169 aCtIVIty desIgn 169 John, 55 Founder & CEO Strategy Consultancy 210 employees 1 outline big issues • Think of a typical strategy- consulting client. • Pick the Customer Segment and industry of your choice. • Describe fi ve of the biggest issues related to strategy consulting. Refer to the Empathy Map (see p. 131). 2 generate possibilities • Take another close look at the fi ve customer issues you selected. • Generate as many consulting business model ideas as you can. • Pick the fi ve ideas you think are best (not necessarily the most realistic). Refer to the Ideation Process (see p. 134). 3 prototype the business model • Choose the three most diverse ideas of the fi ve generated. • Develop three conceptual business model prototypes by sketching the elements of each idea on different Business Model Canvases. • Annotate the pros and cons of each prototype. Wanted: A new Consulting Business Model John Sutherland needs your help. John is the founder and CEO of a midsized global consulting fi rm that focuses on advising companies on strategy and organizational issues. He is looking for a fresh, outside perspective on his company because he believes that his business needs to be re-envisioned. John built his company over two decades and now employs 210 people worldwide. The focus of his consultancy is helping executives develop effective strategies, improve their strategic management, and realign their organizations. He competes directly with McKinsey, Bain, and Roland Berger. One problem he faces is being smaller than his top-tier competitors, yet much larger than the typical niche-focused strategy con- sultancy. But John is not preoccupied with this issue, since his company is still doing reasonably well. What really troubles him is the strategic consulting profession’s poor reputation in the marketplace, and growing client perception that the prevalent hourly and project-based billing model is outdated. Though his own fi rm’s reputation remains good, he has heard from several clients that they think consultants overcharge, under- deliver, and show little genuine commitment to client projects. Such comments alarm John, because he believes his industry employs some of the brightest minds in business. After much thought, he has con- cluded that this reputation results from an outdated business model, and he now wants to transform his own company’s approach. John aims to make hourly and project billing a thing of the past, but isn’t quite sure how to do so. Help John by providing him with some fresh per- spectives on innovative consulting business models. John built his company over two decades and now employs 210 people worldwide. The focus of his consultancy is helping executives develop effective strategies, improve their strategic management, and realign their organizations. He competes directly with McKinsey, Bain, and Roland Berger. One problem he faces is being smaller than sultancy. But John is not preoccupied with this issue, since his company is still doing and project-based billing model is outdated. Though his own fi rm’s reputation remains good, he has heard from several clients that they think consultants overcharge, under- bmgen_final.indd 169 6/15/10 5:43 PM