Is Generative AI Driving Consultants Up or Out?

In today’s fast-paced world, technology is transforming industries at a rapid pace. With the emergence of generative AI and prompt engineering, consultants are presented with a powerful tool to drive efficiency, improve customer engagement, and stay competitive in a crowded market.

As a data analytics project manager in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry, I’ve witnessed firsthand how this sector has evolved. Consumer preferences increasingly push for more convenience, speed, and personalization.

My primary focus is to foster meaningful interactions—between the Evalueserve team and our client stakeholders, and between our QSR client and their end consumers. Gen AI prompt engineering has made a significant impact on both fronts.

Here are some of the ways we’ve harnessed gen AI to diagnose problems, design solutions, and deliver outcomes.

1.  Personalize Client Interactions: At the start of each client engagement, understanding the preferences and goals of key stakeholders lays the groundwork for building a successful partnership. Gen AI helps us dive deeper into the mindset of each business stakeholder. We’ve used it to map personas, analyze internal communications, and contextualize client needs within the broader industry and competitive landscape. With this information, we ca This personalized approach elevates the client experience and fosters lasting partnerships built on trust.
2. Enhance Team Decision-Making: Gen AI tools empower the entire team to make smarter, data-driven decisions. As the engagement manager, I use gen AI to weigh in on decisions around resource allocation and prioritization. Each individual contributor also benefits from the ability to make more informed decisions, enabling us to operate more efficiently across the board and ultimately drive business growth.
3. Drive a Competitive Edge for Clients: Ultimately, incorporating the latest AI techniques into our data analytics services helps us consistently deliver better solutions for our clients. In the QSR industry, we’ve advised clients to leverage gen AI in several ways, for example:
   • Optimize Operational Efficiencies: Streamline inventory management, reduce waste, and improve supply chain logistics, leading to cost savings and operational efficiencies.
   • Differentiate & Adapt to Market Trends: Stay ahead of competitors by continuously analyzing and adapting to market trends. Leverage all available tools to avoid being caught off-guard, especially in fast-paced industries like QSR.
   • Drive Targeted Marketing Campaigns: By analyzing customer data and behavioral patterns, create highly targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with key audiences, driving foot traffic and increasing sales.

Working in data analytics, my team has quickly embraced gen AI, finding the opportunity to experiment and adopt it both exciting and professionally fulfilling. The downside has been the difficulty in quantifying its true impact. Personalizing client interactions, making data-driven decisions, and delivering solutions that drive client competitive advantage are all objectives my team strives to achieve—with or without gen AI.

What’s clear is that AI isn’t replacing the need for consultants and partners. Instead, gen AI is expanding the possibilities for consultants and clients alike, enabling us to address previously untenable challenges. It’s part of a broader wave of digital transformation that companies must adapt to—or risk falling behind. By leveraging the latest data and AI technologies, we help clients unlock new opportunities, transform their operations, and deliver exceptional consumer experiences in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Gen AI is driving my team upwards and onwards. In my experience, it’s strengthening relationships with clients who view us as a strategic partner and seek to innovate together.