The Consultancy Awards 2024

In Mar-2020, Northern Trains was taken under public ownership after the previous operator had the franchise terminated early. Despite cost pressures and COVID-19, Northern Trains partnered with Journey4 and took the brave decision to implement an all-new customer-driven business model. Fast-forward to 2024 and Northern Trains is not just improved, it is transformed. Northern Trains is now one of the leading exponents of the UK Government’s vision of a customer-centric rail system, scored higher than other operators in an independent customer maturity assessment, and exceeded its objective of contributing value to the North of England (>£1.1bn from 2020).

In 2022, Sureserve, a UK energy services PLC worked with Cognosis to define a new strategic path to growth. Sureserve consisted of 9 different subsidiaries that lacked a coherent strategy, struggled to find synergies and had no clear purpose or direction.

The strategy defined a powerful new Purpose for Sureserve to “Lead energy transition in UK Social Housing” defining a 5-year strategy that would increase market cap from £150m to £650m.

As a result of the strategy, Sureserve flourished and was ultimately acquired in 2023 for a 40% premium to share price.

Thought Provoking Consulting (TPC) collaborated with a UK-based tier 1 multi-channel electronics retailer following a major software implementation which had not yielded the expected benefits. With the unpredictable post-pandemic UK retail landscape, there was increasing focus on how to improve forecasting & replenishment capability without further significant expense.

We leveraged a unique blend of technology proficiency, sophisticated data science, and an in-depth understanding of core merchandising and supply chain operations to successfully unlock significant improvements in product-level forecast accuracy and availability. This resulted in an impressive revenue increase exceeding £50 million and a 40% reduction in working capital.

A healthcare provider operating a network of sites observed a significant year-on-year decline in EBITDA, despite experiencing revenue growth. We were engaged to analyse and reverse this trend – a tricky task given the company lacked the ability to derive performance insights from their financial data.

Within two weeks, we automated the cleaning and integration of multiple datasets, consolidating them into a unified source. We delivered a dashboard for the leadership team containing site-level P&Ls with drill down abilities into detailed cost breakdowns.

Equipped with these new tools and insights, the business successfully identified out-of-control costs which would achieve an EBITDA uplift of 7%.

Rethink Partners played a pivotal role in the Gloria Care Technology project in Richmond and Wandsworth, focusing on integrating technology into social care to enhance independence and efficiency. Our goal was to revolutionise care with innovative, user-specific technology, conducting research to identify gaps in services and establishing measurable objectives. Collaborating with organisations like Alcove, we overcame challenges in blending new technology with traditional methods through ongoing training and feedback. Our efforts resulted in increased referrals and improved user satisfaction, indicating a significant cultural shift in care practices. The project’s scalability and adaptability underline Rethink Partners’ commitment to transforming care with user-centric technology.

We are providing project management for a multinational oil and gas company to realise their ambitious rollout of charging hub services to vendors in the UK, Europe, US, Australia, and New Zealand: at both company-owned and dealer-owned locations. This project has significant challenges, particularly delivering consistent network infrastructure across multiple regions. Our successes have been two-fold: we quickly diagnosed communication issues across vendors and two client entities and therefore established ourselves as a single point of contact. Secondly, we located existing design resources and helped the client develop a ‘cookie-cutter’ network connectivity solution that ensures consistent delivery in all countries/regions.

OutForm’s initiative with NIW revolutionises digital transformation, focusing on optimising data management and capital efficiency. The strategy employs advanced data engineering, BI tools, and automation to enhance data integrity and streamline workflows. Digital Performance Hubs offer real-time insights, fostering a data-centric culture and improved decision-making. The project ensures a cohesive integration of technology with a focus on transparency, accountability and collaboration. This forward-thinking approach not only addresses current operational challenges but also strategically positions NIW for future growth and adaptability, marking a significant step towards sustainable, efficient, and data-driven operations.

NextWave automated the complex manual end-end collateral process for a global re-insurer in 10 weeks, taking an existing process that handled collateral values in excess of $1bn from 2 weeks to 2 hours. The team defined and built a unique hyper-automation solution, developed using 2 leading low-code data and workflow platforms (Appian, Alteryx) which were integrated to automate and replace multiple manual and spreadsheet-based steps.

The solution leverages AI, Robotics, API, Sharepoint, e-signature, email and database integration capabilities in a single end-end system, which now provides the platform for enterprise digital transformation across multiple mission-critical areas of the business.

This is the story of how a specialist growing consultancy (Dragonfish) built a partnership to support a 10,000 employee heritage US Bank (130 years old) originating in Puerto Rico through a significant transformation.

Popular Bank wanted an objective data-led partner sharing their values of people centricity and community. After a small initial project pre-pandemic, we became their culture partner to shape, activate, embed and sustain an evolved culture. From a position of strength, yet facing risk of fast decline from competition, we helped Popular align around a new purpose, simplify their focus and accelerate transformation through new behaviours whilst preserving their unique heritage and pride.

The Complete Team Journey programme enabled the Pets At Home executive team to make 10 years’ progress in just 18 months. Carefully designed development modules tackled issues like psychological safety, soft contracting to resolve underlying tensions, and decision making, at speed.

The team and Pets At Home’s fortunes have been transformed. Revenue jumped 17% in 18 months the share price rose 254% rise in just 18 months.

As the Pets At Home CEO said: “The business was underperforming and now we’re winning. Part of that success has been the team coming together faster than we would have done without Complete.”

The ‘Fit for the Future’ programme at Drax’s Selby Power Station required major transformation in response to the withdrawal of government subsidies. With fears of potential industrial action, it was imperative the whole organisation was involved in the journey and therefore major cultural change was also required. Quirk led the programme, using their innovative ‘learn & solve’ approach, which focuses on leadership excellence and empowered teams. It involved strategy development, gaming, transformation teams and leadership training in behaviours and culture. Despite scepticism, the approach gained trust, resulting in meaningful employee engagement and successful implementation of the plan.

The UK’s largest care home provider, HC-One, specialises in dementia care, a devastating illness affecting 1 million people in this country. Their strapline ‘The Kind Care Company’ embodies their drive for care to residents. However, they were struggling with extremely high staff attrition of 41%.

Reinvigoration helped HC-One to identify the root causes of this problem, and achieve a fundamental mindset shift in culture to successfully transform their ‘Colleague Journey’, resulting in dramatic cultural, morale, financial, and most importantly – quality of care improvements that provided dementia sufferers with exceptional outcomes.

Our client is a £0.5bn revenue water retailer in the recently created B2B Water Market. The entire market has been challenging due to low levels of profitability exacerbated by the pandemic, large billing implementations and mergers and acquisition activity. We have created a unique tool in the marketplace that measures the exact profitability of any NHH water meter in the UK to a 99% level of accuracy. This provided a 1.8x lift in Gross Margin for our client. Our solution moves the dial for any company in the industry to achieve margin excellence.

Total Negotiation Group’s (TNG) client is a leading FMCG manufacturer with the need to push through a cost price increase (CPI). They have respected brands which are distributed throughout the UK and strategically in multi-national markets. They face strong competition from global players with greater marketing and discounting funds. With limited funds to support retailer clients, and historically tough resistance to CPI’s, a tough battle lay ahead of them.

Thanks to TNG’s negotiation skills training the client successfully implemented the CPI across their 4 largest retailer clients and recognised an increased volume delivery of +600k units and over £1million in revenue.

Zebra successfully revitalised a client experiencing stagnant growth by implementing innovative strategies across digital marketing and product. The team introduced causal inference incrementality testing to enhance digital marketing effectiveness, leading to an ongoing uplift in incremental revenue.

Alongside this they transformed the digital product approach, aligning it with commercial metrics through experimentation and tracking through an Experimentation Operating System. Zebra also implemented a comprehensive change program, including training, org design, and new processes. The overall result was a +£130m incremental revenue over two years.

Implementation of the 1st Battery Pack factory with innovative immersion-cooling technology in Europe that delivers 27k Tons of GHG savings every year in an inspiring partnership with Anodox. This partnership highlights the innovative technology developed with Shell and the real partnership where the consulting has ‘skin on the game’. It boost the Electrification agenda in Europe and sets an example in reducing EU dependency on Chinese technology.

Regardless of the award, this submission is my personal recognition to our staff and their families who dedicated their time to this project while dealing with the consequence of the war in Ukraine.

Our client presented us with a challenge – how could they achieve net zero by 2035 without impacting the diverse nature of their specialist operations? EECO2 experts from all departments collaborated with the client – seeing our team work globally across 13 complex manufacturing sites.

The result, a comprehensive net zero carbon roadmap that outlined a pathway to 98% removal of carbon emissions from our clients’ operations – involving reductions of over 60,000 tCO2 and $25.2m(USD) of cost saving per year (on average), every year, until 2035. Proving net zero is not just feasible but beneficial for business.

Proactiva is a leading consulting firm specialized in ESG, BRH – Business & Human Rights, Corporate Sustainability, and Sustainable Finance. Our expertise lies in driving positive impact through strategic consulting, emphasizing environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and governance. Through innovative solutions and deep industry knowledge, Proactiva empowers clients to navigate the complexities of sustainable business practices, contributing to a better world for all.

With no parallel worldwide, Proactiva Results has developed the “Human Rights” Thermometer, which is an online self-assessment tool to assist companies and associations in raising awareness, mobilising, and gaining practical understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the Business & Human Rights agenda.

Cambridge Management Consulting utilised its significant experience in procurement and contract management to deliver £10m+ of savings, on an addressable budget of £80m, for a large UK retailer. Cambridge MC employed a data-driven analytical approach which prioritised target spend and volume data.

Our team of four experts not only exceeded all expectations and delivered bottom-line savings, but also coached the procurement team, reduced license requirements, improved contract diligence and met all contractual obligations.

Balancing ambitious growth, guaranteed uptime for customers and transformation is always a challenge. And this was the reason Cegid – a global provider of cloud business management solutions – engaged Capacitas, a leading UK cloud excellence consultancy.

Capacitas used its vast expertise to analyse Cegid’s cloud infrastructure in terms of need, performance and cost, to create a sustainable optimisation plan. Working around cultural challenges, a complex cloud infrastructure and skill shortages, the Capacitas team worked with Cegid to successfully implement the optimisation plan that led to a €6million pa saving, 27% growth in business, and a reduction in Cegid’s carbon footprint.

Uptitude, a data consultancy, developed a low-code Digital Inventory solution for a multinational consumer healthcare company with a presence in 170 markets and millions of customers. This new solution replaced the slow-to-update high-code digital inventory, which incurred substantial support service costs.

The new solution not only preserves the previous functionality but also introduces additional features, enabling faster updates and customizations. Thanks to a more cost-effective support service, the investment in its development is expected to be recouped within 6 months.

We at Brand Genetics live by the conviction that actions resonate more profoundly than words. Since our start in 1996, this principle has been our guiding light, cultivating a Human-first culture where our actions genuinely define us, from pioneering innovation to nurturing individuality.

We stand out as a brand-growth consultancy that not only espouses our ‘Heart, Smart, and Self-Start’ ethos but demonstrates it daily in our work and interactions. We celebrate behaviors that foster personal growth and continuously innovate in a way that truly values the individual contributions of each member. Our actions, fueling both client success and our community growth, speak volumes about who we are.

The quality of our people, the way that they work and connect, and their understanding of their value to the business is absolutely crucial to our success as a consultancy. Recognising this, MinsterFB have aspired from the beginning to be clear on our values, create opportunity, bring our whole selves to the office, to share together and to grow together. And have plenty of fun whilst doing some very serious business.

Our greatest achievement of 2023 was B Corp certification. Our business coach at the time said it was the right goal because ‘it’s who you are…’

Recognised as Nottinghamshire’s Business of the Year in 2023, BFY Group is a fast-growing, high-performing team that’s dedicated to our mantra – Delivering Exceptional Work For Clients.

We hire awesome humans, with a Team First value and Great Place To Work status that’s central to our culture. Our dedication to upholding this is truly unique, as we continue to create an experience that’s fun, flexible, and focused on development. So far, this journey has seen us become listed as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces in Consulting, with a top 5 score for employee engagement. We can’t wait to see what’s next.

We pride ourselves in being different to the large corporate consultancies. We are inclusive, value diversity, promote flexibility, and our people have created the values that guide us daily.

We have created a culture where people thrive by being their true, authentic self. A close-knit team with a strong family feel but with the benefits package and development opportunities of a much larger consultancy.

In 2023 Reinvigoration become Great Place to Work® Certified and a UK’s Best Workplace in Consulting & Professional Services. The certification is based entirely on what our colleagues say about their experience. 100% of our colleagues say that Reinvigoration is a Great Place to Work.

Stellarmann launched in 2020 and has grown to turnover £22.5m in 2023. We build highly skilled, flexible and scalable project teams to help organisations thrive through periods of change and innovation.

Our shared risk payment model guarantees a laser focus on delivering outcomes, while our Engagement Delivery Management team alleviates the cultural and operational headaches of line management for project leaders.

Our associates have delivered enterprise-wide technology and transformation programmes for insurance, financial services and public sector organisations. Clients have grown from 0 to 14, with 71% retention, and the number of associates engaged last year was 144.

In the last few years, Cambridge Management Consulting has grown exponentially; and we ensured that this also strengthened our values, with profit donated to charity doubling to 12%. We continue to attract top talent—our consultant base grew by 100%—across many sectors because of our reputation as a thriving team and a workplace culture based on integrity and the will to do good through our pro bono work and a commitment to sustainability. Our growth is both horizontal and vertical, with 30% growth in revenue, 100% increase in geographies, 50% more services, and double the number of active clients.

Amino Data Limited (“Amino”) is a specialist data consultancy with the experience, expertise and independence to build the data foundations which enable organisations to gain insight and value from their data.

Amino was founded in 2021 by Miles Davies and James Whitham to help organisations solve data challenges. We are experienced, independent & add value. We hand-pick the right expertise so that we operate as an extension of your data team.

In under three years Amino has grown to be a strategic provider of data services to some of the largest global companies.

Mesh-AI is one of the fastest growing digital transformation consultancies in the UK. Our mission is to make data and AI the competitive advantage for our customers – highly regulated enterprises.

We build and implement capabilities for long-term growth, by transforming enterprises through people, processes, and technology.

We empower organisations to become data-rich entities capable of unlocking AI at scale, reimagining how they achieve their business objectives.

The relationship between Hatch & Sladen was love at first sight: in November 2020 the two owners (Richard from Sladen and Matt Sims from Hatch) met. They quickly realised that with Business Design and Human Design combined, real change could happen, which is what their clients were looking for. Within weeks they were delivering their first joint client project for a global pharmaceutical company. Together, they’ve generated a combined revenue of £1.5m and facilitated 200+ client sessions for 2,000+ participants worldwide in 9 different languages.

Richard Colley, Sonja Skopp and the team at Sladen are enormous rays of positivity within the community, frequently contributing to online and in-person events and making significant contributions to the Growth Accelerator groups. They embody the value of collaboration and embrace peer-to-peer relationships, as demonstrated by their partnership with Hatch Transforms.

In 2023, Rise Beyond, a collaboration consultancy, embarked on its next chapter with new leadership and a renewed sense of purpose. Megan Taylor and the team have utilised experiences gained in the Network to review, refine, and reorient around what they were doing, how, and why, implementing various improvement initiatives. The all-women leadership team has redesigned the business to enable better, less extracting, less exhausting ways of being and working together for themselves, their clients and beyond. By sharing these experiences, Megan has been a valuable contributor to a wide variety of TCGN events and the general community in her two years of membership. From driving our B-Corp roundtables to being on a panel discussion at our in-person events, she has brought her experience of being a collaboration consultant into the heart of our group.

When Matt Atkinson joined the Network in 2021, he was going through a journey of transformation. Since solidifying his role within Waymark, Matt has been a frequent contributor to TCGN roundtables and community sessions, sharing his experiences of how to get the best out of key account partnerships and collaboration. He has successfully partnered with several members and is determined to make a positive change in the world through his innovative tools and products. He has demonstrated what it takes to move thought through to fruition, how to enjoy the journey along the way and does it all with an enormous smile on his face.