Using Technology to Optimize Consulting Processes

My best tip for working with Anthropic's Claude: ask for what you actually want. I began with simple tasks, yes/no questions, and basic prompts ("give me 10 ideas for a title...") but quickly realized there's no downside to requesting complex deliverables. If something doesn't land quite right, I just iterate or return to a previous version. This willingness to experiment revealed my best use cases - like these approaches that now power my consulting work: Personalized Outputs → I've created an AI "cheat sheet" with my background, insights, and writing samples that I upload to every project for more sophisticated outputs and faster results. When I find myself repeating requests, I add them as rules - like "check for word repetition" and "no rhetorical questions (too corny)." The informality of these directions is part of what makes them work! Rapid Adaptation → Claude helps me quickly make sweeping changes throughout a whole deliverable - accelerating timelines throughout a project plan, restructuring entire documents, or infusing a new example throughout. Because these changes take minutes instead of hours, I'm much more willing to experiment with format and structure until it's exactly right. This is also extra handy when moving between internal planning documents and client-facing materials - I'll download an Asana file and ask Claude to translate it into SOWs or executive summaries. Quality Assurance → I run everything through Claude for a final check of clarity and concision - even quick emails. As a habitual re-reader, this gives me both better quality and peace of mind. Creative Partnership → With Claude, I'm more willing to explore unconventional ideas. There's no such thing as a "stupid question," so I can brainstorm freely, react to suggestions, and follow promising tangents. This freedom has led to some of my most innovative strategic recommendations. By handling execution details, AI transforms how I approach client work - enabling more creative experiments and sharper strategic thinking. Reach out if you'd like to compare notes on using AI for strategic work (And yes, Claude and I wrote this series together) #AI #Consulting #BusinessStrategy #DigitalTransformation #Innovation

Consulting’s new differentiator isn’t slideware—it’s software. AI platforms are quietly eating services (and that’s a good thing). IBM Consulting Advantage is the shift: people + platform. Not another demo; an AI-powered delivery system with assistants, agents and applications that make method repeatable, governance real, and outcomes faster. ✅ This actually matters. We’re wiring IBM Consulting Advantage into Azure estates—Fabric, AKS, Dynamics, SAP on Azure—so copilots aren’t one-off experiments but production muscle. That gives teams a controlled path from “prompt” to “process,” with the guardrails enterprises actually need. What changes for clients: - Less artisan heroics, more reusable assets and patterns. - Cleaner data pipelines (AI-ready by design), not “we’ll fix it later.” - Tighter security posture across hybrid cloud, not bolt-on controls. - Delivery that learns—assistants capture what works and scale it. Hype vs reality: tools don’t transform; operating models do. IBM Consulting Advantage works because it bakes AI into delivery—governed, measurable, and integrated with partner ecosystems like Microsoft—so you get compounding value, not compounding tech debt. 🔍 If your consulting partner shows up without mature AI platform, you’re funding their learning curve. With one, you’re funding your roadmap. 💡

Optimizing business processes and enhancing customer experiences through #Automation and technology requires a systematic approach. Begin by conducting a comprehensive process mapping and analysis to identify bottlenecks, redundancies, and opportunities for #DX. Employing tools like BPMN or DMN can streamline this process. Next, prioritize areas for automation based on factors such as cost-benefit analysis, potential ROI, and alignment with overall business objectives. Consider technologies like RPA, AI, and machine learning for automating repetitive tasks, improving decision-making, and enhancing customer interactions. A crucial aspect is data management. Ensure data quality, accessibility, and security to support informed decision-making. Implement data governance frameworks and leverage data analytics tools to extract valuable insights. Finally, adopt a user-centric design approach to create seamless and intuitive experiences. Employing UX/UI design principles and leveraging technologies like chatbots and virtual assistants can significantly enhance customer satisfaction. Remember, successful AT/tech implementation requires change management, employee training, and continuous evaluation. By following a structured approach and embracing emerging technologies, organizations can achieve substantial improvements in efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction.

Calling all consultants! I’ve been thinking about generative AI consulting. My head has been spinning with AI use cases for marketers, agencies, and business operations. I have hosted dozens of generative AI training events and witnessed firsthand how generative AI technology has increased productivity at my agency. Consultants and consulting firms can offer generative AI as an add-on service by strategically offering AI _training_ and _productized_ services to clients. The strategy: 1. Begin with training: Educate clients on generative AI's capabilities and limitations to recalibrate their expectations and prepare them for a successful generative AI pilot project. Example: A medical device maker (current client of ours), after four training sessions, was ready to adopt generative AI for content research and promotion. 2. Move to productized services: Offer specific AI solutions with proven success, such as automating sales research, to demonstrate tangible results. Avoid these traps: Trap 1: Selling AI consulting to clients who lack understanding of AI's nuances. Start every engagement with training to set realistic expectations.    Trap 2: Offering open-ended AI consulting. Instead, propose specific pilot projects with a track record of success. Bottom line: By educating clients and offering proven AI solutions, consultants and consulting firms can effectively offer generative AI as an add-on service, enhancing their revenue streams.

As we continue working with Gen AI tools, mastering the art of Chain of Thought (CoT) prompting stands out as a game-changer for commercial and federal consultants. By implementing CoT techniques, we can enhance the reasoning capabilities of large language models (LLMs), enabling them to tackle complex, multi-step problems with a level of precision and clarity previously unattainable. This is significant for us as AI consultants. CoT prompting aligns perfectly with the needs of our clients, who require detailed, transparent, and logically coherent Gen AI solutions. Whether generating creative content, solving intricate coding problems, or optimizing decision-making processes, CoT allows us to break down tasks into manageable steps that LLMs can understand and execute. This boosts efficiency and improves the interpretability of Gen AI decisions, making it easier for stakeholders to trust and rely on our solutions. For our clients in the government and commercial sectors, where accuracy, security, and compliance are paramount, the structured problem-solving approach offered by CoT can be particularly beneficial. It ensures that Gen AI operations adhere to stringent regulatory standards while providing clear insight into how decisions are made, thereby enhancing accountability. Implementing CoT doesn't require overhauling existing systems but rather seamlessly integrates into the LLM frameworks we already use. We AI consultants need to start experimenting with CoT in our practices. We must begin by identifying challenges that require layered, nuanced thinking and apply CoT to unfold these complexities systematically. The benefits of deploying such advanced AI strategies are immense—enhancing operational efficiency and building robust, dependable AI systems that can adapt and excel in any scenario. Let's dive into the transformative world of structured reasoning and unlock the full potential of our Gen AI solutions today. #ArtificialIntelligence, #MachineLearning, #Innovation, #DataAnalytics, #Consulting, #Technology, #AITrends, #DigitalTransformation, #BusinessStrategy, #GovernmentConsulting, #CommercialInnovation, #TechLeadership, #ProblemSolving, #AIConsulting, #FutureOfWork