| | By Mick James
Consultancy is an
industry in constant
flux and one of the
interesting things to
follow is the move of
different firms along
the so-called value
chain, which leads from
strategic advice to
implementation and
eventually running
client operations. For
some firms consultancy
has been their starting
point – for others it is
a destination.
Softlab is a case of
the latter. Originally
founded as a software
company in 1971, it
became a world leader in
the supply of CASE
(Computer Aided Software
Engineering) tools.
Since its acquisition by
BMW Group in 1992, it
has moved radically away
from products to a
"total growth strategy"
focused on services and
systems integration.
Although BMW is a
major client, 80% of
Softlab's business comes
from external clients.
The move into consulting
is a natural outgrowth
of this move up the
value chain, and it now
accounts for 30% of
Softlab Group revenues.
Germany is naturally
a major market and now | |
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| | the company is trying to
replicate that strength
with a major expansion
of its consultancy
operation in the UK.
"It's important that
we are not seen as a
me-too," says chief
executive officer Gareth
Thomas. "One of the
reasons we feel we can
punch above our weight
in the UK is that we
have this wealth of
experience in Germany to
draw on."
While the consultancy
arm can provide
stand-alone advice, the
key for Softlab is the
provision of end-to-end
services.
"Not many people
provide this end-to-end
capability," says
Thomas. "What's key for
us is that our
implementation
capability needs to –
and does – fit to the
consulting capability,
and that we have the
right level of business
and processes
consultancy to provide
implementation that is
real."
Unsurprisingly, given
its heritage,
manufacturing is
Softlab's biggest
sector, closely followed
by financial services
and a growing presence | |
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| | in telecoms/media and
insurance. The vision
for Softlab is "upwards
and outwards".
"We want to move up
the value chain and to
provide the customer
with more IP at the
beginning of the
process," says Thomas.
In the UK the company
has established a strong
foothold in the area of
customer management, and
to build on this it has
recruited Peter Cantor,
formerly with IBM Global
Business Services, to
build the consultancy
offering.
"Consultancy is
intended neither to be a
massive change to our
culture, nor to be a
bolt-on, but
integrated," says
Cantor. "What has
changed is how we go to
market. We're now
looking to take on the
end-to-end project."
Initially, Softlab
will be looking for
organic growth by
providing consultancy
advice to both existing
and new clients.
"I believe there is a
space in the market to
provide 'Big Four' level
of advice in a different
environment," says
Cantor. "Our initial
pitch is | |
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| | operationalising
strategy. We would like
to work with you to make
sure your strategy can
be delivered, to make
sure you can deliver the
benefits."
Cantor believes the
difference comes not
only in the quality of
advice offered but the
grounding in reality
afforded by Softlab's
implementation
capability.
"When you give
advice, clients say
that's very interesting,
now tell me what you
think is really going to
happen," says Cantor.
"We can't afford to
pretend, we can't afford
to have a pipeline of
work that isn't going to
happen – our advice has
got to be based on
reality and the here and
now."
This feeds through to
the kind of people
Softlab recruits.
"Implementing
software is bloody hard
work – but that doesn't
mean anyone is going to
use it," says Cantor.
"The other hard bit of
the equation is making
sure people change their
behaviours too."
Cantor says he is
looking for people of
the same calibre as that | |
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| | of largest firms, but
who want to work in a
"more energised and
self-motivated"
environment.
"We are very
selective and we stick
to our guns," he says.
"We're very keen to hire
people who want to join
Softlab and not just
leave their previous
employment."
Cantor says he is
looking for people with
the skills and
experience to deliver
Softlab's end-to-end
promise to customers.
"We are not a purist
consultancy. We are
always looking to how we
can help people
implement something as
long as that's the right
decision for the
customer," he says. "We
want someone who has an
opinion on a particular
aspect of CRM, someone
who knows something
about a certain topic
and has the skills to
back it up. If you
haven't got an opinion
you're not much use."
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