How Consulting Firms Are Using AI To Do More

The New Consulting Mandate

Consultants play a critical role in this new dynamic business environment. Most organizations are drowning in information while starved for insight. And that’s exactly where the consultants jump in. They reveal opportunities and also expose blind spots hidden from view. The best consultants provide value by framing these insights into next steps the client can take.

But today’s clients expect more, faster insights, deeper analysis, and greater value but margins are tighter than ever. Rather than passing costs onto clients, leading consulting firms are turning to AI for consulting to cut internal overhead, accelerate delivery, and scale efficiently.

Some well-known examples include:

KPMG’s AI solutions, which compress years of manual work into months, helping employees save time and effort.
McKinsey’s Lilli, which uses AI to automate the research process, freeing analysts from spending hours gathering and synthesizing information.
Deloitte’s Cortex, which handles complex modeling and scaling projects with remarkable speed and accuracy.
EY’s AI-driven tax tools, which automate compliance and analytics, enabling consultants to focus on strategic advisory rather than operational tasks.

This presents an opportunity. It’s about enabling consultants to focus on what matters, insight, decision-making, and value. In this blog, we explore workflows that can help consultants work more efficiently.

1. Automating Routine Tasks to Reduce Operational Costs

AI combined with RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is streamlining repetitive tasks like data entry, report drafting, and document review, activities that typically consume a significant portion of a consultant or research analyst’s time. By automating these low-leverage tasks, firms can reduce operational overhead and ensure teams stay on track to meet project deadlines. It also allows for more realistic and predictable delivery timelines.

According to McKinsey, 45% of consulting tasks are automatable with current tools, highlighting the immense potential for optimization. Tools like ChatGPT are already helping consultants cut report turnaround times by up to 50%, boosting both productivity and responsiveness.

In short, automating routine work is a game changer, it frees up bandwidth for high-value, revenue-generating activities and makes scaling operations faster, leaner, and more sustainable.

2. Enhancing Decision-Making with AI-Powered Analytics

Analyzing complex data to extract strategic insights can take consultants and analysts several hours, sometimes even days. With AI in the mix, this process is accelerated dramatically. Advanced AI tools can process vast datasets in seconds, uncover patterns, and surface insights that support smarter, faster decision-making. While the consultant’s role remains critical, AI takes on the heavy lifting enabling better forecasting, risk scoring, and the development of more effective pricing strategies.

McKinsey reports that using AI for pricing optimization has reduced analyst time by 30–40%. That saved time can now be redirected toward higher-impact work without the burnout that often comes from handling complex, time-consuming tasks.

Moreover, firms that have integrated AI into their workflows are already seeing improved forecasting accuracy. AI doesn’t replace analysts; it acts as a powerful personal assistant, handling the computational heavy lifting so consultants can focus on strategy and client impact.

3. Scaling Services Without Scaling Costs

Imagine AI handling complex analysis, research, and repetitive tasks, all the work that typically demands time, attention, and multiple resources. What does this mean for companies? It means they can serve more clients without proportionally increasing headcount or costs. AI becomes your always-on, low-cost, intelligent intern, scaling your operations, supporting onboarding, automating reporting, and even managing client queries with precision.

In fact, 52% of telecom firms already use AI bots, a trend that’s quickly becoming standard in consulting as well.

Today, scaling services don't have to mean scaling costs. AI tools are not just transforming workflows, they are enabling firms to grow sustainably, even in price-sensitive markets. BHyve provides AI solutions that are both cost-effective and built to help consulting firms scale smarter, faster, and more efficiently.

4. Using AI for Risk, Compliance & Assurance

Regulatory complexity is rising across industries, and manual compliance processes are proving to be both time-consuming and expensive. Consultants and legal teams often spend countless hours reviewing contracts, checking policy alignment, and ensuring audit readiness activities that can be repetitive and prone to human error.

AI tools are now stepping in to change that. By automating routine compliance tasks, they not only reduce effort but also ensure greater consistency and accuracy. A strong example is JPMorgan’s COIN, which saved over 360,000 hours by automating contract review, freeing up teams to focus on higher-value work while ensuring regulatory standards were still met.

Despite the clear benefits, most firms are still catching up. In 2023, only 28% of companies reported being fully ready for AI governance. This gap presents a massive opportunity for consulting firms to lead the way offering AI-powered compliance services that are faster, more scalable, and far more cost-effective than traditional approaches.

5. Why This Matters: Delivering More Without Raising Fees

Firms adopting AI don’t have to charge clients more, they simply work smarter. In today’s cost-sensitive market, pricing often becomes the deciding factor for clients. By integrating AI thoughtfully, consulting firms can maintain their pricing structure while delivering faster, higher-quality results. This positions them as the firm of choice offering more value without inflating budgets.

The secret? They protect their margins while keeping clients happy by using generative AI in at least one core process. This saves time, reduces internal costs, and allows teams to do better work without passing the cost onto clients. According to McKinsey, 65% of companies had implemented generative AI in at least one function by 2024, and productivity gains of up to 40%, especially among junior talent which are helping firms scale more efficiently than ever before.

Conclusion: The Efficiency Edge

Just two years ago, AI was seen as a tech upgrade. Today, it’s a core operating advantage. Firms that embrace AI aren’t just modernizing, they are unlocking the ability to save millions in costs, scale rapidly, and deliver high-value work to clients. More importantly, they are enabling their teams to focus on strategic, revenue-generating activities that drive real growth.

Thoughtful AI adoption reduces rework, improves decision-making, and sets the stage for long-term scalability. These firms aren’t just becoming the most cost-efficient, they are building engaged, future-ready teams who are empowered to do meaningful work without burning out.

Clients may never see the AI but they will feel it in the speed, precision, and clarity of service delivery. Curious about how AI can transform your consulting practice? Book a demo with us today and see how BHyve can help you scale smarter.