Slalom Consultant , Slalom Consulting1

Management and technology consultant
Seattle - WA United States

The big idea: In 25 words or less, please tell us how this Fast 50 Nominee is helping to address the planet's problems.

Slalom Consultants are transforming traditional consulting models with an innovative formula that combines seasoned experts, the firm’s locally-based approach, its 50-50 model and technology solutions.

Please describe how this nominee is using business as a force of positive change. What technology, idea, or strategy is the nominee using -- and what problem, such as global warming, poverty, or pollution, does it address? (suggested length: 100 words)

To overcome common obstacles in the industry, Slalom Consultants have innovated a business model unlike that of any other firm in the consulting industry. Acting on lessons learned from background at the Big-4 firms and large enterprises, the company’s team of seasoned experts set out to transform the consultant-client experience through a business formula that includes the following elements.

Local Based Consulting: The consulting industry is plagued with problems that impact both the consultants and the clients. By eliminating excessive cross-country commuting that can lead to exhausted teams, and travel expenses of up to 30 percent of an entire project’s budget, Slalom Consultants provide the flexibility and specialized treatment that clients need to be successful. These consultants are part of locally-based teams of specialists in advanced technology areas, serving as the backbone for the company’s innovative solution for the industry.

50/50 Model: This model provides clients with important options in determining a project’s structure. With the 50-50 model, clients can choose to work with Slalom in a traditional project structure, where a full team (Projects) is dedicated to the outlined work; alternately, clients can opt to bring in one or two specialized experts (People) from Slalom to provide strategic guidance on an internal initiative.


Corporate Culture: Slalom’s corporate culture—which is enabled by the local-based consulting model—is one of the company’s most unique attributes. The company places a great deal of value on time for family and life outside of work. Slalom Consultants are encouraged to pursue passions outside of work and enjoy flexibility and time-off to allow them time for outside interests; paid sabbaticals are also offered. Naturally, this creates more satisfied consultants, which further contributes to the greater value for clients. To ensure that the corporate culture is upheld in each market, Slalom Consultants (not management) are responsible for organizing the quarterly and annual team meetings, to ensure that they are meaningful and everyone is on the same page and working toward collective goals.

Relevant Technology Solutions: The company’s excellence in client service far exceeds that of any competing firm. Below are a few examples of cutting edge projects that delivered immediate value for Slalom’s clients:

• Slalom takes on some of the most challenging projects in the industry. In response to a major aerospace client’s need for federal-contract-mandated encryption technologies, Slalom was able to develop the client’s approach, and “certify” its compliance with the mandate. Slalom now supplies these services to many other companies in the aerospace industry.

• Slalom built a highly-secure, highly-available Web site to assist a client with responses to local, state and federal agencies information requests regarding potential criminal activities. This custom solution allowed secure transmission and receipt of very large encrypted files over the client’s Web sites. Completed in less than four months, the solution decreased the response time for critical information from weeks to days.

• For a large enterprise client, Slalom built a customer satisfaction scorecard that pulls data from 20 systems into a single location, providing the client a complete view of all key drivers for customers satisfaction. Prior to Slalom’s solution, the client had to wait two weeks for business data to update—now data is updated nightly, allowing the client to create an excellent end-user experience for its consumers.

• In response to a client request for assistance in improving its partner management site, Slalom developed an entirely new platform. The new system resulted in significant improvement in incident response times—decreasing from days to hours.

What are the results, both financial and social? How has the nominee's business performed, and what impact has it had on the problem it addresses? (suggested length: 100 words)

Slalom’s “secret sauce” is the combination of all the elements outlined above. This formula is the driving force leading to meaningful business results, and is what makes the company unlike any other in the industry. By maintaining its formula at all times, success—in the form of revenue, profits, growth and brand reputation—has organically followed. Slalom’s innovation has evolved into a nationally reaching business with hundreds of consultants, and relationships with some of the most recognized and respected enterprises in the U.S.; and a practice that allows the most talented professionals in the industry to achieve a true work-life balance unlike that offered at any other firm.

Results driven by the company’s winning formula:
• High revenue growth: $60M for 2006; and $100M for 2007
• Client satisfaction on all fronts; “Tier 1” clients including Microsoft, Allstate, Boeing, AT&T, Expedia, Motorola, GAP, Starbucks and Western Union
• Attracting top-flight consultants: exceeded 50 consultants in each of the newest markets for 2007
• Reduced costs/time clients pay for by eliminating unnecessary travel structure of traditional firms
• Recognition by Consulting Magazine as one of the Top 10 firms to work for, surpassing some of the industry’s giants

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