Compare delivery models, not reputations

TRARDI Group or a large consulting firm: how to choose

Two legitimate forms of intervention, for two engagement economics. The right choice depends on programme scale, proximity to evidence and what your organisation wants to keep in-house.

At a glance

Eight criteria that separate the two models

A large firm is appropriate when a programme requires broad mobilisation and multi-entity governance. TRARDI Group is designed for a bounded decision that must stay close to the evidence and to the people who sign the conclusion.

Criterion	Large firm	TRARDI Group
Team structure	Pyramid: partner, managers, junior consultants	Compact team; the founder signs the conclusion
Engagement scale	Broad programme, often spanning entities or jurisdictions	System and decision explicitly bounded in the mandate
Pricing model	Terms vary with the framework agreement and delivery model	Terms agreed after scoping the boundaries and deliverables
Ownership of deliverables	Varies by contract	Contractual transfer of agreed deliverables, editable formats
Independence	Commercial relationships and assets used must be examined in the contract	Relationships and conflicts of interest declared in the mandate and conclusion
Technical depth	Varies by the team assigned	The practitioners who examine the system are named in the mandate
International delivery	Multi-country delivery may be available, depending on the firm	Focused engagement; external coordination made explicit in the mandate
Ideal context	Large-group transformation, regulated multi-country programme	First system in production, independent audit, dependency to measure

Team structure

Large firm: Pyramid: partner, managers, junior consultants
TRARDI Group: Compact team; the founder signs the conclusion

Engagement scale

Large firm: Broad programme, often spanning entities or jurisdictions
TRARDI Group: System and decision explicitly bounded in the mandate

Pricing model

Large firm: Terms vary with the framework agreement and delivery model
TRARDI Group: Terms agreed after scoping the boundaries and deliverables

Ownership of deliverables

Large firm: Varies by contract
TRARDI Group: Contractual transfer of agreed deliverables, editable formats

Independence

Large firm: Commercial relationships and assets used must be examined in the contract
TRARDI Group: Relationships and conflicts of interest declared in the mandate and conclusion

Technical depth

Large firm: Varies by the team assigned
TRARDI Group: The practitioners who examine the system are named in the mandate

International delivery

Large firm: Multi-country delivery may be available, depending on the firm
TRARDI Group: Focused engagement; external coordination made explicit in the mandate

Ideal context

Large firm: Large-group transformation, regulated multi-country programme
TRARDI Group: First system in production, independent audit, dependency to measure

Choose a large firm when

Coordination is itself the product

In those situations, mobilisation capacity and programme governance come first — and we will say so.

You are rolling out in twenty countries with local compliance teams.
Procurement requires a top-tier supplier on the framework agreement.
You are buying executive cover for a politically sensitive transformation.
You need to mobilise many teams across several entities over an extended programme.

Choose TRARDI Group when

The line between evidence and decision must stay short

When the decision concerns a specific system and the chain from examination to evidence to signatory must stay short.

You need an independent audit of a precisely bounded system and decision.
You require that the people who examine the system be the ones who sign.
You want contractual terms tied to explicit deliverables and closure criteria.
You must measure a supplier dependency before renewing a contract.

Three scenarios

What we would answer

A large group deploys an AI assistant in fifteen countries: large firm likely — local coordination becomes dominant. A mid-sized company puts its first document system into production on sensitive data: TRARDI likely — bounded scope, technical continuity. A group runs a broad transformation with a large firm and wants an independent examination of the critical system: joint arrangement, with a written split of responsibilities to avoid duplicate approvals and ownerless gaps.

First conversation

Still undecided?

Describe the programme and the system. We will indicate whether your case belongs with a large firm, with us, or both — and why.

Tell us about your situation