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.