Best of LinkedIn: Strategy & Consulting CW 42/ 43

AI value concentrates where data quality, clear use cases, and accountable owners align

Enterprise architecture pivots to AI-driven, event-based designs that connect core processes

Leaders warn against tactical AI wins that ignore operating model and change management

Security-by-design for AI becomes non negotiable with model leakage and privacy risks rising

Analytics adoption links to measurable outcomes like cycle time, conversion, and unit economics

Culture and human factors are repositioned as execution levers, not soft accessories

Modern org design ties one accountable hire to one stack and clear P&L outcomes

Skills shift toward problem framing, data literacy, and cross functional collaboration at speed

Coaching and hiring guidance stresses signal over noise in AI augmented recruiting processes

High trust behaviors underpin transformation endurance through uncertainty and policy shifts

Manufacturers emphasize reinvestment in technology over blunt cost cutting to regain competitiveness

Tariff volatility triggers scenario planning, optionality in sourcing, and faster cost transparency

Digital twins and predictive analytics surface as tools for throughput, quality, and uptime stability

Procurement maturity expands from price focus to risk, resilience, and supplier development

Standard work and lean principles adapt to AI enabled decision support on the shop floor

ESG reframed toward materiality, compliance clarity, and measurable performance over slogans

Regulatory change requires proactive controls, audit readiness, and integrated reporting workflows

Risk functions evolve from back office oversight to strategy partners with forward indicators

Sustainability data platforms help unify metrics, traceability, and decision grade disclosures

Board level accountability tightens around cyber, AI ethics, and third party exposure

Go to market plays prioritize targeted value narratives over generic AI claims and vanity metrics

Revenue impact is tied to journey analytics, pricing discipline, and sales enablement precision

Product marketing shifts to proof points, with before and after metrics as the credibility anchor

Service models move toward insight led, subscription like relationships with outcome guarantees

Brand trust depends on transparent data use and clear consent across digital touchpoints

Performance improvement theses spotlight cost to serve, pricing power, and cash conversion

Data readiness and automation maturity emerge as core diligence dimensions for valuation

FP&A storytelling elevates dashboards that align executives on drivers, not static reports

Synergy capture playbooks stress process standardization and technology consolidation speed

Capital allocation favors modular platforms that reduce integration risk and technical debt

Delivery models increasingly combine consulting, platform partners, and client capability building

Alliances accelerate compliance, data integration, and domain specific analytics at lower risk

Joint offerings emphasize measurable outcomes with shared accountability and clear governance

Co innovation with clients focuses on reusable patterns, not bespoke one offs

Ecosystem curation becomes a differentiator where clients seek faster time to value

Practical tools highlighted support compliance workflows, risk analytics, and sustainability reporting

Data products prioritize connectors, lineage, and role based controls over feature sprawl

AI features are positioned as copilots embedded in processes, not standalone destinations

Launch messaging anchors on rapid time to first value and lightweight change requirements

Adoption guidance stresses pilots with clear metrics, then scaled deployment via playbooks