How Consulting Firms Can Build Their First Agentic AI Solution 3/5
Welcome to The Agentic Consulting Playbook Series — a five‑part exploration of how agentic AI is reshaping the consulting industry and what firms must do to stay ahead. This opening article sets the stage by explaining why consulting can no longer rely on traditional, human‑centric delivery models. As autonomous agents begin performing research, analysis, synthesis, and recommendations at speed and scale, client expectations are shifting toward always‑on, adaptive, AI‑powered insight. The competitive landscape is already changing, with AI‑native firms challenging incumbent consultancies head‑on.
This first article lays the foundation for what comes next in the series. Over the coming pieces, we move from why consulting needs to go agentic to how firms can practically make the shift — identifying high‑value agentic opportunities, designing governed workflows, building the first agentic solution safely and strategically, and ultimately scaling a sustainable agentic operating model. If you want to understand where the industry is headed and how to prepare your firm for the transition, this opening chapter sets the context for the journey ahead.
THE STRATEGIC WAKE-UP CALL FOR MODERN ADVISORY FIRMS
CONSULTING PARADIG SHIFT
For decades, consulting and advisory firms relied on a simple equation:
human expertise + trusted process = client value.
That formula built empires of insight — but it’s breaking down.
Autonomous agentic AI systems can now analyse data, generate recommendations, and even coach employees with exceptional contextual accuracy. In short, they are beginning to operate like consultants — only faster, cheaper, and at scale.
Every week, AI-native firms win contracts by deploying contextualised agents that perform analyses and give advice. They don’t hire large analyst teams; they use technology to achieve similar results at a fraction of the cost. The traditional consulting market faces a choice: innovate — or get left behind.
My own career began at a small Dutch IT consultancy. Brilliant colleagues built their expertise through years of projects. Those minds remain invaluable, but information synthesis now happens at a vastly faster rate. That experience fuels one question that will define our industry:
How can human-capital-driven firms transform when expertise itself becomes automated?
This Agentic Consulting Playbook series answers that question step-by-step. In this first article, I review the market dynamics behind the shift — and why adapting is a necessity, not an option.
01 | Market Threats: When AI Agents Become Your Competitors
START YOUR FIRM'S AGENTIC TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY
Agentic AI describes networks of intelligent agents that plan, act, and learn toward defined objectives in their system instructions. They perform actions traditionally done by (junior) consultants — such as information gathering and analysis — but continuously and at a fraction of the cost.
Two recent reports illustrate how quickly adoption is rising:
- KPMG (2025) found that 42 % of organisations have already deployed AI agents, up from 11 % two quarters earlier, and a further 37 % are piloting them (KPMG AI Quarterly Pulse Survey Q3 2025).
- MarketsandMarkets (2025) projects the agentic AI market to grow from $7 billion in 2025 to $93 billion by 2032 (CAGR 44.6 %) (MarketsandMarkets Agentic AI Market Forecast).
The critical point is that this isn’t mere automation — it’s substitution of work humans once did. Budgets that fund AI-driven advice will no longer go to traditional consulting services. The market shift is now visible.
WHY CUSTOMERS ARE MOVING
The pace of agent deployment is extremely high — and not only for cost or convenience. Enterprise clients increasingly expect more than a static report. They demand continuous, adaptive insights based on real-time data — solutions that deliver advantage 24 / 7.
Recent industry surveys reinforce this expectation:
- KPMG (2025) reports that 51 % of organisations are exploring AI agents and 37 % are piloting them (KPMG Q4 Pulse Findings).
- Deloitte (2025) predicts that 25 % of companies using generative AI will launch agentic AI pilots this year, rising to 50 % by 2027 (Deloitte TMT Predictions 2025).
Buying patterns are shifting from projects to platforms.
Q: How are agentic AI systems changing client expectations?
A: They deliver continuous, data-driven guidance instead of static deliverables.
MINI CASE - THE SALES-TRAINING DISRUPTION
A mid-sized sales-training firm was renowned for its proprietary methodology. For years it relied on classroom-based programs — until AI chatbots and coaching agents emerged.
Clients began adopting AI agents to support sales teams with continuous coaching, analysing performance, and delivering best-practice frameworks in real time. Agents replicated playbooks, simulated meetings, and offered on-demand feedback — all via affordable subscriptions.
The firm realised it had to transform or face decline. It partnered with a sales-enablement platform to embed its methodology into a SaaS product, turning its IP into an adaptive digital offering.
THE LESSON - If you don't productise your IP, someone else's agent will.
02 | Why Traditional IP Delivery Is Under Threat
THE COMMODITISATION OF EXPERTISE
Consulting firms long protected their advantage through proprietary frameworks and domain insight. That intellectual property sat safely behind human delivery — until now.
Agentic AI breaks the seal. Multi-agent systems can ingest those frameworks, replicate their logic, and apply them contextually at scale. Tasks once handled by analyst teams are now executed by coordinated agents — faster, cheaper, fatigue-free.
As McKinsey (2025) notes in The Agentic Organization:
"A new paradigm is emerging where humans and AI agents work side by side at scale — the agentic organization.” (McKinsey & Company, 2025)
THE SHIFT IN CLIENT EXPECTATIONS
Shift 1: Clients no longer buy hours; they subscribe to outcomes. Enterprise buyers now link AI-enabled delivery to automation, continuous insight, and measurable value.
Some industries — notably finance, healthcare, and technology — are adopting this model fastest, setting expectations for others. Early success in these sectors creates pressure for AI-enabled advice and always-on insight elsewhere.
Shift 2: AI is changing delivery models beyond recognition.
Traditional Consulting
- Human analysts produce static reports
- One-off projects → time-bound revenue
- Expertise stored in documents
- Output measured by hours
Agentic Consulting Model
- AI-driven platforms deliver continuous, adaptive insight
- Subscriptions → recurring, scalable revenue
- Expertise embedded in evolving AI frameworks
- Value measured by outcomes
ANALYST FORECASTS HIGHLIGHT THE SHIFT
- McKinsey (2025): 23 % of organisations are scaling agentic AI systems and 39 % are experimenting with them (State of AI 2025).
- California Management Review (2025): Market to reach $103 billion by 2034, with 25 % of firms launching agentic pilots this year (citing Precedence Research and Deloitte).
- BCG (2025): Agentic leaders achieve 30–50 % faster cycles and higher ROI (BCG Enterprise Platforms Report).
Together, these data points describe an unstoppable trajectory: consulting is moving toward delivery models that rely less on human capital and more on intelligent, adaptive systems.
03 | The Unique Value of Proprietary IP and the Risk of Commoditisation
DEFENDING DIFFERENTIATION
Despite rapid change, proprietary IP remains critical — perhaps more than ever — if it is delivered in ways that match new client expectations and AI-driven competition.
By encoding proven frameworks into agentic platforms that think, act, and learn like your best consultants, firms can:
- Retain control over how expertise is applied and monetised.
- Deliver context-aware guidance at enterprise scale.
- Continuously evolve offerings as markets shift.
AI becomes the new delivery model for the expertise you spent years building.
CASE STORY - TURNING IP INTO AGENTIC VALUE
A leading advisory firm faced two pressures: low-cost software competitors and clients demanding more innovative delivery. Its expertise was still market-leading, but its traditional delivery model reduced its perceived value.
Rather than compete on price, the firm built a proprietary agentic platform that embedded its IP into automated advisory workflows. Existing clients quickly joined pilot programs, and the platform is now emerging as a core revenue driver.
INSIGHT - Clients still value unique expertise — they just want new ways to consume it.
04 | External Proof Points and Market Forecasts
QUANTITATIVE EVIDENCE FOR ACTION
- Efficiency: 30–50 % faster workflows for agentic leaders - BCG (2025)
- Scalability: Expand client reach without added staff cost - McKinsey (2025)
- Recurring Revenue: Firms shifting to subscription-based models see higher LTV - Accenture (2025 Annual Report)
- Engagement: Adaptive delivery improves client retention rates - KPMG (2025 Pulse Survey)
- IP Defensibility: Proprietary frameworks secured in closed agentic architectures - IBM IBV (2025)
WHAT ANALYSTS ARE SAYING
“Agentic AI is reshaping how services are delivered — from human-centric projects to hybrid platforms where agents and experts collaborate.” — McKinsey & Company, The Agentic Organization (2025)
“Transitioning to agentic consulting is no longer optional — it is the foundation for growth.” — IBM Institute for Business Value (2025)
WHY ADOPTION IS FASTEST
- Strategy Consulting: Automated market analysis and scenario planning.
- Operations Advisory: Real-time process optimisation.
- HR & Talent: Personalised coaching and analytics.
- Sales & Negotiation: Adaptive training and guided support.
Across every vertical, the pattern is clear: firms embracing agentic delivery achieve scale and resilience that traditional models cannot match.
05 | The Strategic Imperative: Why Consulting Must Go Agentic
FUTURE-PROOFING THE BUSINESS
The winners of the next consulting era will fuse human expertise with autonomous capability. Embedding proprietary IP into agentic consulting platforms allows firms to:
- Deliver continuous, adaptive value to clients.
- Create recurring, defensible revenue streams.
- Maintain relevance as AI reshapes the market.
- Strengthen the monetisation of their core asset: expertise and IP.
For leaders, this is not a technology upgrade — it’s a business transformation. Those who act now will define new advisory categories; those who delay will see their models replicated, automated, and undercut.
Standing still is no longer neutral — it’s retreat.
WHERE SHOULD FIRMS START?
Q: What are the first steps toward agentic consulting?
A: Audit your IP for agentic potential, map competitors experimenting with autonomous delivery, and engage specialist partners to prototype securely.
07 | Conclusion: Own the Future of Consulting
The agentic era has already begun. Advisory firms that productise their intellectual property through bespoke AI platforms will not only survive the shift — they’ll lead it.
The decision is simple: Evolve Now or be Replicated Later.
START YOUR FIRM'S AGENTIC TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY
If your organisation is exploring what agentic AI could look like in practice, Gysho can help you shape the strategy, identify the right opportunities, and move from vision to real, operational value.