top of page
agilicist logo

When You Need McKinsey
(And When You Don't)

An honest comparison: When big consultancies make sense, when they don't, and why Agilicist often delivers better value.

Big 4 consultancies (McKinsey, Deloitte, Accenture, BCG, EY, KPMG) have their place. They're excellent at certain things. But they're expensive, inefficient at others - particularly implementation.

​

This is an honest comparison from people who work with them regularly (they often bring us in for delivery expertise).

The Honest Truth

First, Let's Be Clear

We're not saying Big 4 consultancies are bad. They're very good at specific things. But they're often the wrong tool for the job - particularly when you need hands-on implementation, not just strategy.

Our Position

If you need what they're good at, use them. If you need what WE'RE good at, use us. Often, both is the right answer (they design, we implement).

Excellent. Deep industry research, benchmarking, strategic frameworks

Excellent. Vast data, comprehensive reports, trend analysis

Excellent. Shareholder confidence, board comfortExcellent. Shareholder confidence, board comfort

Excellent. Offices in 150+ countries

Excellent. Deep expertise in deals, due diligence

Excellent. Legal and regulatory expertise

Poor. They design, you implement

Poor. You get 1-2 senior, 10-15 junior

Poor. Career consultants, not practitioners

Poor. Paid for recommendations, not results

Poor. £2M-£5M+ for major engagements

Mixed. Senior are excellent, junior are learning

Poor. Framework-driven, one-size-fits-all

Poor. Keeps you dependent

Slow. 6-12 months to see results

Capability
Speed to Impact
Knowledge Transfer
Context Adaption
Team Quality
Cost Efficiency
Outcome Accountability
Delivery Experience
Senior Practitioner Delivery
Hands-On Implementation
Regulatory/Compliance
M&A Advisory
Global Reach
Brand Credibility
Board-Level Strategy
Industry Research
Heading 6
Big 4
Industry Research

Excellent. Vast data, comprehensive reports, trend analysis

Limited. We rely on experience more than research

Big 4
Board-Level Strategy

Excellent. Deep industry research, benchmarking, strategic frameworks

Good. Strategic advisory available but not our primary focus

Capability
Big 4 Consultancies
Agilicist
Winner
Big 4
Global Reach

Excellent. Offices in 150+ countries

Limited. UK-based with international capability

Big 4
Brand Credibility

Excellent. Shareholder confidence, board comfort

Good. Strong reputation but smaller brand

Interactive Comparison Table

Where Each Excels

Big 4
Regulatory/Compliance

Excellent. Legal and regulatory expertise

Good. Understand regulated environments but not specialists

Big 4
M&A Advisory

Excellent. Deep expertise in deals, due diligence

None. Not our specialty

Agilicist
Senior Practitioner Delivery

Poor. You get 1-2 senior, 10-15 junior

Excellent. Everyone is senior (10+ years)

Agilicist
Hands-On Implementation

Poor. They design, you implement

Excellent. We embed and execute

Agilicist
Outcome Accountability

Poor. Paid for recommendations, not results

Excellent. Accountable for outcomes

Agilicist
Delivery Experience

Poor. Career consultants, not practitioners

Excellent. Former CTOs, Directors, Heads-of

Agilicist
Team Quality

Mixed. Senior are excellent, junior are learning

Excellent. All senior, all experienced

Agilicist
Cost Efficiency

Poor. £2M-£5M+ for major engagements

Excellent. 40-60% cost savings

Agilicist
Knowledge Transfer

Poor. Keeps you dependent

Excellent. Builds your capability

Agilicist
Context Adaption

Poor. Framework-driven, one-size-fits-all

Excellent. Custom to your context

Agilicist
Cost Efficiency

Poor. £2M-£5M+ for major engagements

Excellent. 40-60% cost savings

Agilicist
Speed to Impact

Slow. 6-12 months to see results

Fast. Results in 6-12 weeks

The Right Tool for the Job

Decision Framework

Use Big 4 When:

You need board-level strategy only

(and don't need implementation)

They excel at diagnosis, industry research, strategic frameworks. If you just need the strategy and can implement yourself, they're a good choice.

Brand credibility matters more than execution

If you need to reassure shareholders or the board, their brand carries weight. Sometimes politics matter more than pragmatics.

You need global reach

If you're operating across 20+ countries and need consistency, their global footprint is valuable.

You need M&A or regulatory expertise

They have deep specialists in these areas. It's not our wheelhouse.

Budget isn't a constraint

If you have £2M-£5M+ to spend and implementation isn't a concern, their comprehensive approach can work.

Use Agilicist When:

You need strategy AND implementation

We don't just design - we embed with teams and deliver outcomes. If execution matters, we're the better choice.

You want senior practitioners doing the work

No junior consultants learning on your time. Everyone has 10-15+ years hands-on experience.

You need better value for money

40-60% cost savings vs. Big 4, with better outcomes because senior people are doing the work.

You've already got a strategy and need execution

Big 4 delivered their deck? We'll make it work in reality. We do this regularly.

You want accountability for results

We measure success by your outcomes, not by deliverables produced.

You need pragmatic, context-specific solutions

We adapt approaches to YOUR reality, not squeeze you into a framework.

Use Both When:

Big 4 designs strategy, Agilicist implements it

This is common. They do board-level strategy and diagnosis. We do hands-on implementation. Best of both worlds.

You need brand credibility AND execution

Big 4 for shareholder confidence, Agilicist for actual delivery. We work collaboratively.

Large, complex transformation

Big 4 for overall programme design and governance. Agilicist for delivery execution.

Reality Check:

Big 4 firms regularly bring us in for delivery expertise. They know their limitations. This partnership model works well.

Why Big 4 Costs What It Costs

Understanding the Model

Big 4 Business Model

Pyramid Structure:

  • 1 Partner (£2,500-£3,500/day, you see in sales)

​

  • 2-3 Managers (£1,200-£1,800/day, you see occasionally)

​

  • 5-8 Senior Consultants (£800-£1,200/day, on engagement 50%)

​​

  • 10-15 Analysts (£400-£700/day, doing most of the work)

Reality:

You're paying £3M but getting work equivalent to £800K-£1.2M in senior practitioner value. The rest is junior people learning.You're paying £3M but getting work equivalent to £800K-£1.2M in senior practitioner value. The rest is junior people learning.

Example £3M Engagement:

  • 1 Partner (£2,500-£3,500/day, you see in sales)

​

  • 2-3 Managers (£1,200-£1,800/day, you see occasionally)

​​

​

  • 5-8 Senior Consultants (£800-£1,200/day, on engagement 50%)​

​​

  • 10-15 Analysts (£400-£700/day, doing most of the work)

Agilicist Model

Flat Structure:

  • Partners/Senior Consultants only

​

  • Everyone has 10-15+ years experience

​

  • Small team (4-8 people typical)

​​

  • All hands-on, all delivering

Reality:

£600K delivers more value than Big 4's £3M because every person is experienced and productive from day one.

Example £600K Engagement:

  • 4 senior practitioners × 150 days × £1,000/day = £600K

​

  • All £600K is senior practitioner value

​​

  • No junior people padding the bill

ROI Comparison

Big 4 Engagement:
Value per £ spent: £0.47

  • Cost: £3M

​

  • Senior practitioner value: ~£1M

​​

  • Junior consultant value: ~£400K

​

  • Overhead/profit: ~£1.6M

Agilicist Engagement:

  • Cost: £600K

​​

  • Senior practitioner value: £600K

​​

  • No junior people

​​

  • Overhead/profit: Included

Value per £ spent: £1.00
Savings:

£2.4M (80%) while delivering equal or better outcomes

What Clients Worry About

Handling Concerns

  • Our Response:
    True. McKinsey THE FIRM has done it 500 times. But the 23-year-old analyst on your engagement hasn't done it once. The senior partner who's done it 50 times? You'll see them twice - once in the sales pitch, once in the exit presentation.

    ​

    We've done it 30-50 times EACH. The people you meet in sales are the people who'll deliver.

    ​

    The Question:
    Would you rather have McKinsey-the-firm's experience filtered through junior people, or our partners' direct experience delivered personally?

  • Our Response:
    Totally understandable. Sometimes politics matter.

    ​

    Options:

    1. Use Big 4 for strategy (brand credibility), use us for implementation (better value)

    2. Present us as "implementation partners to [Big 4 Firm]"

    3. Show board our client list (FTSE 100, government, etc.) and case study results

    ​​

    Reality:
    Boards care about results more than logos. If you deliver £13Bn on-time or 187% faster time-to-market, no one questions the consultant choice.

  • Our Response:
    Fair concern. We're smaller, so we limit concurrent engagements to maintain quality.

    ​

    Our Approach:

    • We plan engagements 6-8 weeks ahead typically

    • For urgent needs (project recovery), we mobilize in 1-2 weeks

    • We're transparent about availability upfront

    ​​

    Big 4 Alternative:
    They're always "available" - but you get whoever's on the bench that week, regardless of fit or experience.

    ​

    Our View:
    Better to wait 4 weeks for the right team than get the wrong team today.

  • Our Response:
    Valid concern if you're operating in 20+ countries.

    ​

    Our Approach:

    • We're UK-based but work globally

    • For distributed delivery, we partner with regional specialists

    • We maintain quality control through our UK leadership

    ​

    When Big 4 Makes More Sense:
    If you truly need consultants embedded in 15+ countries simultaneously, Big 4's global footprint is valuable.

    ​

    Our Sweet Spot:
    UK/Europe-based organisations with some global reach. We have started to work with some US and Canadian firms and we deliver remotely very effectively.

  • Our Response:
    Define "handle."

    ​

    If "handle" means:

    • Staffing 50 consultants simultaneously: Correct, we can't do that (and you don't need 50)

    • Delivering transformational outcomes: We've delivered £13Bn platforms, 21-team scaled implementations, and FTSE 100 transformations

    ​​

    Size vs. Impact:

    • Big 4: 50 people (40 junior, 10 senior)

    • Agilicist: 6 people (all senior)

    • Impact: Agilicist often wins because quality > quantity

    ​​

    Client Quote:
    "[Big 4] had 15 people on our programme for 2 years. Agilicist had 5 people for 9 months and delivered more."
    — CTO, Financial Services

When We Work Together

How It Works

Common Scenarios:

Scenario #1:

Why It Works: Big 4 gets brand recognition, Agilicist delivers results

Big 4 Strategy → Agilicist Implementation

  • Big 4 diagnoses and designs transformation strategy

​

  • Delivers comprehensive recommendation deck to board

​

  • Board approves strategy

​

  • Agilicist implements the strategy hands-on

Scenario #2:

Agilicist Implementation → Big 4 Audit

  • Agilicist implements transformation

​

  • Big 4 provides independent audit/validation for board

​

  • Board gets third-party assurance

Why It Works: Cost-effective implementation, credible validation

Scenario #3:

Parallel Engagement

  • Big 4 handles strategic programme design

​

  • Agilicist handles delivery execution

​

  • Regular coordination between teams

Why It Works: Each firm does what they do best

Client Testimonial

"We hired [Big 4] for the strategy because our board wanted their brand.

We hired Agilicist for implementation because we wanted results. Best decision we made - we got credibility AND outcomes."


- COO, FTSE 100 Company

What We're Not Saying

Setting the Record Straight

We're NOT saying:

Big 4 consultancies are bad (they're not)

They're incompetent (they're very competent at certain things)

You should never use them (sometimes you should)

We're better at everything (we're not - strategy research isn't our strength)

We ARE saying:

They're expensive and often inefficient for implementation

You pay for brand and junior people learning

We deliver better value for hands-on delivery work

Implementation is our specialty, not theirs

Often both together is the best answer

How to Decide

Questions to ask yourself

01

Do I need strategy or implementation?

  • Just strategy? Big 4 might be right

  • Implementation too? Agilicist likely better value

  • Both? Consider partnership model

02

Does brand credibility matter?

  • Board needs Big 4 logo? Use them (or use both)

  • Results matter more than logo? We deliver better ROI

03

What's my budget?

  • £2M-£5M+ available? Big 4 is an option

  • £500K-£1.5M available? Agilicist delivers more value

  • Want best bang for buck? We win on value

04

Who will actually do the work?

  • Comfortable with junior consultants? Big 4 might work

  • Need senior practitioners only? Choose Agilicist

  • Not sure? Ask Big 4 for team CVs and experience levels

05

What matters most?

  • Brand credibility for stakeholders? Big 4

  • Actual outcomes and ROI? Agilicist

  • Both? Use partnership model

Don't Take Our Word For It

How to Validate This Comparison

Request Team CVs:

From Big 4, ask:

​

  • "Who specifically will work on my engagement?"

​​

  • "How many years of hands-on experience does each person have?"

​​

  • "How much time will senior partners actually spend on my account?"

​

From us:

​

  • We'll tell you upfront who's working on your engagement

​​

  • Every person's CV available

​​

  • Partners are hands-on throughout

Check References:

Ask Big 4 clients:

​

  • "Did the people who sold you the work actually deliver it?"

​​

  • "What percentage of the team was senior vs. junior?"

​​

  • "Did they stay for implementation or just strategy?"

​​

Ask our clients:

​

  • Same questions (we're confident in the answers)

Talk to Clients Who've Used Both:

Ask them:

​

  • "Who delivered better value?"

​​

  • "Who had more senior people doing the work?"

​​

  • "Who was more accountable for outcomes?"

​​

  • "Would you use them again?"

Calculate Your Potential Savings

Your Situation:

Estimated transformation cost with Big 4: £

Estimated timeline (months):

Our Estimate:

Equivilent transformation with Agilicist:

Estimated timeline (months):

Potential Savings:

Why?

No junior consultants (30-40% cost reduction)

Smaller, more effective team (20-30% cost reduction)

Faster delivery (20-30% time savings)

Less rework (senior people make better decisions)

Make an Informed Decision

We're not asking you to blindly choose us over Big 4.

Book a consultation and we'll help you think through which option makes sense - even if the answer is "not us."

We're asking you to:

If Big 4 is right for you, great. If we're right, even better. If both together works, that's fine too.

No pitch. No pressure. Just honest advice.

1.

Understand what each brings

2.

Match that to your actual needs

3.

Make an informed decision

Common Questions About This Comparison

  • Because we're confident in our value proposition and we want clients to make informed decisions. We'd rather you choose us for the right reasons (or choose Big 4 if that's genuinely better for you).

  • Yes. We regularly partner with them - they bring us in for implementation expertise. We respect what they do well. We're just honest about where they struggle.

  • If necessary, yes. Of course it's our perspective. But everything we've stated is verifiable. Ask Big 4 clients the questions we've suggested and see what they say.

  • Yes, regularly. When they need hands-on delivery expertise, they bring us in. They know their limitations.

  • That's exactly what our Advisory & Validation service is for. We'll review their proposal and tell you if it's solid or if there are red flags.

  • Better quality, actually. Because every person is senior and experienced. It's not about headcount - it's about capability per person.

The Reality

We work WITH Big 4 firms regularly. We respect what they do. We're just better at implementation - and they know it. That's why they bring us in.

Trusted By:

Deloitte.png
EY.png
bottom of page