Their new offices are the epitome of design, and hit on current and future trends in design and office space.
BAIN
In comparison with the other consultancies researched here Bain are doing less in terms of making efforts to develop their design capabilities. While they have launched Bain Digital, a sector of the business which focuses on leading organisations through new digital technologies and multiple growth opportunities, they are doing little else in terms of developing capabilities within. Further to Bain Digital the consultancy are focussing on gathering insights in the area of design in terms of digital marketing (examples here, and here), however as we have seen other consultancies are also taking this step.
IBM
IBM have launched IBM Design where designers create experiences for clients rather than just products. IBM Design invests in design research to stay cutting edge, and have opened the IBM Design Studios where world class designers collaborate, and they are constantly searching for new talent.
Further to this the consultancy has invested a huge $100 million in order to globally expand its consulting services capability in terms of design and engagement. Part of this investment will be spent on launching 10 new IBM Interactive Experience labs where 1,000 employees will work to create new, personalized models of engagement through data and design.
CONCLUSION
Overall each of the consultancies I have researched are making different efforts management consulting firms have made to develop their design capabilities. It could be argued that McKinsey are making the most marked efforts here, they have engaged in acquisitions, are developing talent from within as well as hiring the world's best. Accenture are making similar efforts, opening a number of innovation centers as well as making strategic acquisitions. BCG have launched BCG Digital Ventures as well as showing off their design knowledge with their futuristic offices, and IBM have invested $100,000 in the field with plans to open 10 new IBM Interactive Experience labs. Bain perhaps fall behind here having just launched Bain Digital.
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