AI Implementation Comparison
Boutique AI Consultancy vs Enterprise Consultancies
When should you work with a specialized AI boutique versus a Big 4 or global consultancy? This guide covers the key differences.
Quick Answer
Choose a boutique AI consultancy if you need hands-on implementation, faster delivery, and direct access to senior practitioners. Choose an enterprise consultancy if you need global scale, cross-functional transformation programs, or board-level credibility for stakeholder buy-in.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | Boutique AI Specialist | Enterprise Consultancy |
|---|---|---|
| Project size | €15K - €150K typical | €200K - €2M+ typical |
| Timeline | 2-12 weeks to production | 3-12 months to production |
| Team seniority | Senior practitioners throughout | Partner sells, juniors deliver |
| Focus | Implementation & delivery | Strategy & transformation |
| Flexibility | High - adapts quickly | Lower - structured methodology |
| Deliverable | Working systems | Strategy + recommendations |
| Best for | Mid-market, specific projects | Enterprise transformation |
When to Choose a Boutique AI Consultancy
Boutiques typically deliver working AI systems. Enterprise consultancies often deliver strategy recommendations that require separate implementation.
Enterprise consultancies have minimum engagement sizes and overhead structures that make smaller projects economically unviable for them.
At boutiques, the people you meet are the people who deliver. At large firms, partners sell and junior consultants execute.
Boutiques can often deliver in weeks what enterprise firms take months to complete, due to lighter processes and focused teams.
When to Choose an Enterprise Consultancy
If AI is part of a broader change program affecting multiple departments, enterprise firms have the scale and change management expertise.
Sometimes the McKinsey or Deloitte name is necessary for stakeholder buy-in, regardless of delivery quality.
Multi-country rollouts with local compliance requirements benefit from enterprise firms' global presence.
The Bottom Line
Most mid-market companies get better results from boutique AI specialists. You get senior talent, faster delivery, and working systems instead of recommendations. Enterprise consultancies make sense for large-scale transformation programs where their brand, scale, and methodology add value beyond the AI implementation itself.