Innovative tools and techniques to transform organizations

The mission of Capgemini’s Consulting Services discipline is to help clients transform their organizations to deliver improved performance. The more than 6,000 talented consulting professionals attached to this discipline are known not only for their intellectual capabilities and experience, but for the special and collaborative way in which they interact with clients.

Information Technology is a key enabler of these enterprise transformations, and combining the IT strength of Capgemini with world-class consulting skills – ranging from business strategy via process re-engineering to organizational change management – makes the Group a powerful global force in the consulting marketplace.

An Operating Model for Consulting Services
Capgemini’s consultants are deployed along five main “axes” which mirror the industries and organizational structures of the clients they serve: three Process Consulting practices – namely Customer Relationship Management, Supply Chain Management, and Finance and Employee Transformation – replicate the value chain of any modern organization; a Transformation Consulting practice assists top executives in identifying, shaping and delivering major change programs within their organizations; and Industry Consultants, with sector specific expertise, contribute specialized knowhow in areas such as Automotive, Energy, Financial Services, Public Services, etc.

At the same time, innovative tools and techniques are used to stimulate collaboration with clients. Among the most successful are Accelerated Solutions Environments (ASEs), participatory design events to help business leaders make better, faster decisions.

The Consulting market rebounds
During 2003, the worldwide consulting market remained slanted toward bottom-line improvements (i.e., cost cutting initiatives). Consequently, offerings such as Sourcing/ Procurement and Financial Shared Services enjoyed strong growth. Interest in top-line growth began to resurface near the end of the year worldwide, but especially in North America – a trend which promises a return to growth, notably for CRM services.

But the most significant trend in Consulting Services in 2003 was a renewed appetite for large-scale enterprise transformation programs. At Capgemini, the ultimate transformation success story occurred last December with the huge Transformational Outsourcing win at the UK Inland Revenue. Capgemini’s Transformation Consulting Practice spearheaded the sales process and will play an integral role in the multi-year delivery of this massive change, technology and outsourcing program. This engagement not only confirms the role of Consulting within the Group, it also illustrates the maturity and flexibility of the Consulting Services discipline and its ability to “bundle” its services with those of the Technology and Outsourcing disciplines to win and deliver integrated deals to demanding clients – some of whom offer their comments on the following pages.