In this article, you will read what consulting firm managers see as the biggest threats in 2022 and what role data plays in overcoming them.
Consulting firms are under pressure from new players in the market and new trends are threatening established names. Below you can read what the top 10 challenges are for consulting firms in 2022 based on research conducted by HRI.
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Top 10 threats consulting firms face in 2022
These threats translate into the next two major challenges, namely growth and risk. In doing so, we look at what role data and information play and what solutions are involved.
Stable and sustainable growth
Competition in the accounting and consulting firm sector is fierce. The rise of the command economy and the democratisation of information are eroding profits.
What are the main bottling necks?
- Too much time spent on administrative tasks
From timesheets to project paperwork and other administrative tasks, employees can quickly get stuck in tedious, time-consuming tasks, especially if they are manual. - Employees' potential billability is not exploited
Agencies spend a lot of money on finding top talent, who in turn expect an efficient working environment to be maximally productive.
How M-Files increases productivity
- Increase productivity by letting employees focus on tasks that add value and are billable, instead of being busy with repetitive manual tasks and spending unnecessary time searching for the right information to fulfil their tasks.
- M-Files automates manual tasks from data creation to document archiving.
- M-Files provides a 360-degree view of all the information that resides in different parts of the organisation.
Preventing reputational damage and mitigating data security risks
Agencies in this sector are primarily concerned with complying with laws and regulations around compliance and data security. Potential fines are not the only possible consequences; a breach of reputation can cause even more damage.
Key factors
- Reliable data security
Consulting firms have data scattered across multiple, disconnected systems - ERP, CRM, laptops, network folders. This increases the risk of data potentially falling into the wrong hands through data breaches or a breach. - Robust compliance and audit procedures
When an inspection takes place, a consultancy should be able to hand over the right information within minutes, not weeks.
How M-Files offers security
- Store information on-premise, in the European cloud or a combination of both
- Dynamic access based on the user, group, role, as well as any possible metadata property
- No more risky e-mail attachments and insecure file transfers
- Easy and fast adaptation to changing laws & regulations.
Efficiency improvements become necessary
The key to efficient operations lies in streamlining processes and workflows. With M-Files, managers can oversee those processes and workflows and, where they see bottlenecks and areas for improvement, reform them quickly and intelligently.
M-Files automates repetitive and manual work. By providing templates and smart workflows, you automate processes such as contract management or archiving. And you can be sure it will be fast and error-free.
Because M-Files provides the gateway to all information in the organisation, knowledge is easy to transfer, data is secure and people can only access the information they need.
M-Files is the only platform in the world that manages information based on what something is, rather than where it is stored. Connect all systems and storage locations in your organisation, even network drives and LOB software. Add intelligence thanks to Artificial Intelligence that automatically organises and secures information to the highest level.
Our Dutch experts are ready for your questions, you can make a request a personal online demonstration or Try out M-Files for yourself.