CRM Consulting Services

12 May 2003
Professional Services Strategies
METAspectrum 21.1
Michael Doane
CRM Consulting Services
METAspectrumSM Evaluation
100
LEADER
Performance
80
60
BearingPoint
BearingPoint
IBM
IBM BCS
BCS
Accenture
Accenture
CGE&Y
CGE&Y
EDS
EDS
Inforte
Inforte
Headstrong
Headstrong Extraprise
Extraprise
40
CHALLENGER
20
0
Deloitte
Deloitte
FOLLOWER
12 May 2003
0
20
40
60
80
100
Presence
META Group is a trademark, and METAspectrum is a service mark, of META Group, Inc.
Copyright © 2003 META Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Overview
Market Definition
The customer relationship management (CRM) consulting services market comprises both commercial businesses and nonprofit organizations seeking to improve client or constituent relations (loyalty/retention) and/or gain new clients or
constituents. CRM services usually include strategy formulation, software selection, software implementation, business process
improvement, team/end-user training, and deployment. Increasingly, CRM services are combined with enterprise resource
planning (ERP) and supply chain management (SCM) services where operational CRM overlaps with these domains.
Market Forecast
A major market shift occurred from mid-2001 to late 2002, wherein fewer clients invested in enterprisewide CRM endeavors.
Instead, they proceeded with smaller, shorter, and more tactical projects, chaining these projects across time — echoing the
consulting industry message that CRM is a journey, not a project. Market studies indicate that clients have a low level of
confidence with regard to CRM service providers, based largely on early CRM stumbles usually associated with enterprisewide
projects. Nearly all the firms covered in this METAspectrum have refined their message and methods to leverage field
experience and directly address client concerns. We expect more success in CRM projects through 2004 and a parallel
maturation of clients’ understanding of CRM. Thus, clients that deferred CRM evolution in 2001 and 2002 will be more
inclined to move ahead, resulting in CRM services growth of 10%-12% in 2003 and 20% in 2004. In the near term, it is up to
CRM consulting firms to capture and demonstrate business value through CRM — not only for the duration of their
engagements, but also over time.
Key Findings
All service providers included in this study have refined their CRM messages from an enterprisewide scale to a more tactical,
value-based approach, taking into consideration individual clients’ maturity levels, short-term needs, and long-term visions. As
the CRM consulting services firms mature, the greatest challenge they face is client immaturity, which leads to a higher relative
importance of presence criteria (versus performance) as clients seek “known quality.” The CRM service providers have
evolved beyond the notion that CRM excellence can be achieved through software implementation and have focused on value
creation through CRM that speaks to client needs and leads to more tactical CRM endeavors.
Results show several firms closely clustered, since each has made strides in some areas while lagging in others; therefore,
strengths are often canceled out by weaknesses. Although Accenture, Deloitte Consulting, and IBM Business Consulting
Services are fairly even overall (and almost identical in terms of performance scores), IBM BCS has a slight edge over
Accenture in presence, which in turn enjoys somewhat greater presence than Deloitte Consulting. It is important to note,
however, that even firms that are in close proximity in the METAspectrum graphic demonstrate varying strengths and
weaknesses, most notably within the industry focus and business drivers criteria areas.
Criteria weightings used in this study were derived from a survey of 903 client respondents and refined by META Group.
Overall, clients are demanding that vision/strategy and business drivers make up half of the presence weighting, while services
and execution account for nearly half of the performance weighting (our evaluation reflects this).
Leaders
CRM leadership requires an ability to move beyond value measurement and into long-term value capture for clients, while still
adhering to time and cost limitations. CRM leaders can identify, define, and articulate tactical CRM strategies that lead to
measurable value over time (not limited to their engagements). Deloitte Consulting, Accenture, and IBM BCS combine deep
industry focus with sound methodologies and value capture to arrive at CRM success. We expect all these firms to advance
along the leadership path as their refined methods and focus play out further in the market and they achieve more visible
success. BearingPoint’s strengths include its enterprise value creation abilities, gain-sharing focus, and positive field experiences,
but the firm needs to address its messaging and continue its evolution around value creation.
Challengers
Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (CGE&Y) has recently revamped its CRM vision and delivery to meet the more tactical needs of
clients. CGE&Y displays a strong accent on value capture that must become more market proven. All challengers are strong at
software implementation and are gaining in organizational viewpoint. Inforte has a focus on the CRM/supply chain relationship,
Extraprise has immense skills at value measurement, and Headstrong (like these other two) has strong CRM core skills.
However, these latter three firms all lack size (geographic reach, point reach) and a full service spectrum. EDS shows great
strength in leveraging existing clients toward CRM service extensions, but needs both growth and maturity in its
vision/strategy, integration services, and value capture.
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METAspectrum 21.1 CRM Consulting Services
2
Overview
Bottom Line
Clients that have deferred CRM projects due to a lack of confidence in CRM consulting firms can
exploit the rising maturity of CRM consulting. Best-in-class IT organizations understand that CRM
excellence is not predicated on software implementations alone. Strategy, integration, deployment,
and value measurement are key issues, and our research indicates that clients can have greater
success when they tap outside consulting services for these areas.
Business Impact: In all business application markets, a first phase of vendor/project maturity is software-based
and a second one is business-based. The CRM services market is now in a second phase, in which value capture
and operational economies are at the heart of enlightened CRM endeavors.
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METAspectrum 21.1 CRM Consulting Services
3
CRM Consulting Services Presence Evaluation
Our market presence evaluation includes a review of each vendor’s product and service attributes — representing vendors’
ability to deliver value to customers. The following eight criteria areas provide a summary of our presence analysis. For
complete details on how vendors fared with each criterion in our evaluation, visit metagroup.com.
Channels/Partners
Vision/Strategy
IBM BCS
Accenture
Deloitte
EDS
CGE&Y
BearingPoint
Inforte
Extraprise
Headstrong
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good
Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair
Fair
IBM BCS
Accenture
Deloitte
BearingPoint
CGE&Y
Extraprise
Inforte
EDS
Headstrong
Good/Very Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair
What We Evaluated
What We Evaluated
Message/Positioning — External, visible communication
to the market about vision, views, expectations, priorities,
and value of CRM and its position in the IT ecosystem.
Customer Life-Cycle Management — Demonstrated,
tangible ability to explain and execute CRM plans that
define technical and/or solution direction, emphasis, and
development that best meet customer requirements.
Innovation and Articulation — Perceived and actual
position within the market as a CRM trendsetter, definer of
direction, and catalyst of market direction and change.
Applications, Technology, and Staff Alliances — Active
and complementary relationships with third-party vendors,
consultants, systems integrators, and channel partners.
Training and Shared Knowledge — Articulated partner
evaluation criteria, training/retraining programs, and
certification enforcement.
Quality Assessment Methods — Defined methods to
ensure the quality, consistency, and value delivered by
individual partners.
Analyst Commentary
Analyst Commentary
A firm’s ability to grasp the CRM customer life cycle,
combined with innovation and vision (and the ability to
articulate it), is highly valued by clients. Indeed, companies
often are confused about the value of CRM and the cost of
obtaining it, and have difficulty linking CRM efforts to the
rest of their IT and business processes. High marks for
innovation and articulation were awarded to IBM BCS and
Deloitte Consulting, while EDS, Accenture, IBM BCS, and
CGE&Y excel in customer life-cycle management.
Because most CRM endeavors require application and
technology partners, we examined the breadth and depth
of those partnerships as well as the underlying shared
knowledge and quality assessment methods. Accenture and
IBM BCS had the strongest array and deployment of such
partners, and there were few significant distinctions among
the firms covered in the other areas.
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METAspectrum 21.1 CRM Consulting Services
4
CRM Consulting Services Presence Evaluation
Awareness/Reputation
Deloitte
BearingPoint
IBM BCS
Accenture
Inforte
CGE&Y
Extraprise
Headstrong
EDS
Geographic Coverage
Good/Very Good
Good
Good
Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair
Accenture
IBM BCS
Deloitte
CGE&Y
BearingPoint
EDS
Extraprise
Headstrong
Inforte
Very Good/Excellent
Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good
Good
Good
Fair/Good
Fair
Poor/Fair
What We Evaluated
What We Evaluated
Mind Share — Publicity, sales, marketing, service, and
development activities that build positive perception in the
market and extend visibility above and beyond the
organization’s size and/or share. Both overall and CRMspecific mind share are considered.
Reputation — The measured achievement of visibility as
demonstrated by direct and indirect activities, including
publications, press engagement/coverage, and analyst/key
influencer visibility (CRM only).
Customer Perception — Measured, relative awareness on
the part of existing and potential customers about
capabilities, offerings, vision, and focus.
Point Reach — Extension of viable fulfillment reach,
availability, and delivery via directly controlled entities or
partnerships.
Global/International Fulfillment — Number of regional
and geographically dispersed resources to support clients.
Analyst Commentary
In this criteria area, we assessed mind share (thought
leadership, brand awareness), reputation, and customer
perception. For the first subcriterion, the three second-tier
firms (Extraprise, Inforte, and Headstrong) understandably
did not keep pace, but they held their own in the other
two. Customer perception (gleaned from direct feedback
to META Group) varied for Accenture from exceptional to
fair and was strongest for BearingPoint and Deloitte
Consulting, for which clients provided more consistently
positive feedback. CRM mind share for EDS is somewhat
stifled by its overall branding, which leads clients to
associate it with myriad other services. Our research has
revealed that peer references are increasingly important to
prospects, and we expect reputation to increase in
importance during 2003/04.
Analyst Commentary
All but the second-tier firms show strength in geographic
coverage, though all three (Headstrong, Extraprise, and
Inforte) have adequate point reach in North America. We
define point reach as the ability to deploy consultants
across a geography with agility and without excessive travel
costs. Global fulfillment combines geographic presence and
support. IBM BCS and Accenture are the clear leaders in
geographic coverage, with Deloitte Consulting on the next
shelf. BearingPoint will join these three once its new
organization (Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America)
matures, while CGE&Y is projecting consulting force
growth that, if realized, would advance its position.
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METAspectrum 21.1 CRM Consulting Services
5
CRM Consulting Services Presence Evaluation
Business Drivers
Industry Focus
Extraprise
Deloitte
Inforte
BearingPoint
IBM BCS
Headstrong
Accenture
EDS
CGE&Y
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good
Good
Good
Fair/Good
Accenture
Deloitte
IBM BCS
BearingPoint
CGE&Y
Inforte
EDS
Headstrong
Extraprise
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good
Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair
What We Evaluated
What We Evaluated
CRM Core Competencies — Core CRM business process
and technology competencies.
Intellectual Property — Owned and protected patents,
trademarks, copyrights, licenses, or trade secrets that
reflect unique ideas, methods, technologies, and processes,
and that offer tangible competitive advantage.
Culture — Internal processes, communication methods,
leader-sponsored philosophies, or other dynamics that
enable better client centricity, speed, responsiveness,
efficiency, or market effectiveness.
Value Drivers — Ability of the vendor to demonstrate and
measure the value (e.g., ROI, time to market) of its offering
to customers. A key to this criterion is a service provider’s
ability to embed continual (not just project-related) value
measurement.
Vertical Expertise/Span — Breadth of vendor’s vertical
domain expertise and understanding of related CRM
processes.
Business Model Support — Ability to support multiple
business models (direct, indirect, network, B2B).
Depth of Expertise — Measured, demonstrable tools,
techniques, methods, certifications, primary research,
tailored approaches, or other analysis and delivery
attributes that highlight the relevant skills and expertise
brought to a particular market.
Analyst Commentary
We rate value drivers as the most important of the four
subcriteria. In this area, only Extraprise provides full value
capture (identification, targeting, and measurement of
CRM-driven business performance) over time for all
engagements. Inforte’s value driver is a unique mix of CRM
and supply chain capabilities. Deloitte Consulting,
BearingPoint, and IBM BCS all possess value drivers, though
many projects are measured only through the life of an
engagement; Accenture lags only in value driver methods
and value measurement/capture over time. In terms of
culture, Accenture varies from excellent to fair depending
on client fit, while BearingPoint, Deloitte Consulting, and
IBM BCS demonstrate greater consistency in this regard.
Analyst Commentary
The merger of IBM Global Services and PwC gives the new
IBM BCS an equal footing with Accenture. Both excel in
the high-end market: IBM BCS through its global channels
and Accenture by virtue of its deep organizationwide
industry focus and breadth. These two are followed by
Deloitte Consulting. BearingPoint has excellent depth of
expertise, but in a more limited number of industries, while
CGE&Y shows industry breadth but not depth of expertise
versus the leaders in this criteria area. EDS lags in this
regard primarily due to its later arrival on the CRM
consulting scene; we expect it to improve in this regard
through 2003.
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METAspectrum 21.1 CRM Consulting Services
6
CRM Consulting Services Presence Evaluation
Investments
Share
Accenture
BearingPoint
IBM BCS
Deloitte
CGE&Y
Headstrong
EDS
Inforte
Extraprise
Very Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Poor/Fair
Poor/Fair
Accenture
IBM BCS
CGE&Y
Deloitte
BearingPoint
Inforte
Extraprise
Headstrong
EDS
Excellent
Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good
Fair/Good
Fair
Fair
Fair
Fair
What We Evaluated
What We Evaluated
Research and Development — Investments (external or
internal spend) that increase a service provider’s ability to
add value to a CRM client.
Ecosystem Investment Strategy — Investments/initiatives
that advance the maturation of CRM understanding across
the marketplace.
Degree of Control — Ownership level of investments that
determine direction, priorities, and integration with core
business activities.
Market Share — Share of market relative to competitors.
Analyst Commentary
Market share is a reflection not only of a firm’s market
success, but also of its size and range. The larger players
such as IBM BCS and Accenture thus predominate (EDS
would appear in the list as well if CRM-related outsourcing
were included in the scope of this study).
Analyst Commentary
Investment is weighted low as a criterion, because clients
are more concerned about the fruits of investment
(methods/tools, training, industry solutions) than the
investment itself. Only very high or low levels of
investment over a two- or three-year time period will
reflect positively or negatively on a vendor. Because CRM
market evolution depends on significant investments for
research and development, it is the larger providers that
significantly promote this evolution.
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METAspectrum 21.1 CRM Consulting Services
7
CRM Consulting Services Performance Evaluation
Our market performance evaluation includes a review of each vendor’s product and service attributes — representing
vendors’ ability to provide value to customers. The following seven criteria areas provide a summary of our performance
analysis. For complete details on how vendors fared with each criterion in our evaluation, visit metagroup.com.
Services
Technology
IBM BCS
Deloitte
Accenture
CGE&Y
Inforte
BearingPoint
EDS
Headstrong
Extraprise
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Accenture
IBM BCS
CGE&Y
BearingPoint
EDS
Deloitte
Headstrong
Inforte
Extraprise
Good/Very Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Fair/Good
Fair
Fair
Poor/Fair
What We Evaluated
What We Evaluated
Methods and Tools — Vendor’s array of methods and
tools to support CRM services delivery (accelerators,
benefits drivers, and delivery mechanisms).
CRM Services Scope — Collaborative, analytical, and
operational scope of CRM services across sales, service,
and marketing.
Differentiation — Distinguishing features of CRM
services that bring tangible value to clients.
Vendor Mix and Scope — Range and depth of CRM
vendor knowledge.
Enterprise Integration Capacity — Vendor’s ability to
plan or implement enterprise integration of CRM
functionality and business flow across various application
configurations.
Architecture Support and Services — Vendor’s
capacity to provide architectural consistency, scalability,
performance, openness, standards adherence,
platform/DBMS support, distributed processing, data
model, and client deployment options.
Analyst Commentary
The second-tier firms (Headstrong, Inforte, and
Extraprise) lose marks relative to the other organizations
in this study for overall CRM services scope, though all
provide solid services from strategy through
implementation. Accenture, IBM BCS, and CGE&Y
provide the greatest services scope, due to their
superior abilities in post-implementation support. EDS
trails here only in depth/scope of services in strategic and
systems integration areas, while BearingPoint and
Deloitte Consulting have both made strides in postimplementation support. All vendors’ methods and tools
have been improved, with Deloitte Consulting (by virtue
of its Value Mapping) and IBM BCS (given its bestpractice repositories) holding a slight edge over the
others. A special mention goes to Inforte for its unique
blend of CRM and supply chain project process.
Accenture, BearingPoint, and CGE&Y have proven
methods and tools, but lag in the integration of these to
value drivers. Deloitte Consulting shows superior
differentiation through its clarity of purpose and
direction linked to value creation, while IBM BCS displays
agility and creativity in its services scope. The other
major players are somewhat similar to one another in
these areas.
Analyst Commentary
Nearly all firms have moved from a focus on Siebel
implementations to a more diverse portfolio.
BearingPoint and Accenture are the most diversified,
while IBM BCS, Accenture, EDS, and CGE&Y provide
greater integration and architectural support. Most firms
covered have a much greater share of revenues
unrelated to software vendors, most notably Deloitte
Consulting, as the market moves to more strategic and
tactical endeavors.
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METAspectrum 21.1 CRM Consulting Services
8
CRM Consulting Services Performance Evaluation
Pricing
Execution
Extraprise
EDS
CGE&Y
Deloitte
BearingPoint
Inforte
IBM BCS
Headstrong
Accenture
Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Extraprise
Deloitte
BearingPoint
Inforte
IBM BCS
Headstrong
CGE&Y
Accenture
EDS
Good/Very Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Fair/Good
What We Evaluated
What We Evaluated
Strategies and Models — Alternative price models
provided to CRM customers that enable flexibility in the
purchase and/or use of products and services.
Relative Cost — The relative cost of a vendor’s services
within the context of the CRM market.
Knowledge Transfer — Vendor’s methods, practices,
and demonstrated ability to foster client independence.
Time/Budget Management — Vendor’s ability to
adhere to time and budget constraints and provide visible
evidence of same.
Adherence to Vision/Benefits — Balance between
time/budget and vision fulfillment.
Customer Referenceability — Ability of vendor to
provide meaningful references for in-production (e.g.,
live) and past clients.
Analyst Commentary
Services from the second-tier firms are less expensive
than from the major players, whose costs are generally
aligned. More important to a client for overall services
costs are the pricing models. All firms will offer fixed
price, time/expenses, or a mix of both. The second-tier
firms are the most flexible, while BearingPoint stresses
gain-sharing and EDS provides related operating
economies within its overall package (for existing clients).
As value creation and capture methods evolve, we
expect more firms to offer gain-sharing on a more
frequent basis.
Analyst Commentary
Although clients reported a great need for time and
budget management, we put a premium on adherence to
vision and benefits. Extraprise and BearingPoint (both
with a high accent on value capture) shine in this regard.
Time/budget management remains a sticking point for
most providers where clients do not take sufficient
ownership of projects. In similar fashion, knowledge
transfer remains fair to good, with all players generally on
equal footing except EDS, which lags in this regard due a
services focus as opposed to an emphasis on consulting.
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METAspectrum 21.1 CRM Consulting Services
9
CRM Consulting Services Performance Evaluation
Agility
Personnel
BearingPoint
Deloitte
CGE&Y
IBM BCS
Accenture
Inforte
EDS
Extraprise
Headstrong
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
BearingPoint
Deloitte
Inforte
Accenture
IBM BCS
CGE&Y
Headstrong
Extraprise
EDS
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good
Good
Good
Fair/Good
What We Evaluated
What We Evaluated
Reaction to Scope Change — Vendor’s ability to
rescale an endeavor according to strategic, functional, or
economic exigencies.
Reaction to Market Change — Vendor’s ability to
predict and react to competitive, economic, cultural,
technical, and political change.
Partnering/Collaboration — Vendor’s history,
framework, and capacity to work in partnership with like
firms at common clients.
Project Leadership — Quality and background of
vendor’s project leaders, including client perceptions of
same.
Consultant Skills/Depth — CRM training, certification,
and knowledge about specific technologies, verticals,
services, processes, and methods that are transferred
into higher-value technologies and solutions, with
improved results for the customer.
Analyst Commentary
Analyst Commentary
Deloitte Consulting, BearingPoint, and IBM BCS took
early leads in recasting their CRM practices to meet
market needs (consequently scoring high in the reaction
to market subcriteria), while all players demonstrate
nearly equal agility for client scope changes. BearingPoint
excels at partnering, followed in strength by Deloitte
Consulting and CGE&Y. The second-tier players lose
points here due only to practice size limitations.
Due in part to the economy, all firms covered have
demonstrated consulting force stability. Of the secondtier firms, Inforte is distinguished by its project leaders,
while among the large players, EDS trails an otherwise
excellent and near-equal pack. All provide solid
consultant skills and depth of expertise, but clients
should balance this (where applicable) with industry focus
and industry depth of expertise.
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METAspectrum 21.1 CRM Consulting Services
10
CRM Consulting Services Performance Evaluation
Financials
Accenture
EDS
IBM BCS
BearingPoint
Deloitte
Extraprise
Headstrong
CGE&Y
Inforte
Very Good/Excellent
Good/Very Good
Good/Very Good
Good
Good
Fair/Good
Fair/Good
Fair
Fair
What We Evaluated
Viability — Viable operational business model, financial
situation, sources of operational funding, and long-term
standalone viability.
Growth Rate — Revenue growth relative to the market
and competition, revenue per employee (trending), and
future growth prospects.
Analyst Commentary
As with share and investments, this criteria area holds
little import for clients, and company ratings had little
effect on the final METAspectrum. The leaders here
display strength in both viability and growth rate in a
currently volatile industry. CGE&Y lags in this regard
primarily due to concerns over viability, while the three
niche players are clearly less well positioned in this
regard due to their size. Clients should view financials
criteria according to the anticipated duration of the
services to be provided, because long-term engagements
should be supported by a firm with strong viability.
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Copyright © 2003 META Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
METAspectrum 21.1 CRM Consulting Services
11
SM
About METAspectrum
METAspectrumSM evaluations from META Group (Nasdaq: METG) provide IT
professionals with a view into critical market success factors and vendor positioning.
METAspectrum, in combination with META Group’s SPEX modules — which provide
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view completed market evaluations, or learn more about the METAspectrum
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About META Group
META Group is a leading research and consulting firm, focusing on information
technology and business transformation strategies. Delivering objective, consistent, and
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META Group is a trademark, and METAspectrum is a service mark, of META Group, Inc.
Copyright © 2003 META Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution of this research
in any form without prior written approval is prohibited. METAspectrum is META Group’s independent
evaluation of a technology market, representing marketplace characteristics at a given time, and is subject
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