Why Big 4 Fatigue Means Top 5 Management Consultancies are Failing CIOs

Whilst the leading 5 consultancies, KPMG, E&Y, PwC, Deloitte and Accenture, collectively provide a stern benchmark for the consulting industry, these behemoths play more than just competitive roles. Long since considered as setting the standard for consulting services, other firms have followed suit in the advances they’ve made. In a sense they elevate the reputation of consultants everywhere. To put it crudely, it’s not about taking a slice of their pie, because they make the pie itself bigger. So, when we talk about big 4 – or 5 – fatigue, this isn’t a swipe at the top players. It means that for the first time in a while, the industry is facing a seismic shift.  

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and ESG take centre-point in today’s business strategies. The consultants which companies opt to partner with must reflect their own values. Industry insight – and IQ – is no longer enough; companies understand that the best outcomes are achieved when deep collaboration happens. Furthermore, the companies they work with are an extension of their brand and their teams – and therefore their reputation. Consultancies renowned so well for an infamous working culture – so much so that terminology like big 4 fatigue is common knowledge – represent a risk. Culture is porous and energy is contagious; not only do firms want to avoid diluting the intentionally collaborative culture they have carefully constructed, but they also want to avoid conflicting with teams whose dynamic clearly clash with their own.  

Synonymous with culture is the profile of consultant. For example, do they have real lived experience of digital transformation in an organisation, or is their background more academically heavy.  Highly experienced practitioners who have worked in their respective industries for many years prior to consulting bring a level of empathy to the brief, given their understanding of the challenges at hand beyond a brief on paper. There’s an added layer of insight into what it’s like to implement – not just conceive – a solution.  

A critique aimed at the management consultancy industry in general has been the soulless figure parachuted in to provide consult without context, who jettisons before their strategy can even begin to be implemented. Today’s CIO requires a refreshing blend of thinking and doing that drives incremental business value. They need a long-term partner who will support with the implementation of the advised strategy. Their needs to be a sense of responsibility towards the outcome, which is why long-term relationships with consultants drive better results. 

On a more tangible level, EQ and balanced working dynamics create room for real relationship-building, which is how you get to the heart of the problems. It’s about value sharing in all senses. Challenger consultancies are masters at navigating the complexities beyond the brief and understand what different people involved in a project really want and need. The best consultants are negotiators, mediators, relationship-builders and fundamentally problem solvers. It’s these soft skills that increasingly play a lead role in driving the best business outcomes for clients and supporting digital transformation.  

A critique aimed at the management consultancy industry in general has been the rather soulless figure parachuted in to provide consult without context, who jettisons away before their strategy can even begin to be implemented. Today’s CIO requires a refreshing blend of thinking and doing that drives incremental business value. They need a long-term partner who will support with the implementation of the advised strategy. There needs to be a sense of shared responsibility towards the outcome, which is why long-term relationships with consultants drive better results. It is also why CIOs today buy into the team as much as the firm’s brand. For too long, gargantuan consultancies have won business using their top team, who disappear before the ink dries on the new contract, instructing a fleet of juniors to do the bulk of the work. Challenger consultancies offer a refreshingly direct approach: who you see [at the pitch] is who you get [on your team].  

According to the recent Gartner IT Symposium which outlined key priorities for CIOs in 2025, over 80% of CIOs plan to increase investments in AI, cybersecurity, and business intelligence while reducing spending on legacy systems. 2025 marks a turning point for IT leadership and success will depend on how well CIOs can enable business leaders, democratise technology, and shift away from outdated systems that hinder agility. It’s this shift away from legacy systems and reprioritisation of dynamic working models which primes challenger consultancies to provide the guidance that’s needed for CIOs undergoing seismic shifts in their own roles, amidst increasingly challenging markets for businesses. The CIO is now an enabler, counselor and consultant and, in many ways, the best consultancy partner reflects these traits. The skillset of the CIO is now more dynamic and multifaceted than ever before.  

Technology permeates every aspect of a business’s organisation, so transformational change no longer sits siloed in the IT department; it has an org-wide impact. The CIOs implementing the recommended changes are now also driven by innovation and are more tech savvy than ever before – and their roles are also more dynamic. Therefore, the role of the CIO needs an understanding of more than just the technology and changes needed, but the changing roles within an organisation that are more agile.  This requirement to constantly upskill both technically and commercially is one which is shared by the consultancy firms supporting any company in 2025 undergoing transformational change. 

Just like a company undergoing digital transformation to meet high growth goals must undergo constant change, so does the relationship between the CIO and the consultant. Any good relationship is one that changes consciously, one where both parties regularly reflect on how they have changed – from what they need, to how they communicate, to what they’re working towards. This is why challenger consultancies are making moves.  

Size is no guarantee of quality. Agile and dedicated partners deliver far greater value to the CIO of 2025 than bloated incumbents, whose revolving door of staff barely learn their clients’ names before moving on 

Attaching yourself to a big brand name is no longer an insurance policy against unmet goals or project slippage.  The change makers within organisations must consider strict measurements of success for digital transformation. CIOs must be clinical in their approach to budget considerations for projects and services. The world of the CIO is shifting rapidly. As described by Gartner in their recent reports. the need to be the enabler for innovation within the business, whilst still delivering the key services and technical projects, is paramount. There is therefore more scrutiny on costs and little room for project bloat.  

Challenger firms can offer unique outcomes, opportunity and greater flexibility – not just to employees but importantly to their clients. From working dynamically with clients and their intermediaries to ensure briefs are understood and met, to scaling up or down with projects and programmes as needed, the consultancies that remain the most agile will steer and be in prime position to pick up pace. Whilst the big 4 – or 5 – face fatigue in all sense, challenger consultancies are already innovating and using real relationships with people to drive better business outcomes.  

The consulting landscape is shifting — and the CIOs who will thrive in 2025 and beyond are those who choose partners that are agile, empathetic, and outcome-driven. Challenger consultancies are ready to meet the moment, delivering tailored strategies, hands-on implementation, and lasting value.