Big Four III

Case Study

Case Study: Client Services Extranets for Big Four Consultancy

Business Challenge

Drive conversion, penetration and retention goals of major services organization through implementing knowledge management-oriented client extranets.

Role

Engagement manager, taking the lead in designing engagement and pitching to existing client.  Devised innovative R&D engagement to be a hybrid between client services and business development.

Rollout

Designed engagement with two strategic goals: 1) to reduce cost of service by enabling clients to access work as it was being performed and 2) to drive additional revenue through high-value clients and to convert prospects away from competitors.

Projected involvement of project professionals as well as 16 high-value clients and prospects in the engagement, inviting them to participate in R&D beta extranet program. Targeted complex service/product delivery processes requiring extensive interaction between project teams and their client/prospect counterparts. Designed extranet prototypes to serve as repositories for all project documents, minimizing version control problems and tightening cycle times by providing real-time access to project information as it flowed between the Firm and its clients/prospects.

Responded to clients’ and prospects’ needs for high-quality knowledge to support strategic decision-making processes. Within extranets, designed centralized knowledge repository for relevant white papers, market information and newsletters to which targeted clients and prospects could be given access. Real-time, exclusive access to high-quality information was very desirable to clients.

Results

• Significant increase in productivity (at least 20%) of firm professionals, through reduced time spent in version tracking, emailing documents to clients and waiting for clients to email corrections to documents.
• At least 25% increased engagement profitability due administration efficiency gains.
• Increased satisfaction of Firm professionals and clients due to enhanced responsiveness and less frustration.
• Significant number of new clients among prospect participants, who develop close working relationships with Firm project managers and learn how Firm collects and delivers value-added information to clients.
• Enhanced client relationships among participants and other clients as they are given access to extranets.