The advent of digital is disrupting how businesses have traditionally provided service to its customers. Leading consulting firm Accenture was looking to better understand how this has impacted UK consumers: how have their expectations and needs changed? Do they now prefer using digital customer service channels to traditional channels? The company recruited a team of Manchester MBAs to help them investigate this key business challenge.
Why do you choose to work with Alliance MBS?
We are always looking for ways to improve how we work with our clients. Alliance Manchester Business School’s MBA consulting projects offered a new avenue for us to harness customer insights. We were also attracted by the opportunity to get to know the MBAs better and work with the business school to help develop future talent.
What was the methodology?
The MBAs collected and analysed primary and secondary research relating to key data points. We combined their results with research we had obtained through our other channels, and further analysed everything to help us form new points of view.
What were the findings?
The MBAs’ work helped reinforce several of our existing views while adding more quantitative data, which we were able to measure against our own benchmarks. Interestingly, in some areas the results differed from our existing views, giving us the opportunity to further understand UK consumers.
How has the consultancy project benefited your company?
This goes back to why we chose to work with Alliance MBS. The project was great because it provided us with additional insight into UK consumer expectations and needs, in relation to digital and traditional customer service. We refined and developed our own points-of-view, and we are now using the results to help drive conversations with clients to improve their businesses. Furthermore, we feel that we have helped nurture and develop excellent MBA talent at Alliance Manchester Business School to join the workforce in the future.
What was the greatest challenge?
The biggest challenge was balancing the timing and deadlines of the project with the multiple needs of the MBAs during this project, as they were also full-time students with other academic demands. The MBAs did an absolutely excellent job.
What was the greatest achievement?
For us, the greatest achievement was successfully completing this as a pilot. It was our first MBA consultancy project and we wanted to test the waters. Given that we were able to go through the idea creation, bidding, scoping, delivery and application of this work effectively justified its value.
How do you find working with AMBS’ MBA students?
The MBAs bring great energy, enthusiasm, creativity and fresh perspectives. It balanced very well as we were able to bring the business focus, experience and structure.