On Embedding Technology Into Your Services

The rise of AI, productization, and hyper-specialization are clear trends shaping the consulting space. But if I had to pick one that’s particularly relevant for early-stage consultancies, it’s how founders are integrating technology into their offerings right from the start.

This isn’t about using tech for backend support, like CRMs or time-tracking tools. It’s about weaving technology and data into the core of your service delivery. By doing this, consultancies can create high-value offerings that not only resonate with clients but also help differentiate them from alternatives.

Let me give you an example. I’ve been working with a financial advisory firm that’s taken a bold approach. Instead of the traditional model of periodic financial reviews, they’ve built a tech-powered service targeting e-commerce businesses earning $10–50 million annually.

Here’s how it works:

• The firm plugs directly into their clients’ systems, gaining real-time access to financial data - cash flow, sales performance, product-level P&L, and more.
• Using this data, they continuously monitor the client’s financial health via a shared dashboard and provide real-time recommendations.
• For example, they can flag opportunities to reduce customer acquisition costs, advise on scaling back investments if liquidity drops, or highlight underperforming product lines.

This isn’t just advisory work. It’s continuous, proactive, and deeply integrated with the client’s operations.

I believe this is an example of where the industry is heading. While it’s hard for consultancies to pivot into full-fledged software companies, we’re seeing something in between: a blend of traditional consulting expertise with tech and data. This allows consultancies to deliver more value and be seen as hands-on partners rather than detached advisors.

Embedding tech into your service offering has several benefits:

• Improved impact: Real-time data makes your insights actionable immediately, and your work’s impact is easier to measure. Clients see how your recommendations directly affect their goals and KPIs.
• Differentiation: Many consultancies still rely on traditional, static reports - PowerPoints and PDFs that don’t help clients put ideas into action. Offering tech-driven services positions you as an innovative partner.
• Better client retention: By integrating your service into a client’s day-to-day operations, you move from being a vendor to a long-term partner. This also makes it easier to identify new opportunities for collaboration.

This isn’t just for financial or operational consultancies.

If you specialize in branding and positioning, you could create follow-up processes that track the success of your work. Metrics like website engagement, CRM conversion rates, and brand mentions could be built into your projects, providing measurable feedback loops for both you and your clients.

If you run an HR consultancy specializing in training and staff development, you could help clients build and adopt online learning platforms and programs. Tracking metrics like completion rates, employee satisfaction, and skill improvement over time makes it easy to show ROI and fine-tune the program.

The goal isn’t to become a tech company. It’s to use data and tools to help clients organize, analyze, and act on information more effectively.

Three reasons why consultancy founders should think about embedding tech today:

1. Tech is becoming table stakes: Clients increasingly expect tech-driven insights as part of a consulting engagement. Starting now gives you a head start.
2. It’s easier to build than to retrofit: Embedding tech into your services from day one is far simpler than adding it later when your processes are already set.
3. It scales with you: As your consultancy grows, tech integration becomes a leverage point, helping you handle more clients without sacrificing quality.

For 95% of consultancies, you don’t need to build custom software or hire a tech team to make this work. Start small. Use existing tools and platforms to collect and analyze client data, and design processes that integrate seamlessly into your service delivery.

Embedding technology isn’t just an add-on. It’s a game-changer for consultancies looking to stand out and deliver meaningful value.

“Everything should be made as simple as possible. But to do that you have to master complexity.”

— Butler Lampson, Computer Scientist

When asked, “Where do you think your organization is most likely to use consulting support in the next 18 months?”, the top answer was tech implementation (38%). Consulting buyers are prioritizing action - 2025 is shaping up to be a year of execution.

Source: Quarterly Survey, Q2 by Source Global Research (2024)

‍

How are you embedding tech and data into your service delivery?

This is one of the areas we explore in our go-to-market advisory service, where we help early-stage consultancy founders design differentiated, tech-driven service offerings that drive growth and retention.