Consulting magazine – Croixstone

We’re Serving Up Consulting BUZZ!

Our leaders at Croixstone spend time each week speaking at length with clients, prospects and consultants across the greater Charlotte region and beyond. We’re often asked the following questions by those in our professional networks.

What’s the buzz out there?
What is top of mind for companies in 2021?
What are you hearing from consultants?

Here’s a bulleted list, in no particular order, of the things we are hearing and seeing from clients, prospects and consultants.

Hiring is difficult. The economy is rebounding, hiring is up, and it is increasingly difficult to fill roles with top-tier talent. The latest Workforce Report from LinkedIn provides insights into the hiring boom.

IPOs are booming. Global IPO deal numbers and proceeds have posted the best performance witnessed in 20 years (and this is driving demand in management consulting). Read EY’s IPO Q1 2021 Report to learn more.

SPACs are hot, hot, hot. Special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) IPOs were more active in Q1 2021 than through all of 2020.

M&A activity is on fire. During the first quarter of 2021, global mergers and acquisitions activity totaled $1.3 trillion, up 94% compared to Q1 of last year.

ERP implementation activity is robust. Many of our clients are planning ERP implementations to go live in 2022. The global ERP software market size stood at USD 38.15 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 71.63 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.55.

Hackers are targeting the middle market. One-third of middle market organizations reported ransomware attacks in 2020, according to a recent cybersecurity special report from RSM.

COVID-19 trauma is an ongoing issue. Employers are dealing with employee pandemic stress that is inevitably spilling over into at-work life.

2019 Best Firms to Work For

Be sure to read the latest digital issue of CONSULTING Magazine! Learn about Bain’s Private Equity Practice, the Best Firms to Work For (congrats to our friends at FTI Consulting) and the importance of knowledge management in consulting.

Read the Latest Issue

The Rules & Rigors of Consulting

With more than 40 years of experience in operational growth and improvement, both as a consultant and as an executive with Crayola Corporation, Peter Christian has served more than 300 companies. Earlier this month, CONSULTING magazine published an online article written by Peter that provides valuable tips on the consultant and client relationship. Read the article entitled “The Rules and Rigors of Consulting” here.

Top 25 Consultants in 2019

In the latest issue of its online magazine, CONSULTING is highlighting the top 25 consultants who are making a big impact in our industry in 2019. Be sure to read the Q&A for each consultant as there are interesting insights to be gleaned to help your consulting career! Read the latest issue of CONSULTING magazine here (free subscription required).

Keep Informed!

The December 2018 issue of Consulting Magazine is now available. Access is easy (and, best of all, complimentary)! Simply register to become a free ALM digital reader, and you’ll receive free access to Consulting Magazine Online and the digital edition.

The current issue highlights the women leaders in consulting who are making a big impact on the industry. Be sure to read the “ShortTakes” interview on page 4 where PwC’s Vice Chairman and Advisory Leader, Mohamed Kande, discusses the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Read the December issue here.

Consultants On Consulting

Read about the 65 fast-growth firms that are disrupting the consulting profession in the latest digital issue of CONSULTING MAGAZINE (November 2018). Be sure to read the practical tips in the “Consultants On Consulting” article (page 78) to help your next technology modernization engagement run smoothly.

Consulting Trends…September 2018

Read the September 2018 issue of CONSULTING magazine to keep informed of trends in the industry and for ongoing professional development. The Croixstone team recommends that you be certain to read the articles entitled “Workforce Consultants Tackle Future Phobia” and “Mastering the Art of Organizational Change.”

Know Your Profession!

Consulting Magazine is a digital monthly publication known as the “flagship publication of the consulting profession featuring the latest information on consulting, thought leadership, and corporate strategies.” The magazine’s website, Consultingmag.com, offers a rich selection of articles and more. View it here.

Consulting Industry Outlook 2018

It’s a good time to be in the consulting world! According to the recently released Consulting Magazine’s 2018 Executive Outlook report, the theme for the consulting industry this year is “Let the Good Times Roll.”

The positive economic momentum + recent corporate tax cuts equal an “upbeat and bullish forecast” for the consulting industry. As result, the industry remains strong and firms are in the “midst of a hiring frenzy” to get the work done. Below is a high-level overview of the results in the report:

97% of leading consulting firms surveyed experienced real revenue growth over the last 12 months.
98% of executives are forecasting growth in 2018, and 94% are saying that growth will exceed 6%.
95% of firm leaders anticipate net profits will improve, and 62% of the firms predict net profits will be up more than 10% in 2018.

The survey was conducted in the latter part of 2017 with more than 130 Managing Directors, Partners and Vice Presidents participating. To read the full 2018 Executive Outlook, click here.

Gaining a Competitive Advantage Through Predictive Analytics

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to predict the future? According to a recent Harvard Business Review webinar, companies, governments, law enforcement agencies, hospitals, and universities are using the power of big data, new technologies, and analytics to predict whether we’re going to “click, buy, lie, or die.”

So, what is the difference between forecasting and predictive analytics? Forecasting provides an estimate to anticipate trends for a large group over time, while predictive analytics goes much further and is focused on predicting the behavior of a single individual. For example, forecasting might provide an estimate of the total sales for a particular product line next quarter, while predictive analytics tells which customer will likely buy the product. Major industries such as Banking and Finance, Retail, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas Utilities, Government, E-commerce and Travel and Hospitality embrace predictive analytics to boost sales, improve operations, reduce risks, and gain a competitive advantage.

What is Predictive Analytics? Learn the about the process, applications, software and more here.

Click here to learn how to put predictive analytics to work from Eric Siegel, author of Predictive Analytics.

Read how to convert analytics into action here.