The subject of this study is the assessment of the potential for the digitization of advisory services in the consulting sector. The aim of this work is to show the current consulting process and the associated slow digitization in the consulting industry. This study aims to show where activities in a digitized/automated consulting process supported by AI-based tools can improve or even replace human interactions. The current state of digitization in management consultations was insignificant. Resources such as PowerPoint, Excel, Mail and Teams are currently the most commonly used tools for consultants, but "consulting" itself remains a manual or conventional activity. The question arises as to what causes this situation and what potential exists for a higher degree of digitization. Roboadvisors are already widely used in the virtualization of general consulting services such as asset management. However, there is a gap in consulting strategically relevant topics such as corporate management.

This study shows the potential of digitizing analogue processes in consultations. The work contains, among other things, the "hurdles" why the industry functions the way it still does. Furthermore, possible activities that can be digitized are shown. First, the complete digitization of consulting services is not yet possible from today's perspective. Qualitative expert interviews were conducted to this end. All experts possessed several years or even decades of experience in the consulting industry or research. They occupy diverse positions, ranging from innovation to the operational management of departments or organizations. This approach facilitates comprehensive and well-founded insights, despite the limited number of interviews. Content analysis of the interviews led to the development of the AS IS process. This process was supplemented and “digitalized” with the knowledge gained from the second half of the interviews. Subsequently, a follow-up survey in the form of a questionnaire was conducted with all experts, which demonstrated the compatibility of the process with the Swiss consulting industry and identified potential increases in efficiency and effectiveness.

The study revealed that the targeted digitalization of activities brings added value, particularly in collaboration with individuals. The results emphasize that, for example, administrative workloads can be significantly reduced, which can lead to a greater focus and enhancement in the quality of advice, to cite one effect. A key finding from this research is that the industry exhibits inertia-symptoms of digitalization.