Survey of the European Management Consultancy Market

2007/2008

Introduction by the FEACO Chairman
Europe is faced with many challenges: the conversion from a mass production based economy to a knowledge based economy, the emergence of large, competing, economic centres, institutional and cultural difficulties in the construction of the EU, etc. At the same time Europe is rapidly developing: economic integration and further expansion to Central and Eastern European counties, the Europeanisation, even globalization, of local companies, development of the e-internal market, innovation clusters, etc. Within this context Management Consultancy plays an essential role in the transformation of companies and economies. Management Consulting contributes actively on a daily basis to the construction of Europe with the assistance and advice it provides client companies engaged in transnational activities: development of international strategies, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, transfer of decision centres, international projects, cost reductions, systems integrations, outsourcing, offshoring and global sourcing, etc. At the same time the profession needs to transform itself and adapt its service provision to these developments. Many Management Consulting companies are still too local to provide the services required. Consultancy companies need to ‘think big’, for their clients and for themselves. Smaller companies need to seek partners to survive. FEACO offers a unique framework for exchange and benchmarking for European consultancies, not just for the large, but particularly for small and medium-sized companies which find it increasingly difficult to adapt to and keep up with the market. FEACO allows to benchmark with other markets and companies, to network with companies, to meet with consultants from all over Europe, and to learn about practices and developments in European MC markets. Modern communication tools cannot replace the benefits of personal and