| Topic Name: |
Lets get down to the comparisions, anyone can answer this one |
| Message Name: |
Big 5 and Tier 1 |
| Date Posted: |
07/12/2001 |
| In Reply To: |
Ok,
People talk about tier one firms like MCk, BCG , Bain, etc. and the Big 5 like Accenture (which will be a tier one in 5-10 years watch) and PWC.
If someone is an undergrad. graduate more tech. orientated and who wants to do tech./IT strategy or implimenations the big 5 would be better for you right?
If someone is a bussiness administration or other business related major, and wants to powerpoint/analysis pure strat, then thye should join a tier one right?
My third question, do you guys agree that Accenture could join the ranks of the tier one some day? |
| Message: |
The Big 5 are audit firms. Thus, Accenture and CGE&Y are no longer members of the Big 5. Same with KPMG consulting. (Either that, or it's a Big 8 ... and it's not.) All three are (or will be) publicly funded companies with the ability to compete in a very different fashion than the firms which retain an audit function.
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If you want to do IT "strategy," do not go to the Big 5 or to CGE&Y. (I don't know about KPMG Consulting.) Implementation, maybe, but not IT strat. IT strat conveys "senior management" interest in IT, and the Big 5 companies' IT partners cannot hold a conversation with most CEOs about business. In some cases the audit partners can, but even then, I have literally been told by audit partners at one of these firms, that they would need significant pre-briefing before they would want to engage in a significant business discussion of the major client they audit. It is a very revealing process, to try to get the IT or audit partners at a big 5 to knock on their "client" CEOs doors ... they deal with CFOs and typically director level IT folks in terms of business discussions. For IT strategy people who can hold a business conversation with CEO, you have to be at (in alpha order) Accenture, A T Kearney, Booz Allen WCB (ITG) or McKinsey BTO.
If someone is a truly technically oriented undergrad, e.g. CS at MIT, CMU, Stanford or Berkeley, there is no way they would go to a Big 5 on the IT side ... that tells you everything you need to know about the Big 5 leadership in technology from the student side.
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In terms of strategy, most stratgy undergrads at major firms do not do powerpoint. They do analysis and graphics people do powerpoint.
Actually, the Big 5 accountancy firms + CGE&Y are a better place to do strategy, than they are a place to learn real technology.
But, it does not take a busines degree to be an undergard and go to a strat practice, whether big 5 or tier 1. In fact, probably most places draw their BAs from liberal arts schools in econ, math and sciences. The exception is the few top tier undergrad programs in business, e.g Wharton. In general, a math/econ major or physical science major will make a better BA than most undergrad business majors.
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Accenture is already a unique firm. It will never look like M/B/B in terms of its total profile of people, since Accenture is not exclusively in the strategy business. Nor, for that matter, will Booz-Allen, when you consider the whole firm, which is more than half tech people.
That said, when one compares Accenture to the tier 1 firms, it compares quite well right now ... in the end, a firm which has 3000 people with a "strategy" profile, earning "strategy" salaries and making money at it, and which has been doing so for nearly 20 years, has alreadey joined the club. In teh end, all the firms mentioned do good work, and most people in the industry respect our colleagues at other firms, so nit-picking about tier 1, tier 1.5 ... is not really a great use of time.
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