When will the digital revolution get going in France?

By Alison Huntington.

When you look at the conditions endured by French peasants in the late eighteenth century, it’s surprising the revolution didn’t happen sooner than 1789—the French elite had it coming for a long time.

It mirrors the situation consultants in France find themselves in with respect to digital, just without the angry peasants, the riots, the beheading, and general goriness. So not at all really. Except that, like the late eighteenth century, the conditions are all set for a revolution—but it just hasn’t come about yet.

There’s a lot of talk about digital in France, but to date, little action. Despite this, there’s a definite sense of urgency that something needs to be done. Clients have seen decades-old business models turned on their heads by plucky digital disruptors, and know they could be next for the guillotine (sorry).

French clients also have a better-than-usual idea of what it is they want from digital, perhaps because they’ve spent so much time talking about it. There’s the usual stuff about future-proofing businesses so they’ll still exist in ten years’ time, and the desire for a flashier, smoother customer experience that we see in most markets. What’s different in France is that clients have leaped much more quickly to thinking about digital on the inside, too. It’s perhaps unsurprising that French clients have got there quicker, given the situation they’re in. With low economic growth set to be the norm for at least the next few years, efficient back office operations are a must, and with restrictive labour laws, investing in technology is a more attractive way of raising productivity and output than by simply adding more people. If you can kill two (or more) birds with one digital stone, why wouldn’t you?

So clients know what they want and want to get going; they just haven’t actually done so yet. There just hasn’t been that pivotal moment that tips murmurs and discontent with the old order into all out revolution. What finally triggers change will be different for all clients, but there are many reasons to believe that 2016 will be the year it finally does. Economic growth in France is stabilising (albeit at a low level), consumer spending is up, and many clients are cautiously optimistic. And there’s a growing sense that if they don’t act soon, clients will get left behind.

Until that happens, it’s still pretty good news for consulting firms. Even without much talk translating into action, we estimate that digital transformation accounted for about 21% (€879m) of all the consulting done in France in 2015, and will only keep on growing. In the meantime, consulting firms in France are preparing themselves by snapping up talent and honing digital skills for the day the revolution dawns; it’s surely coming soon.