The old consulting model, built on diagnosis, recommendations, and a polished PowerPoint as the final deliverable, is undergoing a profound transformation. In 2025, clients are no longer interested in being told what to do, but in seeing how to do it, with which tools, and within what timeframe. The demand is clear: less theory, more practice. The result is a new era of execution-oriented consulting, where the deliverable is not a report but a functional solution.
When clients demand speed and results
Large organizations, from banks to logistics operators and retailers, have accelerated their decision-making cycles. A simple “recommended roadmap” is no longer enough; what is expected is agile implementation, backed by technology and tangible results from the very first month. This pressure has forced consulting firms to rethink their service models and redefine their value proposition.
According to McKinsey, companies that integrate execution into strategic design achieve operational improvements 30% faster than those that separate the two processes. That gap is increasingly visible in sectors where margins are tight and the context is volatile. Clients want consultants who deliver solutions like a technology partner, not external advisors who bill by the hour and by the slide.
The new operating model: from advice to co-development
Structural changes have reached the core of consulting firms. McKinsey openly speaks of the need to adopt “a new operating model for a new world,” one in which strategy translates from day one into concrete actions, enabling systems, and impact metrics. The traditional pyramid model, where juniors produce and seniors validate, is losing traction in favor of flatter teams where technology, data, and product specialists work side by side with industry experts.
This trend is also reshaping how projects are delivered. Instead of final reports, the typical deliverable is now an interactive dashboard, a pilot system, or an interface powered by real client data. Results are no longer “presented,” they are co-built and tested.
The rise of the hybrid profile
Talent is also shifting in this new framework. The most in-demand profiles are no longer just MBAs fluent in strategy frameworks, but consultants who can build prototypes, connect APIs, or design automated workflows. The concept of the “consultant-builder” is gaining ground: someone who thinks like a strategist but acts like a product manager.
This profile requires skills that were not traditionally part of the industry: no-code tools, data visualization, advanced analytics, design thinking, and even basic UX/UI principles. The World Economic Forum has already highlighted the rise of hybrid roles that blend business vision with technical capability, a key ingredient to ensure transformations don’t remain stuck on paper.
A silent competition: software as an alternative
Part of the shift in expectations comes from the market itself. Many companies, especially mid-sized ones, no longer hire consultants for generic problems; they seek specific solutions, and if those solutions exist as software, they prefer them. Management platforms, automation tools, applied AI, and predictive analytics compete directly with consulting services, offering fixed prices, immediate deployment, and no dependency on external teams.
In response, many firms are creating their own tools or accelerators, while others partner with tech providers to deliver customized solutions. This “consulting-as-a-product” model is already gaining ground in industries such as healthcare, finance, and energy, where execution capacity is becoming a decisive competitive advantage.
In regions like Latin America, some firms are applying this approach to projects involving internationalization, compliance, or multi-jurisdictional taxation, prioritizing digital solutions that reduce friction. For example, initiatives that integrate consulting with SaaS platforms tailored to emerging markets are being used to support business expansion across the region.
Consulting that is installed, not presented
At its core, this shift is cultural. The firms that understand their role is no longer to explain change but to operationalize it from day one will be the ones that thrive. The line between consulting, technology, and product is increasingly blurred, and clients are no longer buying promises, they are buying functional results.
The new consulting is not measured by the number of slides or the eloquence of a team. It is measured by deployment time, internal adoption, and financial return. In this environment, those who still base their advantage on dazzling presentations are running a race with tools from the last century.
Sources:
- McKinsey & Company: A new operating model for a new world
- Harvard Business Review: AI Is Changing the Structure of Consulting Firms
- McKinsey & Company: Beyond transformation: What we now know about driving bottom-line performance
- HBS Working Knowledge: Are Management Consulting Firms Failing to Manage Themselves?
