| Mick James talks to Mike Hobday, head of Atos Consulting in the UK, about the consultancy's future direction. |
| Atos Consulting UK "almost" goes back to its KPMG roots
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| | By Mick James
No-one could accuse
Mike Hobday of failing
to see the "big
picture". An enormous
image hanging on the
wall in the head of Atos
Consulting's office
unrolls a complex vision
of the consulting
practice's capabilities
and future direction, as
well as its multi-level
relationships with the
rest of Atos Origin.
It's a technique that
Atos Consulting has
developed for use with
clients.
"When you say to
chief executives
'describe your strategy'
they always use images,"
he says. "We facilitate
that, using professional
artists to interpret
that into an image."
Now these images hang
in strategic places in
the offices of Atos
Consulting's major
clients, providing a
constant and unambiguous
reminder of where the
organisation is going.
For Atos Consulting
this is in many ways a
return to its roots, but
also a move towards a
richer future which
draws on the diverse
legacy of the Atos
group. Originally
formed from a merger
between Dutch and French
systems integrators,
Atos became a major
presence on this side of
the Channel with the
acquisition of KMPG's UK
management consultancy
practice. The addition
of the former Sema Group | |
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profitability."
The motives for a
return to advisory work
are threefold, says
Hobday. "We want to be
known for our thought
leadership, to be
creative and innovative,
and to work for a broad
range of clients."
The shift also
creates a subtle change
in the consulting
group's relationship
with its parent, he
says.
"By doing advisory
work we cover a broader
range and build board
level initiatives and
provide intelligence and
understanding of what's
going on into Atos
Origin," he says. "We
act as 'intelligent eyes
and ears' into the
market."
This new approach has
led to a rapid expansion
in Atos Consulting's
client base beyond its
heritage clients.
"In the last six
months we've won more
'new logos' than in the
previous six years,"
says Hobday.
And while this has
led to some interesting
"pull-through"
opportunities for
systems integration or
outsourcing, this is far
from the only, or even
primary, reason for the
consulting group's
existence.
"We'll be objective
in our advice and also
look for opportunities
where Atos Origin has
capability," says | |
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| | Hobday. "But in the
Ministry of Defence, for
example, our reputation
is as procurement
experts – we don't do
any IT work for them."
What the capacity of
the wider group does is
give the consultants a
startlingly wide range
of capabilities to draw
on – from the
world-class service
delivery of the
Olympics, to Atos
Origin's health group,
the largest employer of
doctors in the UK
outside the NHS.
"We listen and
combine a lot of
things," says Hobday.
"For example, in
insurance, the fact that
we are also involved in
occupational health is
very interesting to
those clients looking at
offering flexible
benefits."
One of the challenges
for Hobday is to use the
wider capabilities of
Atos Origin to exploit
the opportunities
presented by industry
convergence.
"Historically, Atos
Consulting had been very
insular and stand-alone:
we need to break down
that wall," he says.
Atos Consulting is
currently recruiting at
all levels. As the
skills shortage in
consultancy deepens,
Hobday also sees the
potential for a return
to a more leveraged
model, in which the firm
will draw on colleagues
from the wider group as | |
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| | well as recruiting
straight from
university.
"I think we need to
challenge the thinking
that people from
university are incapable
of delivering. If
they've got the right
support and the right
characteristics they
can, and maybe that's
the route the market
needs to take," he says.
"The question is, are
clients buying bodies or
are they buying
outcomes, if they are
buying outcomes they
want to be able to do it
at a reasonable price."
At the moment, Atos
Consulting's primary
need is for experienced
consultants, and also
those very senior
experts who can combine
solutions expertise with
deep levels of industry
insight. The firm is
very proud of its record
in winning Management
Consultancies
Association case study
awards, and hopes to
continue to position
itself as a supplier of
not just capability and
creativity.
"In terms of career
options, we're looking
for people who want to
do advisory work but
recognise the importance
of technology in
achieving change," says
Hobday.
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| | and its longstanding
contract as IT partner
of the Olympic Games
gave the group a global
presence.
All this and more is
shown in the picture on
Hobday's wall, as
flowing rivers of ideas
and opportunities, walls
which protect and also
need to be broken down.
What it means in
practice is a refocusing
of the consultancy arm’s
efforts.
"We're almost
returning to our KPMG
heritage, a return to
the advisory business,"
says Hobday.
"Previously, we had been
moving towards a number
of very big clients,
doing large project
support, particularly
around large government
business."
For the last six
months, however, the
agenda has been
shifting, as Hobday has
looked to build up Atos
Consulting's presence in
the private sector in
financial services.
"It's not that the
public sector isn't good
business, but we also
need to grow other
sectors," he says. "If
you have reliance on a
smaller number of
clients with big spends,
that gives you greater
volatility in usage and | |
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