Client FAQs

Why should I hire ICG over a traditional consulting firm?

You keep project IP, you save money, we teach you to do it yourself, you only use ICG people that you need to get the job done, and you can hire them at any point in the process.

Does ICG have deep subject matter expertise or just consultants with process or analytical skills?

Yes, our accredited professionals include ex CEOs, CFOs, CROs, CIOs, Chairmen and all manner of specialist professions including digital strategists, actuaries, system architects, leadership coaches and many others.

How can I find a consulting or project resource through ICG?

Email or call us with your requirements. One of our team will clarify and confirm your request and through our unique BAF process, we will get back to you within 48 hours with the best accredited professionals from ICG (generally between 1 and 3 individuals). You then simply select who you want to work with and for how long. Clients use a mix of desk review, telephone interviews and face-to-face interviews to select the consultant that best matches your needs. As ICG offers unbundled consulting, if the consultant isn’t the perfect choice, you may switch at any time.

How do you manage quality?

We work with you to manage quality. We have an industry leading five tier quality structure.

  1. The first tier requires friends to join us as members. Effectively committing to investing in their on-going professional development and training.
  2. The second tier requires members to nominate themselves for accreditation. They then undergo a custom process of CV screening, interviews with practice leaders, and reference checks to achieve accredited professional status. They can then avail themselves of world-class consulting tools to further improve their delivery quality.
  3. The third tier requires accredited professionals to respond to our unique Best Accredited Professional Forward (BAF) process. This market based matching system ensures that each client receives the best possible three available candidates from the consulting market place within 48 hours. Our unique process includes several proprietary techniques to clearly describe the work component, and the skills needed before using our market based matching system. At the end of this process you are presented with 1-3 candidates that meet our strict quality standards.
  4. The fourth tier is the selection of the optimal candidate by you. You and your team are invited to interview and select the optimal candidate using your own quality hiring processes. If you have an established relationship with an ICG consultant you may be happy for them to run this process for you to select the best fit candidate.
  5. The fifth tier is our quality survey which is completed by clients at the mid-point or end of the project. This is used to further refine our business model, help our accredited professionals direct their professional development and help us to select the best candidates within our BAF process.
How do we manage the conduct of our consultants?

With an ICG Accredited Professional Agreement which includes our Code of Conduct.

How much does ICG charge?

The cost to the client is 40-50% less than the typical strategic sourcing rate for a similarly experienced and skilled consulting or subject matter resource. Clients tend to save around 60-70% from their consulting or project estimate because they typically bundle less of our staff with more of their own, so don’t require a full consulting pyramid. Furthermore, this approach leads to strategies that are more embedded in your organisation than with a “fly-n, fly-out” consulting team.

Can I hire your people?

Yes, unlike the consulting firms and many project resourcing firms, we have no anti-hire provisions. You can make whatever employment offers you would like to our accredited professionals. Although, if the introduction to that professional was through ICG, an industry standard placement fee may be payable.

Can ICG handle large jobs?

Yes, we regularly respond to large jobs (a recent client asked for a team of 18 professionals). Many clients approach us late in an RFP process to find a better quality and price proposition for their major projects. Many clients have over 10 ICG resources working for them at any one time, however, unlike traditional consulting firms, they are often distributed, providing specialised expertise and coaching to existing resources.

Do you work with other consultants?

Yes, our consultants are not restricted in whom they work with, they are your resource to use and theoretically could be offered a job by you, so they will appear to the consultants just like your seconded team members and contractors.

When should I hire a consulting firm over ICG?

There are three main reasons for using a branded consulting firm:

  1. When they have proven IP that you need to embed in your organisation (best practice clients typically do this in a single short phase focused on transitioning the IP and resisting efforts by consulting firms to enmesh themselves);
  2. When you need a truly independent perspective from a team of people (best practice clients ensure this pyramid is top heavy); and
  3. When you have higher risk projects and need someone to blame if things go wrong (best practice clients maintain their independence from these project efforts).

In all cases, best practice clients interview all team members (especially juniors and subject matter experts) to make sure they have really done it before, have the necessary expertise and can work coherently as a team and with your team.

How is ICG different from other project resource firms and consulting networks?

We don’t just help with projects; we also help clients build their own internal consulting and project pool capabilities through world-class, proprietary IP. If you are wondering how big your internal team should be, how you should train them, how they should interface with the business – ICG has the answers.

Have a question we haven’t covered?

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