Olivier LE HENAFF has held senior management positions in prestigious companies, particularly in the consulting and digital services sectors, notably at Capgemini, Accenture, DXC Technology, and Teamwill Consulting.
Consulting professionals share with us their views on the impact of AI, the evolution of consulting professions, the training of young consultants, etc. We thank tem as they are bearers of “visions” that inspire us!
“AI frees us from time-consuming tasks so we can focus on what really matters: creation, innovation, and challenging existing methods. It’s an incredible opportunity to restore meaning to our profession and rediscover the very essence of consulting!”
Olivier Le Hénaff shares with OctaEdge his vision of the impact of AI on the resource pyramid in consulting. We're thinking outside the box... invigorating! OctaEdge: Olivier, as a former consulting firm executive, what is your opinion on the impact of AI tools on the resource pyramid in consulting firms? Is it a revolution or an evolution? Olivier: Having managed a consulting firm, I can tell you that it's an exciting revolution, but also a major challenge. AI will transform repetitive tasks, which could reduce the role of juniors. This is both an opportunity and a threat to our traditional pyramid. We must adapt so as not to lose the very essence of our profession. OctaEdge: What profiles will really make the difference in consulting firms in the age of AI? Olivier: With my experience, I can say that creative and innovative profiles will be our new heroes. However, the notion of expertise itself will evolve. Expertise will become more accessible and capitalizable thanks to AI, which will particularly impact senior levels and specialized fields. AI frees us from time-consuming tasks so we can focus on what really matters: creation, innovation, and challenging existing methods. It's an incredible opportunity to restore meaning to our profession and rediscover the very essence of consulting! OctaEdge: So, should we "beat" AI or complement it with human assets? Olivier: We absolutely must complement it! Human creativity, adaptability, and intuition are irreplaceable. But let's not forget that juniors remain our future. They are essential for maintaining reasonable costs and preparing the seniors of tomorrow. Without them, we lose our balance and our ability to innovate. OctaEdge: How can we integrate and develop juniors with AI? Olivier: We must guide our juniors with passion and rigor. AI is a powerful tool, but it shouldn't replace human supervision. Combining the power of LLMs with our traditional consulting methods is key. We must encourage them to master AI while remaining critical and active. It's our responsibility to train them to become the leaders of tomorrow.
Interviews with Consulting "pros"
Philippe PIEDIGROSSI, Senior Partner at Accenture and then EY, has led teams, transfo projects and major clients, particularly in Financial Services.
"Consultants need to realize that 'together is better'! The sum of individual efficiency gains linked to AI and/or digitalization has an overall impact that quickly plateaus if the implementation of tools is not accompanied by 'meta-reflection' on how to also increase the 'collective' impact."
Philippe Piedigrossi has a strong conviction: AI must become “Collective Intelligence,” or risk being rejected... Wow, we love that! OctaEdge: Philippe, when you agreed to this interview, you told us you wanted to talk about “Collective Intelligence.” That surprised us, because it's a topic that's rarely discussed in the age of AI. Philippe: Yes, I think it's necessary and important to focus on this topic because AI is too often perceived and used as a tool for “individual enhancement”... without really considering its potential for “collective” efficiency. There is a risk of misunderstanding or even rejection of AI if it does not deliver a more global benefit than the direct performance improvement of each user: we must also think in terms of “family,” “team,” “company,” and, beyond that, “nation/society.” OctaEdge: If we focus on OctaEdge's market, how should we “think” about the Collective Intelligence of consulting and digital services companies' ‘teams’ and “businesses”? Philippe: First of all, we need to make consultants aware that “together is better”! The sum of individual efficiency gains linked to AI and/or digitalization has an overall impact that quickly plateaus if the implementation of tools/processes is not accompanied by “meta-reflection” on ways to increase the “collective” as well. OctaEdge: If you had to illustrate your point with a single example of a solution that reinforces this “Collective Intelligence,” what would it be? Philippe: Yes, I would take up the subject of building and managing “private data”... To achieve a higher level of efficiency in a consulting firm/digital services company, it is critical to gradually build up your corpus of “private” data. [A quick aside: I say “data” because you have to make the effort to digitize it! A PDF is nice, but it's not directly usable/reusable. To digitize, you need a data model that is well suited to the consulting business. ] Back to my point about “private data”... The first thing that comes to mind is “traditional” repositories, which are often not very well managed, such as references, resumes, old proposals, white papers, etc., but this concept of private data must be extended to project methods/approaches and “business” information on clients, markets, etc. AI provides very fast and efficient access to “public” data, which is a great step forward. But that's not enough. This public information needs to be “worked on” and combined with the ‘brainpower’ of consultants... to ultimately turn it into original/private information. This is the firm's “black gold.” Last but not least, and perhaps most difficult, this valuable “private data” must be stored, secured, made “collaborative,” and easily accessible in order to extract its full value over time. OctaEdge: Everyone will agree with you, Philippe; the subject of knowledge management is essential... But how could AI have a negative impact or hinder KM? Philippe: I'm not saying that AI will slow down KM; on the contrary, it can strengthen it! But this must be taken into account when developing the tools that will be made available to consultants, and it must also be taken into account in work processes and team management. If this is not the case, the risk with AI is that we will have “augmented” consultants who are certainly faster and more capable of searching for and/or producing information, but who do not see the value of building a solid foundation that can be used by others. These consultants, in their “omnipotence,” will find it difficult to accept/use/contribute to the firm's reviews, working principles, and methods. It is not a question of limiting everyone's abilities, but of putting them at the service of a more ambitious project: the success of the team and the profitable development of the company. OctaEdge: You seem to be saying that building a “medium/long-term” vision is not ‘natural’ in the era of the “LLM-fueled super-consultant”... Philippe: Collaboration is rarely “natural,” and in the short term, it is easier and faster to leverage your own capabilities rather than combine them with those of others. So you need good tools (good job, OctaEdge!) and good change management (that's the job of the firms themselves) to get consultants to accept the idea of contributing/using standards/methods/capitalization methods/etc. Convince them that regular and rigorous investment in “private” data and “Knowledge Management” is a small slowdown/effort at the moment but is a key lever for the efficiency of the business model. OctaEdge: Thank you, Philippe! Wow! We love it... You won't be surprised to hear that we fully agree with your analysis. The more we focus on the collective and therefore on medium/long-term efficiency, the more difficult it can be to adopt tools in the short term... We need to find the right balance between the power of AI for individual productivity gains/relevance while ensuring that we advance the company's knowledge/know-how capital. It's not easy. But we think we're on the right track 🙂
Joël NADJAR, formerly with Accenture and then Wavestone, was an executive, a team manager, and a key player in business transformation. He now leverages his experience to support startups and is developing a think tank focused on the impacts of AI.
Agentic AI is no longer fiction, but an operational reality already in action. Joël shares his thoughts on the major technical and ethical issues raised by this “new wave.” OctaEdge: As you know, OctaEdge has more than 120 AI agents fully integrated into the platform. They are the “engines” of the business processes in our business development support solution. But you tell us: "Be careful! " Joël: Yes, I want to take a step back and look at issues that, if not “thought through” in advance, can have serious consequences. How do we train teams to “manage” these agents? What safeguards should be put in place to prevent abuse? And above all, how can we reconcile innovation with social responsibility? These are all challenges that invite designers, users, and especially managers to rethink their approach, not only in terms of technology, but also in terms of people and strategy. OctaEdge: Before you give us your “keys” to launching agent projects within a well-thought-out strategic framework, can you give us your vision of the contribution of AI agents? Joël: A point that seems obvious but bears repeating is that the tools needed to implement "Agentic" projects already exist. We can already use APIs from existing language models (LLMs) as well as other inexpensive tools to quickly create a platform that could potentially be "no-code." This platform can be used by non-technical managers within the company, even after the project teams have left. However, we observe that, to realize productivity gains and create "business" value, AI actors, even if they can partially rely on generic language models, also develop specific applications. Chatgpt, Mistral, and Claude rely on data available on the internet, which makes them poorly suited to industrial sectors, where AI agents are trained on data specific to a sector or company. These agents may not be capable of writing a philosophy thesis, but they are incredibly effective at handling a well-defined part of a process! OctaEdge: In other words, you believe that Agentic AI is no longer a concept, it works! Joël: Yes, complete operational automation is no longer a utopia: Agentic AI can, in practice, replace human teams and take on complex functions. Today, AI agents are capable of making decisions, solving problems, and collaborating successfully. And these agents can sometimes be even more personalized and "human" than humans themselves! For example, they can analyze a tone of voice or micro-expressions of the face and respond in a highly appropriate way with unwavering availability! OctaEdge: As some fear, is this the risk of replacing humans? Joël: I would say rather that it is, gradually, a new organizational structure that is emerging, where humans collaborate daily with AI agents (which can even be personalized with avatars). But AI agents are not digital "slaves": unlike traditional software, they need to be "managed" and "coached," in a similar way to human employees, to develop intelligent and sensitive interactions with their human colleagues. A recent study published by Damien Raczy on LinkedIn shows that you don't get the same responses from a Chatgpt-type chatbot depending on whether you're courteous and kind or, conversely, harsh and blunt in your prompt. Apparently, the best responses are obtained with an intermediate level of courtesy. It seems that the chatbot uses different data sources depending on the level of language in the prompt. OctaEdge: If humans coexist with agentic "colleagues," what about "Human Resources" management? It must be significantly impacted… Joël: Absolutely. Even if the fundamentals of HR practices remain valid, it seems essential to revisit them, or even rethink them. We will still need to address the challenges of individual and collective motivation within a mixed team, manage careers, and develop skills. But this will require different methods and approaches that need to be developed. For example, how do you disseminate a company culture or ethical considerations aligned with the company's values and social responsibility within a department when half the workforce consists of digital agents? Clearly, this isn't just about technology. It's an opportunity to reinvent how an organization interacts, works, and creates value. Organizational consultants, sociologists, and HR specialists will be on the front lines! Companies capable of attracting and training advanced AI talent will gain a major competitive advantage. OctaEdge: Thank you, Joël, truly. Your long, deep, and valuable experience in business transformation is invaluable to us. In the age of AI, we must anticipate the impacts or, at the very least, take a step back. If the revolution we are experiencing is viewed solely from a productivity perspective, there will be significant resistance, and the "tech" lever won't be used for good. 😊
“With the arrival of digital ‘colleagues’ within companies, HR management practices need to be rethought. It will still be necessary to address the challenges of individual and collective motivation, manage careers, and develop skills. But this will require different methods. For example, how do you disseminate a company culture or ethical considerations aligned with the company's values and social responsibility within a department when half the workforce consists of ‘digital agents’?”
Productivity
"With AI, we get information very quickly, but it's often too verbose; we spend a lot of time re-cutting everything to isolate ideas and then include them in our deliverables." "We adapt the CVs and credentials for each proposal to highlight the most useful elements for the project... but it's cumbersome!" "Ultimately, we produce slides; and AI is not partilarly helping on this..."
We have collected "words" from Consultants ; their daily "pain points" in their Business Development activities...
Of course, we listened to them carefully!
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Relevance
"My number one fear is that my consultants will gradually become completely passive and no longer even read what has been produced by AI." "Understanding/documenting our clients' business challenges takes a lot of time; it's often done at the last minute... and therefore poorly." "To explain the value created to the client, you need to understand their business model, their areas for improvement, and the financial impact of the services offered." "We need to explain the value of the methods and tools, particularly IT tools, used to build or deliver our services."
What the Consultants tell us
Mastered AI
"We must be able to collaborate/share, but also manage different rights internally, particularly for access to sensitive data." "The use of AI must not put the company's key data/information at risk." "Aren't we developing dependencies on certain tools/companies (OpenAI, etc.) that could ultimately become a risk?"
Security
"We must be able to collaborate/share, but also manage different rights internally, particularly for access to sensitive data." "The use of AI must not put the company's key data/information at risk." "Aren't we developing dependencies on certain tools/companies (OpenAI, etc.) that could ultimately become a risk?"
Capitalization
"Everyone uses AI whenever they want, with heterogeneous tools and methods; this lack of control is ultimately fatal for the firm." "We're reinventing the wheel with every proposal; we're not capitalizing enough on what's already been achieved, especially our references." "We're not respecting the firm's methods or its graphic charter! Bad for our image!"