Edito Janvier 2004

Federal 17 December 2003 Lubljana Conference The European Consulting is not in crisis. However it will extend eastward. So get ready! In the aftermath of the European Consulting Conference hosted in Lubljana Slovenia, and in the following of the release by the FEACO of its Annual Report, Remi Redley, FEACO President answers our questions and gives his viewpoint on the future of the European Consulting market The Feaco Annual Conference held in Lubljana was named « Local meets Global ». Can this be a general title related to what is going on in the consulting world or is it specificaly related to the Slovenian case ? Remi Redley : No, it is the concern of Feaco ! Things are more and more globalized. But business is done in a local way, so we must know what is gained on local when we get global. The economic situation looks grim. Do you see any clearing in the weather ? Remi Redley : It is not very fine at the moment but consulting is much better than industry. We lost 2% in Europe. What we have to see is what we lost as turn over in the IT and strategy field. In that domain we lost in Germany and the UK but companies can switch to East. In Business Consulting and Solutions we have room enough. If we continue with a bad situation the consulting will not grow in 2003 but will slightly in 2004. One country in a bad situation is Germany. Germany has to modernize its system as in Italy and France. But the government is not able to handle it. There are no solution on the short term. Crisis management... is it a word that fits to the present state and behaviour of European Consultancies ? Remi Redley : No, we have to think to reorganize some structures but we are not in a crisis, definitly not. Is the future European Union with 25 member states a big opportunity for consulting firms ? Remi Redley : Europe is ! But localisation matters. You have to be there with offices in the country. It is an opportunity only if you are based in the country or know the rules. But not for small consultancies. If you had a few advices to tell the consultants at the moment what would they be ? Remi redley : Two advices to think over : the first is Professionalism and the second is Clarification. About Professionalism, look at what is in the competition field we are in and transfer it to them (clients). About Clarification, we have different business lines, strategy, consulting solutions, IT consulting, IT services and implementation and management services such as outsourcing or IT outsourcing ... The big firms on a lot do it all and most have to communicate to their clients. They have to communicate on where their competences in the field are. There are companies that dont tell it clearly. Yet services prices are different for different offers... especially because of new comers and agregation. Where are the competences is the real question ! Words collected by Bertrand Villeret Chief Editor of ConsultingNewsLine To know more: http://www.feaco.org Copy Right Qantorg 2004 ConsultingNewsLine All rights reserved		Planetecologie.org

In the aftermath of the European Consulting Conference hosted in Lubljana Slovenia, and in the following of the release by the FEACO of its Annual Report, Remi Redley, FEACO President answers our questions and gives his viewpoint on the future of the European Consulting market

The Feaco Annual Conference held in Lubljana was named « Local meets Global ». Can this be a general title related to what is going on in the consulting world or is it specificaly related to the Slovenian case ?

Remi Redley : No, it is the concern of Feaco ! Things are more and more globalized. But business is done in a local way, so we must know what is gained on local when we get global.

The economic situation looks grim. Do you see any clearing in the weather ?

Remi Redley : It is not very fine at the moment but consulting is much better than industry. We lost 2% in Europe. What we have to see is what we lost as turn over in the IT and strategy field. In that domain we lost in Germany and the UK but companies can switch to East. In Business Consulting and Solutions we have room enough. If we continue with a bad situation the consulting will not grow in 2003 but will slightly in 2004. One country in a bad situation is Germany. Germany has to modernize its system as in Italy and France. But the government is not able to handle it. There are no solution on the short term.

Crisis management... is it a word that fits to the present state and behaviour of European Consultancies ?

Remi Redley : No, we have to think to reorganize some structures but we are not in a crisis, definitly not.

Is the future European Union with 25 member states a big opportunity for consulting firms ?

Remi Redley : Europe is ! But localisation matters. You have to be there with offices in the country. It is an opportunity only if you are based in the country or know the rules. But not for small consultancies.

If you had a few advices to tell the consultants at the moment what would they be ?

Remi redley : Two advices to think over : the first is Professionalism and the second is Clarification. About Professionalism, look at what is in the competition field we are in and transfer it to them (clients). About Clarification, we have different business lines, strategy, consulting solutions, IT consulting, IT services and implementation and management services such as outsourcing or IT outsourcing ... The big firms on a lot do it all and most have to communicate to their clients. They have to communicate on where their competences in the field are. There are companies that dont tell it clearly. Yet services prices are different for different offers... especially because of new comers and agregation. Where are the competences is the real question !

Words collected by Bertrand Villeret
Chief Editor of ConsultingNewsLine

To know more:
http://www.feaco.org