Industry · October 27, 2026

AI Products for Consultancies: Turn Your Expertise Into Something Clients Use

Consultancies are using AI to write reports and research faster. The firms that grow will package their know-how into products clients use themselves. Three AI products worth building, and what makes them hard.

Management, operations, HR and IT consultancies are among the heaviest users of AI. Research, analysis, slide decks and reports all go faster than they did two years ago. The catch is that clients know this too. They are starting to ask why the work costs the same if AI did half of it.

The bigger opportunity is to stop selling only hours and start selling your expertise in a form clients can use themselves. That is where an AI product earns its place.

The short version

  • AI that speeds up consulting work makes your firm more efficient, and puts pressure on hourly pricing.
  • An AI product built on your frameworks sells your expertise without selling more of your time.
  • Your method is the valuable part. The product is only as good as the thinking behind it.

What every consultancy is already automating

  • Research and desk analysis
  • Drafting reports and slide decks
  • Meeting notes and summaries
  • Proposal writing

This is the floor. It saves time, and your competitors get the same savings. More in everyone uses AI, almost nobody profits.

Three AI products worth building

1. Self-service diagnostic

What the client gets: A structured assessment they complete themselves, producing a benchmarked report built on your firm's own frameworks, with clear next steps.

Why it wins clients: It shows your expertise before the first meeting, qualifies leads, and opens the door to larger engagements. It can also be sold on its own.

What makes it hard: Designing the questions and scoring well. That is your expertise, not code.

2. Implementation companion

What the client gets: After the project, a companion that helps their team apply your recommendations: answering questions in your firm's terms, tracking progress and flagging when they drift.

Why it wins clients: Most consulting advice fades after the final presentation. Clients who actually implement get results, come back and refer others.

What makes it hard: It has to stay true to your advice and know when to hand over to a consultant.

3. Benchmarking portal

What the client gets: A portal where they compare their numbers against anonymised benchmarks from your work, and see where they stand.

Why it wins clients: Benchmarks are something only an experienced firm can offer, and clients come back to them regularly.

What makes it hard: Your data must be properly anonymised, and clients must be comfortable with how their data is used.

What to watch out for

  • Client information is often confidential. Data handling and anonymisation must be right from the start. See our security checklist.
  • Do not give away the whole engagement. A good product creates demand for your consultants rather than replacing them.
  • The demo is the easy part. See the 70% problem.

How we build it with you

  1. We start with your firm, your frameworks and the questions clients pay you to answer.
  2. Prototype before you pay. Something to click through before any money changes hands.
  3. One fixed fee covers the product decision and the build, agreed after the prototype.
  4. We stay on as head of product, paid as a share of what the product earns.

You own what we build. Read more on how we work.

Is your firm a good fit?

We work best with consultancies that have a clear specialism and a method of their own, an established client base, and a partner who can make the decision. Generalist firms usually need to sharpen their edge first. See the commoditization test.

Frequently asked questions

Will a product cannibalise our consulting revenue?

Done well, it does the opposite. It brings in better-qualified clients and keeps past clients engaged, which leads to more work.

Can we charge for it?

Often, yes, either on its own or as part of an engagement. See how to price an AI product.

How is this different from an AI operating system?

An AI operating system helps your consultants work faster. A product is something your clients use.

Who owns the product?

You do.