The Professional Services Pursuit

AI adoption is accelerating across professional services — but for many firms, the promised gains in growth, margins, and predictability have yet to materialize. In this episode of Pursuit Power Half Hour, Brent sits down with Dave Valliere, Founder and CEO of Form & Function Consulting, to explore what separates firms simply experimenting with AI from those positioned to turn it into a true competitive advantage.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why AI productivity gains aren’t translating into business performanceWhat separates “AI-enabled” from “AI-ready” firmsHow AI can capture and scale your firm’s most valuable expertiseWhere services leaders should focus over the next 90 daysHow to measure AI by outcomes that actually matterTo learn more about Form & Function Consulting visit: https://www.form-function.co/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Professional Services Pursuit, Kantata presents a special TSIA session exploring what outcome-based pricing really means and why most professional services firms misunderstand it. Peter Fitzpatrick, VP of Value Engineering at Kantata, and Bo DiMuccio, Distinguished VP of Professional Services Research at TSIA, explain the difference between outcome-aligned and fully contingent pricing, why hybrid base-fee and performance models are gaining traction, and what firms must change operationally before putting revenue at risk.Why outcome-aligned pricing is different from true outcome-based pricingWhy hybrid pricing models are emerging as the most practical option for professional services firmsHow attribution, telemetry, cash flow, and client readiness can determine whether a model succeedsWhy firms should standardize and productize delivery before pricing measurable outcomesReal-world examples, and a clear roadmap for navigating the transition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professional services leaders are constantly balancing growth, delivery, and profitability, but what if the biggest opportunities are hiding in plain sight?In this episode, Charles Gustine, Director of Customer and Market Insights at Kantata, and Connor Budden, Global Director at Service Performance Insight (SPI), explore how benchmarking helps firms uncover hidden inefficiencies, strengthen leadership, and transform performance across every area of the business.Recorded live at Kantata Converge, this conversation draws on decades of SPI’s benchmarking insights and unveils SPI Insight, a breakthrough integration that brings real-time benchmarking directly into the Kantata platform.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why benchmarking matters — and how top-performing services firms use data to turn blind spots into breakthroughs.The five pillars of performance maturity — leadership, client relationships, talent, service execution, and operations.Real-world stories of firms uncovering costly inefficiencies and driving measurable improvements.How AI is reshaping benchmarking — delivering faster, smarter, and more contextual decision-making.A first look at SPI Insight — the new embedded benchmarking capability within Kantata that turns data into real-time guidance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Resource forecasting has never been trickier. With shifting client expectations, unpredictable markets, and outdated tools, even the most sophisticated services organizations struggle to see what’s coming next. In this episode, Brent sits down with Greg Hensley of the Resource Management Institute and RTM Consulting to unpack why traditional forecasting falls short, and how data, process, and AI can help you plan with confidence instead of instinct.Tune in to learn:Why resource forecasting is under the spotlight—and how internal process gaps fuel complexityThe “Just-in-Time Resourcing” model and key takeaways from RMI’s playbookCreating data alignment between demand and supply through roles, skills, and interlock processesHow AI and technology turn clean data into predictive, proactive insightsPractical examples of using visibility and automation to boost agility and profitability Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this final installment of our Kennedy Intelligence Series, host Brent is joined once again by Alex Klein and Ramone Param to unpack the “unsexy” but mission-critical side of growth: your back office. From pricing and cash flow to governance and quality control, they reveal how operational discipline determines whether a services firm can scale past $30M, or stalls out. Drawing on decades of consulting, M&A, and scaling experience, Alex and Ramone share insider lessons on turning overlooked back office processes into engines of growth and valuation. Discover how discipline and structure, not just sales, create resilience and long-term success.In this episode, you’ll hear about:Why quality control is the foundation for consistency, culture, and client trustThe operational red flags that signal it’s time to professionalize your back officeWhen and why to bring in a CFO, COO, or board governance to sustain growthWhy cash conversion is a common Achilles heel for PS firms, and and how fixing it drives profitability and valuationThe danger of “we’ll fix operations later” thinking, and why discipline from day one pays offOur listeners receive exclusive preferred rates on Kennedy's market research, strategic advisory, performance improvement benchmarking and M&A services that are tailored to leaders of professional services firms. Just reference Kantata and you will receive preferred pricing on any of their assets or services. Go to https://www.kennedyintel.com/ to learn more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the fourth installment of our series with Kennedy Intelligence, Brent is joined again by Alex Klein and Tom Rodenhauser to explore one of the most persistent myths in the professional services industry: the belief that hiring a few “star” performers will unlock growth. Together, they unpack why overreliance on rainmakers can be a dangerous blind spot, the cultural risks of high-profile hires, and the critical importance of building scalable systems and developing talent from within. Key topics covered in this episode:How overreliance on rainmakers limits growth and adds riskUsing clear value propositions, processes, and coaching to scale beyond star talentWhy big-firm hires often fail without cultural alignmentBuilding principal-level talent to free partners for business developmentSuccess stories of promoting leaders from within over external hiresOur listeners receive exclusive preferred rates on Kennedy's market research, strategic advisory, performance improvement benchmarking and M&A services that are tailored to leaders of professional services firms. Just reference Kantata and you will receive preferred pricing on any of their assets or services. Go to https://www.kennedyintel.com/ to learn more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.