Not much more I'm afraid, given cost pressures, uncertain and sinusoidal market sentiment, gyrating capital flows and the belated but insightful realisation that project management, change management, IT strategy, IT architecture, IT sourcing, process mapping, process optimisation charlatans are NOT really worth much value to client, particularly clients with a modicum of business consciousness and economic literacy. But I dare say the ACN fraternity would have an opposing view.I am in no way trying to assess the limits of the new forum moderation policy.

sinusoidal - check gyrating - check hybrid list of ITIL/Prince 2 functions/disciplines - check hey ho, it's ZB - the real ZB. ZB, as much as you despise IT consulting for encroaching on your patch, it does add value. No amount of thesaurus trawling, and repetition of lazy insults will ever obfuscate the fact that clients: a) often rely on IT systems to underpin transformational business change and b) in so doing, rely upon a defined a mature framework to deploy and manage - cost effectively - said systems. Your chief complaint is that these "charlatans" have misappropriated the word "consultant", thereby devaluing your work. Well, if your value-add in so tenuous, tepid, opaque and flaccid maybe you and your merry band should recognise the time is nigh for an extended bout of navel gazing!

Bravo Anthony, but I do wonder who ZB's "merry band" is exactly. Remove the term "IT" from his/her diatribes and you are left with an attack on the very strategy and management consultancy that he/she purports to represent.I have yet to come across a strategy firm or successful individual consultant who does not see IT (technology, information, and all that goes with it), as an fundamental part of doing business in the 21st century.On first appearances, one might assume that ZB is simply a luddite. However, that does not sit with the evidence that he/she spends so much time on the internet and this forum in particular.To all appearances, ZB meets the definition of a "troll". This is supported by the reasoning above, which suggests that ZB is alone in his/her views but attempting to project confidence (the "bullfrog" effect). Further characteristics of "trolls" are deep loneliness/social isolation, low confidence and achievement, frustration and various disorders of the ego (in common parlance "sexual confusion" and "self-hatred"). See Gassiot et al. (2002, 2003, etc.) for more complete literature review.It's rather a mundane case study unless one is particularly interested in the nuances of these things, so I defer further discussion to the BPS member forum where there is at least one thread on this topic (the psychology of trolls, not the place of IT in consulting).

Hi ZB - I would be interested in your assessment of which of the following activities has created the most value for shareholders/ generated the biggest waste of professional fees, over the last ten years?a) Business transformation projects and IT projects, ORb) Mergers, IPO’s and strategy relaunches.During the internet bubble I personally made a small mint selling and delivering the IT components of web-based business for blue chips. I later calculated that an amazing 78% of all the money spent by my clients was on projects that were cancelled or businesses sold at a loss. As the IT spend was usually 80% or more of the total project cost, my firm clearly wasted more money then the strategy consultants who preceded us. On the other hand, the wasted IT spend was not because the technology didn’t work (we did a proper job), but because the strategy or business valuations were flawed - th eprojects should never have been started.I often sit on the terrace of the holiday home I bought with the proceeds and ponder over a decent glass of champagne - who should take the fall for this disgusting waste?

LOL....ZB is back....We missed you buddy...i really get a kick out of your posts.

JJ, a kick ? That's sad.

What does ZB actually do?He has a lot of time on his hands. I can only assume his job is pretty boring and he doesn't work many hours (maybe even a 9-5?) as he posts on this board incessantly.I also suspect that he is spretty unhappy with his job (shelf stacking perhaps?) as he constantly likes to berate others on the basis of their jobs....Further more, he almost certainly has esteem issues as he is constantly looking for reassurance and confirmation on this forum.

There's nothing wrong with working 9-5! :-)In fact, the best consultants I have ever worked with have been those who downright refuse to routinely work into the evenings. Once every now and then, maybe, but not as a matter of routine.

…and what’s wrong with shelf stacking? Not financially motivating, but very therapeutic and strangely enjoyable. Loved getting all those labels facing the same way.

How very anal... and why does that not surprise me?