An honest comparison: when big consulting firms make sense, and when a boutique specialist is the better choice.
"If I'm investing in AI training and advisory, shouldn't I go with McKinsey, Deloitte, or Accenture? They're the safe choice."
It's a fair question. Big consulting firms have impressive brands, extensive resources, and decades of experience. They're the "nobody ever got fired for hiring McKinsey" option.
But here's what most buyers discover too late: the partner who sold you isn't the person who shows up. You get a team of talented-but-junior consultants, rotating staff, and frameworks that feel generic because they are.
That's not always wrong. Sometimes it's exactly what you need. But sometimes it's not.
We believe in honest positioning. Here's when McKinsey, Deloitte, or Accenture is probably the right call:
If your board expects "serious AI investment" to come with a blue-chip consulting brand attached, that's a real constraint. Sometimes the brand itself is part of what you're buying.
Training 10,000+ employees across 50 countries simultaneously? You need an army of consultants and global infrastructure. That's what big firms are built for.
If you need strategy, implementation, change management, IT integration, and ongoing support bundled into one $5M+ engagement, big firms can deliver that.
6-12 month engagements with $500K+ budgets and no urgency? Big firms will be thorough. Very thorough. Impressively thorough.
Here's when a boutique specialist delivers better outcomes than a global brand:
With Pertama, the person who sells is the person who delivers. 10+ years of executive training experience in the room—not a partner who hands off to junior staff after the kickoff.
100% of our participants report skills that are "immediately actionable." We teach tools and techniques, not frameworks that need another 6 months to implement.
Global templates don't always translate. We understand ASEAN business culture, regional dynamics, and the specific challenges of Singapore, Malaysia, and surrounding markets.
We can be in the room in weeks, not months. Programs are customized quickly. No procurement bureaucracy, no rotating staff, no 100-page proposals before we can start.
Quality AI training shouldn't require a six-figure minimum. Our engagements deliver enterprise-grade results at a fraction of big-firm pricing—with better satisfaction scores.
We'll tell you what you actually need—not what generates the largest engagement. Sometimes that means recommending less than you asked for.
The expert who sells is the expert who delivers. No bait and switch. No junior consultants learning on your dime.
96 NPS. 100% satisfaction. Skills participants can apply immediately—not frameworks that need another project to implement.
Built for Southeast Asian business context. We understand local markets, cultural dynamics, and the realities of operating in ASEAN.
Net Promoter Score
Found skills actionable
Executives trained
Based on verified client feedback from 88 participants across technology, financial services, and private equity sectors.
Not sure if we're the right fit? Let's have an honest conversation about what you need—even if the answer is "go with McKinsey."
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