In April 2025, Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick made a bold prediction: consultants who rely on routine, repeatable tasks will soon be replaced by AI. “If you're just executing tasks,” he said, “you’re in trouble.” This wasn’t offhand commentary, but a direct signal to the consulting industry.
Meanwhile, top-tier firms like Deloitte and EY are already embedding AI deep into their operations. Deloitte has rolled out Zora AI, an autonomous digital worker platform. EY is deploying over 150 AI-powered tax agents. KPMG, too, is all-in on transforming delivery through technology.
For smaller and mid-sized consulting firms, these developments may feel distant, but they aren’t. AI is already shifting client expectations and commoditizing traditional consulting work. Firms under $100M in revenue need to start thinking like the big players; not in terms of scale, but in strategy.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about automation. It’s about how clients perceive value. Where firms once billed for data collection, research, and templated insights, AI can now complete those tasks faster, cheaper, and in many cases, better.
What this means is simple: firms that don’t evolve risk becoming irrelevant.
But smaller firms also have advantages: speed, agility, and client intimacy. The key is to use those strengths to adapt, quickly and intentionally.
AI isn't here to eliminate your firm. It's here to remove inefficiencies. If your team spends hours formatting decks or pulling benchmark data, that’s low-hanging fruit for automation. Start with small wins, introduce AI tools that cut down time and cost without changing your core offerings.
As AI takes over executional work, the real value will lie in interpretation and insight. The firms that succeed will be those that advise, not just implement. If your value prop hinges on data analysis alone, you’re in the danger zone.
Position your team as strategic advisors, translating data into action, aligning solutions with culture, and guiding clients through change.
Being tech-enabled in 2025 means more than using Slack and Zoom. It means building AI into your workflows. This doesn’t require custom development. But it does mean upskilling your team, testing tools, and experimenting with new delivery models.
You might appoint an internal AI champion, offer team training in prompt design, or pilot a new service line powered by GPT-backed automation.
With AI automating delivery, firms must rethink how they charge. Can your insights be turned into templates? Could your advisory work shift to a retainer-plus-subscription model? Could you sell short-cycle “AI Sprints” for clients wanting quick results?
Smaller firms have the flexibility to innovate. Use it. Look for ways to productize your expertise or deliver value faster through hybrid service models.
AI can analyze data, but it can’t read a room, navigate politics, or tailor strategy to culture. That’s where you shine. Build offerings around change management, leadership coaching, industry nuance, and emotional intelligence, which are areas AI won’t touch soon.
Be the consultant clients turn to when the situation is complex, not just computational.
The rise of AI is flattening the traditional consulting value chain. Junior analyst work is being done by algorithms. Frameworks are one click away. Clients want answers faster and cheaper.
Large firms are responding with multi-million-dollar tech investments. Smaller firms won’t win that race. But they can win another: staying lean, smart, and incredibly human.
Ask yourself:
The consulting firms that survive this wave won’t be the biggest. They’ll be the most adaptable.
Looking to future-proof your consulting firm with smarter delivery and built-in automation?
Pike helps smaller teams work smarter with built-in automation and streamlined project delivery. Deliver faster, stay client-focused, and scale without the overhead.
Book a call today or request access if you want to learn more about how we might be able to help your team. The first consultation is absolutely FREE of charge, and is only meant to help you shed light on where your firm could improve.
