In a rapidly evolving landscape of rising costs, tighter talent, and shifting regulations, Irish businesses in 2025 are seeking consultancies that deliver agility, flexibility, and clear outcomes — not just size and brand.
For a long time, hiring one of the “big firms” was seen as a sign of strength. You bought their methodology, their brand, and their armies of consultants — and you hoped that by the end of it, something meaningful would be delivered.
But in Ireland today, that assumption is under greater pressure. Clients are bringing sharper focus, boards are raising expectations, and cost pressures are unrelenting. CFOs want clarity on ROI, not sprawling teams of juniors. CEOs want partners who can flex, not processes that slow them down. And regulators are layering in new obligations — from resilience requirements under DORA to the evolving expectations of CSRD — which make “cookie-cutter” approaches harder to justify.
At the same time, technology is rewriting the rules. AI is being embedded into customer journeys, risk monitoring, and even compliance testing. That means change can no longer wait for a 12-month programme to “land”; it must be iterative, transparent, and fast. Traditional consultancies, with their rigid playbooks and incentive to prolong delivery, often find themselves out of step.
Irish businesses — whether scale-ups chasing growth or established firms under pressure to adapt — are increasingly asking a blunt question: are we getting value?
The answer, too often, is no. Which is why the shift to smaller, outcome-focused consultancies is gathering pace. These firms measure success not by the number of people on site, but by the speed and impact of outcomes delivered. They’re collaborative by design, senior-led, and transparent about costs. In other words: they fit the client’s world, rather than forcing the client into theirs.
At Avencia Consulting, our model reflects this shift: getting you ready with clear goals, getting it done with agile, right-sized delivery, and getting the value through outcomes you can see and measure. If the old model feels tired, let’s talk about a better one.
