At Publicis Sapient, cross-functional consulting is more than a methodology—it’s the driving force behind real, measurable transformation for clients across industries. By blending business strategy, technology, and data expertise, our teams tackle complex challenges and deliver outcomes that matter. Here, we showcase how this approach comes to life in retail, financial services, and travel & hospitality, illustrating the power of collaboration, the integration of our SPEED capabilities, and the tangible business results achieved for our clients.
The retail landscape has been fundamentally reshaped by shifting consumer behaviors and the rapid acceleration of digital commerce. For one luxury pet food brand, the onset of the pandemic threatened over 60% of its business, which was previously reliant on physical stores. The challenge: pivot quickly to a direct-to-consumer (D2C) model to survive and thrive.
Our cross-functional team—comprising business strategists, data scientists, and engineers—mobilized to map out the D2C opportunity. Business consultants defined the new market approach, while technology experts rapidly built a secure, scalable e-commerce platform. Data specialists ensured that every customer interaction generated valuable first-party data, enabling personalized marketing and smarter inventory management.
Within just two weeks, the team launched a flagship online store, migrating over 100 SKUs and integrating payment and support systems. The results were immediate and dramatic: conversion rates tripled, and the client emerged from the crisis with a more resilient, future-ready business model. This case exemplifies how strategy, technology, and data—working in lockstep—can deliver rapid, high-impact transformation.
In financial services, the ability to harness data is a key differentiator. One leading airline’s loyalty program, for example, was collecting vast amounts of customer data but struggled to turn it into actionable insights. Our management consultants partnered with data and engineering teams to design a customer data platform that synthesized information from multiple sources, enabling hyper-personalized offers and experiences for millions of travelers.
Business consultants played a crucial role in translating technical concepts into executive-ready recommendations, ensuring that the value of data investments was clear to all stakeholders. Meanwhile, data experts implemented real-time analytics, creating a feedback loop that allowed the airline to test and refine new features rapidly. The outcome: a measurable increase in customer engagement and loyalty, demonstrating how cross-functional teams can drive both innovation and business results.
For travel and hospitality clients, digital transformation is about reimagining the entire customer journey. Our teams bring together experience strategists, product managers, and engineers to deliver seamless, end-to-end solutions. A typical engagement might begin with a design thinking workshop, where consultants facilitate sessions to uncover pain points and opportunities across the traveler’s journey.
Experience strategists lead with empathy, gathering insights from both customers and employees. Product managers translate these insights into a roadmap, while engineers and data scientists prototype and test new digital features—often in real time. What sets Publicis Sapient apart is our commitment to seeing these solutions through to implementation. We don’t just hand over a PowerPoint; we build, launch, and iterate alongside our clients, ensuring that strategies are not only visionary but also executable and tailored to each client’s unique context.
Our SPEED capabilities—Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, and Data—are the foundation of our cross-functional approach. Unlike traditional consultancies that may stop at strategy, we deliver end-to-end transformation, from vision to execution. Our teams work in parallel tracks, interacting daily to ensure that every stream—strategy, customer experience, data & AI, and technology—is optimally informed and closely coordinated. This agile, collaborative approach accelerates transformation and maximizes impact.
At the heart of every successful transformation is a culture of learning and support. Our consultants are encouraged to become “mini experts” in new sectors, immersing themselves in client challenges and collaborating with colleagues from diverse backgrounds. Mentorship, open communication, and a commitment to growth ensure that every client engagement benefits from the full breadth of Publicis Sapient’s expertise.
In today’s fast-moving world, no single discipline holds all the answers. The most successful transformations happen when business, technology, and data experts work as one—challenging assumptions, testing ideas, and delivering solutions that are both innovative and practical. At Publicis Sapient, cross-functional consulting is a mindset that enables our clients to not just adapt to change, but lead it.
If you’re seeking real, end-to-end impact—or are a future consultant eager to make a difference—this is what cross-functional consulting in action looks like: dynamic, collaborative, and always focused on delivering results that matter.