From Recommendation to Action: New Horizons for Strategy Firms

For the past decade, major strategy consulting firms—McKinsey, BCG, and Bain—have been redefining their business models. Long confined to pure strategic consulting, they must now deliver concrete, measurable, and sustainable transformations.

April 2, 2026 Carrière

Back to summary

2

Long viewed as the architects of pure strategic thinking, these firms are no longer content to simply offer intellectual recommendations. Under pressure from demanding clients and an unstable economic environment, they have built integrated superstructures capable of transforming an abstract vision into a tangible operational and technological reality. These superstructures are a response to the proliferation of management and AI consulting firms.

See also: Strategy Consulting vs. Management: Two Different Fields, One Shared Goal of Performance

This transition marks the end of the era of "disconnected PowerPoint" in favor of a model where strategy, technology, and execution come together to ensure measurable and lasting impact.

Managers are looking for partners who can:

  • Developing the strategy (vision, business model, positioning)
  • Designing technological transformation (AI, data, digital, IT)
  • Oversee implementation (project management, change management, team support).

McKinsey & Company: The combined strength of QuantumBlack and Orphoz

3

McKinsey was one of the first to realize that the sustainability of its leadership would depend on its ability to become a “hybrid” player, capable of speaking to both the inner workings of data systems and the minds of executives. This ambition has taken shape through the rise of two major entities: QuantumBlack and Orphoz.

QuantumBlack: The "AI by McKinsey" technology engine

Acquired in 2015 when it was still just a startup specializing in data analysis, QuantumBlack has become the firm’s technology arm. Now operating under the “AI by McKinsey” banner, this unit brings together experts in data science, software engineering, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence.

QuantumBlack's scope of operations is broad and touches on the very heart of industrial and commercial performance:

  • Deploying AI at scale: Whether it’s optimizing global supply chains, implementing predictive maintenance, or refining dynamic pricing, QuantumBlack doesn’t just write code—it builds systems.
  • Proprietary products: The firm has developed its own tools, such as OptimusAI and SourceAI, to help its clients create value more quickly.
  • Data Architecture: It designs custom platforms, ensuring that data is no longer just an accessory but the central driver of the strategy.

Orphoz: Grounded in Operational Reality

While AI by McKinsey provides the technological expertise, Orphoz—a subsidiary founded in 2011—brings the execution capabilities. Its mission is clear: “To turn the vision of transformation into a reality.”

Unlike traditional strategy engagements, which are often short and intense, Orphoz operates on a long-term basis, much like consultants at management consulting firms:

  • Project Management (PMO): Overseeing complex programs, including post-merger integrations and major organizational overhauls.
  • Unlike traditional strategy engagements, which are often short and intense, Orphoz operates on a long-term basis, much like consultants at traditional consulting firms:
  • "Boots on the Ground" Approach: Orphoz consultants often work in tandem with McKinsey teams, but their focus remains on the front lines and immediate operational results.

BCG Beyond Strategy: Technology, Data, and Operations

4

BCG has adopted a consolidation strategy to provide a comprehensive response to the challenges of digital transformation and operational performance. The firm structures its offerings around three complementary pillars: strategy, technology through BCG X, and operations through BCG Inverto.

BCG X: The Technology and Digital Hub

In 2022, BCG reached a major milestone by merging three of its specialized units under a single brand: BCG X. This consolidation includes:

  • BCG Gamma (Data Science and Advanced AI).
  • BCG Platinion (IT Architecture and Cybersecurity).
  • BCG Digital Ventures (Incubation and launch of new businesses).

BCG X embodies the transition from strategy to execution. The unit does more than just design applications; it develops digital products, designs user interfaces (UX/UI), and deploys solutions at scale. A concrete example illustrates this synergy: on a pricing project, BCG defines the pricing strategy, while BCG X develops the dynamic algorithm that allows prices to be adjusted in real time based on market conditions.

BCG Inverto: The Key to Financial Performance

Specializing in procurement, supply chain management, and cost transformation, BCG Inverto has been delivering tangible financial results since 2021. While strategic consulting identifies areas for cost savings, Inverto steps into the arena:

  • Direct negotiations: The teams work with suppliers to renegotiate contracts.
  • Industrial optimization: They review logistics flows and production processes to generate immediate and measurable gains.
  • Tangible impact: Inverto enables BCG to shift from a recommendation-based approach to a purely results-driven one, where every euro saved is a shared success.

Bain & Company: Digital Agility and a Results-Driven Culture

5

Bain & Company has adopted a model that emphasizes agility and complementarity, leveraging its Vector platform and the deep integration of management practices.

Bain Vector and the Alliance Ecosystem

Bain Vector is a platform dedicated to digital transformation and the development of technology solutions. It brings together expertise in data management, cloud computing, and agile methodologies.

However, Bain’s greatest strength lies in its Digital Alliance Ecosystem. Rather than trying to do everything in-house, Bain relies on a network of more than 700 leading technology partners, such as AWS, Google, SAP, and Snowflake. This modular approach allows the firm to remain neutral and select the tool best suited to each client’s specific needs, thereby avoiding the pitfall of over-integration.

Results Delivery: A Commitment to Sustainable Impact

The Results Delivery practice serves as the bridge between strategy and management. It is closely related to pure management consulting, a field that is increasingly competing with traditional strategy. Its role is to ensure that the defined strategic directions are not merely left on paper:

  • Rigorous monitoring of KPIs: Implementation of dashboards to measure the actual progress of reforms.
  • Operational support: Providing daily guidance to client teams to overcome cultural and organizational barriers.
  • Seamless continuity: Unlike other structures that might operate in silos, Results Delivery is closely integrated with Bain’s core teams, ensuring a seamless transition from concept to execution.

As Consultor aptly points out in its article “Bain France: An Increasingly Tech-Driven Playing Field,” Bain & Company is working with Vector and Results Delivery to build closer ties with teams on the ground and counter the rise of specialized firms.

A Profound Transformation: Toward the "Triple Threat" Consultant

The emergence of these mega-firms is not merely a marketing adjustment; it is a structural shift driven by the growing complexity of the business world. The massive acquisitions in the IT sector carried out by these firms, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, confirm that strategy and IT are now inextricably linked.

The shift from "What" to "How"

The consulting profession has shifted from focusing on “what to do” to “how to do it—and do it well.” Clients no longer pay solely for intellectual expertise, but for the ability to orchestrate. The modern consulting firm is becoming an orchestra conductor capable of coordinating engineers, data scientists, procurement experts, and change management specialists.

The Profile of the Future

The model that will prevail in the coming years is based on the ability to integrate three dimensions that were once distinct:

  • The Vision: Understanding business challenges and anticipating market trends,
  • Technology: Mastering technological tools and data,
  • People: Leading Change and Sustaining Transformation.

The undisputed success of the McKinsey, BCG, and Bain trio is based on their ability to reinvent themselves.

See also: McKinsey, BCG, Bain: a trio of firms that remains unrivaled

By integrating firms such as Orphoz, BCG Inverto, and Bain Delivery Results, they have succeeded in bridging the long-standing gap between strategy and execution.

Today, excellence in strategy consulting is measured against a simple yet ambitious promise: to think like a strategist, code like an engineer, and act like a manager. For companies, this ensures that the massive investments made in digital and operational transformation will finally translate into tangible results that are permanently embedded in their financial statements and corporate culture.

Are you interested in joining a strategy consulting firm to develop this three-pronged expertise?

So join us and be one of the 90% of our candidates who land a position at a top-six firm every year. PrepaStrat is the leading interview prep program for strategy consulting firms, offering:

  • With 8 years of expertise, we are the longest-standing provider of preparation for strategy consulting interviews
  • 5 boot camps per year, comprising 35 hours of training over 5 days
  • 1 mentor from an MBB firm for each candidate being mentored
  • 100% of our coaches are Senior Consultants and Managers from McKinsey, BCG, and Bain
  • 6 online training modules to help you prepare for interviews and understand what strategic consulting is all about
  • Over 50 annotated case studies that have already been used by top strategy consulting firms
  • Aim for excellence and join the top strategy and management consulting firms with PrépaStrat

Discover our bootcamp, our real-life interviews and our e-learning platform !

Back to blog