The Professional Services Pursuit

Ken Ringdahl, Chief Technology Officer at Kantata, joins Banoo on the podcast to discuss AI and its impact on professional services. They dive deep into the benefits and key opportunities that GenAI is creating for PS firms through operational efficiency, how to get started using a phased approach, and how to ultimately use AI to enhance customer and employee experiences. Other topics include:The Gartner GenAI hype cycle and how AI can benefit PS organizationsThe primary focus areas for development and planning in PSThe impact on employee and talent experienceThe risk associated with not adopting an AI forward strategyThe importance of clean data sources to maximize AI effectivenessHow Kantata is utilizing AI to help our customers to be more efficient

On this episode Brent is joined by Matt O’Dette, Vice President of Operations and Talent Management at Cramer. They discuss how Cramer puts their people and values first in everything they do in order to build a culture that encourages collaboration, creativity, trust and financial responsibility. They also discuss how they have built and fostered that culture over time and the steps and tools they used to get there. Other topics include:The importance of transparent leadership Finding balance between doing the right thing for your employees, clients and businessEmpowering teams to make decisions autonomouslyUtilizing “healthy conflict” and post mortems to collectively understand successes and failuresHow they use data and technology to enhance their culture of transparency and collaborationWhy it's critical to never lose sight of the people doing the work, listen to their needs and make sure they understand what success looks like

In the latest episode of The Professional Services Pursuit, Banoo talks to Eisha Armstrong, Executive Chairman & Co-Founder of Vecteris. They dive into Eisha's book, her insights on the rapidly changing professional services industry, including the pivotal role of AI and the importance of integrating technology with strategic planning for success.This episode also explores:AI automation statistics in the professional services industryThe challenges faced by professional services firms and four ways AI can mitigate these issuesCritical aspects of workforce transformation and other considerations for effective change managementThe top seven mistakes in productizing servicesAn exclusive book giveaway for our audience!The first 10 listeners to submit their information through this form will be sent a complimentary copy of Eisha's book, Productize, a hands-on guide for transforming professional services into scalable products.Discover more about Vecteris here.

On this episode of The Professional Services Pursuit, Banoo talks with Greg Daines. Greg is the CEO of ChurnRX, the premier retention analysis and coaching platform that helps organizations to diagnose and solve churn within their customer base. They discuss data-backed customer retention strategies and the secret sauce to identifying and measuring the right results. Other topics in this episode includeThe lack of correlation between customer satisfaction and retentionThe importance of getting results and measuring themThe 3 laws of customer retentionGreg’s take on value-based commercial models and how to rethink that approach

This episode of the Professional Services Pursuit podcast features Tom Rodenhauser, Managing Partner of Kennedy Research Reports LLC. Tom offers expert insights on the trends shaping the consulting industry, with a particular focus on the move towards productization and the challenges and opportunities it presents.Topics in this episode include:The shift away from traditional time-based billing models The changing demographics of the workforce and how it's impacting consultingCultural and organizational changes needed to transition to a product-based modelThe 4 mega trends impacting consulting services Examples of firms that are successfully adapting to the evolving landscapeTips for consultants and firms looking to embrace the move towards productizationLearn more about Kennedy Research Reports and read some their great content at https://www.kennedyresearchreports.com/

Sarah Edwards and Jared Haleck, Chief Product Officers at Kantata, join us to talk about the role of professional services technology in our current market and how it has become so much more than just a way to track margins and operating process.Other topics in this episode include:Why vertical SaaS has become critical to success in modern services businessesHow the staffing manager model has changed and the demands shaping the industryHow technology is impacting, transforming, and keeping pace with the PS value chainThe pitfalls of legacy PSA tools and the cost of continuing to use outdated technology to run your businessKey technical innovations in the PS industry and what Kantata is working on to help firms deliver value to clients

Welcome back for part 2 of our SoDA webinar recording with Brian Williams - Founder and CEO at Viget, and Andrew Howlett - Partner and CEO at Struck. In the second part of this conversation we took a look at areas of agency business that are seeing some positive indicators for 2024 and where Brian and Andrew are cautiously optimistic for the year ahead. Other topics covered in this episode include:The affect interest rates will have on business uncertaintyHow return to office mandates will impact recruiting and hiringIndicators for a strong 2nd half of 2024Where Viget and Struck are placing their Ai betsBe sure to read the State of Agency Operations Survey referenced in this episode for additional agency trends and priorities in 2024.

Ep. 58 - (Part 1) 2023 in Review and Operating Priorities for the Year Ahead w/ Brian Williams and Andrew HowlettThis episode of The Professional Services Pursuit is part one of a two-part series taken from a recent SoDA (Society of Digital Agencies) webinar. Brent interviews agency leaders Brian Williams - Founder and CEO at Viget, and Andrew Howlett - Partner and CEO at Struck. They provide some great insights on how their agencies fared in 2023 and where they plan to focus their efforts in 2024 from an operations standpoint and beyond. Other topics covered in this episode include:The unique challenges faced in 2023 How each agency handled uncertainty The impact big tech had on the agency spaceBalancing staff against profitabilityStriking the right balance of hybrid work for optimal creativity and productivityThe critical importance of revenue forecasting and utilization in 2024Be sure to read the State of Agency Operations Survey referenced in this episode for additional agency trends and priorities in 2024.