Digitalization of consultancy services – Conchi Sancar

In 2008, you decided to implement teleworking for your own consultancy, something unusual at the time. Was it difficult?

Yes, it was. Not so much technically, but culturally. At that time, the idea of working outside the office generated mistrust. But I was clear that I could work perfectly well without having to physically go to an office. I implemented tools that are common today, such as cloud storage and digital communication, when they still sounded like science fiction to many firms. I did it because I didn’t want to waste hours of work going to a meeting when it was snowing. It may sound funny, but in Andorra, in winter, it snows a lot and travelling made me lose time that I preferred to spend on other things. I wanted a flexible, efficient consultancy that provided the same quality of service.

Moving to Andorra at a time when there were no tax or accounting laws helped you understand what advising really means. What did you see that was wrong with the sector and why did you decide to set up your own firm?

It’s the best thing that ever happened to me in my professional life. It’s the only way I can appreciate this profession the way I do today. Advising is not about filling out forms or calculating taxes, but rather accompanying the client in the day-to-day running of their business.

And that is what business advisory services did in Andorra in 2003: supporting clients and using data for business growth purposes. Under no circumstances could I bring myself to focus solely on calculating amounts for tax collection purposes or preparing payrolls and employment contracts out of obligation.

You use what you call the ‘OCC System’. What does it consist of?

The OCC System summarises my way of working: organisation, communication and control. It is based on how I organised my office and prepared it for the future back in 2008. It consists of having the office fully digitalised in the cloud and requiring no physical intervention to function. Today, it is easier with digital tools that allow us to have everything in the cloud, talk to colleagues from different locations and have a task calendar so that we don’t miss anything.

It took me a few years for the market to prove me right. In 2020, my colleagues and clients wanted the same system as me. My theory is that you don’t need a pandemic or an obligation to do things more efficiently and safely.

What is your value proposition when approaching traditional consulting firms that do not understand the potential of digitalization?

The first thing I do is ask them not to obsess and to assess what will really provide them with the most profitability or time savings. Often, a couple of tools are enough. In the office, the most important thing is the system, because the tools all do more or less the same thing.

Depending on each consultancy, we continue to create a service that does not focus on administrative tasks, and once they have defined their value proposition, we use digital tools to reach more clients and provide services, sometimes online. This is something that not many consultants do yet, and I believe it is absolutely necessary.

In your years of experience, you have surely seen many consultants make mistakes when trying to digitalize their business without a planned strategy. What are the most common mistakes?

The main mistake is to say ‘I don’t have time,’ because, curiously, they don’t have time to provide a profitable service, but they do find the time to close taxes at such a low price that it’s normal to feel frustrated as a professional.

On the other hand, many consultancies buy software believing that it will solve their problems, then add tools, and some even take ChatGPT courses. And that’s without having the slightest digital base.

Starting the house from the roof is common, but in this sector, they are trying to advance 20 or more years of technological progress in which everyone has been ‘asleep’ performing very manual tasks and ignoring the digital evolution that was right in front of us.

You have a consulting club for professionals who want to make their lives easier and improve their income. What is the added value of this group?

It is a space to catch up. Everyone at their own pace, but also with the support of colleagues. The group operates as a repository for content and queries. Each month I share strategic content that is simple to implement. This way, the advisors who are members see results with an investment of just an hour or two per month.

There is a web platform, but also an app. The idea is to stay in touch, hold online and face-to-face meetings, but above all, to stay up to date without stress or pressure.

In your years of experience, you have witnessed the rise of artificial intelligence. How has it changed the way you advise clients?

I love AI and use it myself and with clients. In terms of the sector, I think it should be used for tasks and actions that anyone can do, so that we can devote more valuable personal time to clients. That is the strength of advisors: the human touch. So my motto is: use AI for your routine tasks so that you can give your clients more personal attention.