Question 4 from the 5 Questions Every Firm Leader Should Be Asking This Spring
It’s easy to assume your firm’s services are still relevant, especially when the pipeline is full and deadlines are being met.
But here’s the real question:
Are your services evolving with the market - or quietly falling behind it?
Because client expectations are shifting. Fast. They’re looking for more than technical expertise. They want insight, simplicity, flexibility, and real help navigating their business.
Firms that used to win on responsiveness or relationships are now being evaluated on how easy they are to work with, how proactive they are, and whether their services are actually helping clients move forward.
What I See
Many firms are:
Still offering services that haven’t been re-evaluated in years
Experimenting with advisory… but haven’t defined what that actually means
Bundling “value” into compliance work without separating, pricing, or delivering it differently
Seeing client needs evolve but still using the same service playbook
And here’s the bigger issue: Even when a firm wants to evolve, it’s not always clear what they can deliver.
That’s where capability mapping becomes critical.
It’s not just about what you offer, it’s about whether your firm is actually equipped to deliver it.
What roles, systems, and processes exist today?
What would need to shift or be built to support something new?
And where do the gaps show up between client needs and internal capabilities?
For firms offering CAS, this is especially important. Many are still operating in a 1.0 model focused on transactions and cleanup, and while those services remain foundational, they’ve become increasingly commoditized and disconnected from what clients actually need to move forward.
Clients may start with basic support, but expectations are evolving and so is the profession. To deliver more value (and stay competitive), firms need to rethink how they deliver, staff, and structure these services. That’s where real advisory opportunity starts to emerge.
There’s no shortage of opportunity when it comes to advisory - from new strategic services to CAS 2.0 models and industry-specific offerings. But firms can’t do it all at once. The key is to evaluate what aligns with client needs, what your team is equipped to deliver, and what should come next, not just what’s trending.
And remember, there’s more than one way to evolve a service.
You can build capabilities internally, repackage what you already do, partner with others, outsource delivery, or even consider acquisition.
The right path depends on your strategy, client base, and what you’re truly built to support.
What About Productization?
As firms try to modernize their services, they also run into a business model issue.
Most are still built around hourly billing.
But recurring services, like new advisory or financial services, require a different approach.
They need to be scoped, structured, and priced based on value, not effort - and ideally built on a recurring revenue model that supports scale, consistency, and stronger client relationships.
That means rethinking:
What’s included
How it’s delivered
How it’s billed
And how clients understand what they’re buying
This shift doesn’t happen overnight. But recognizing it’s needed is often the first step.
Where to Start
You don't have to launch something new tomorrow.
Start by asking:
Which services feel outdated and why are we still offering them?
Which have untapped potential, but aren’t positioned for growth?
Where are we assuming value instead of actually showing it?
What are we truly equipped to deliver and what needs to evolve?
Growth often starts not by selling more, but by offering better.
Final Thought.....
The firms that stay relevant don't just add more services, they evolve what they offer, how they deliver it, and how they structure the firm around it.
If you're not sure what needs to change, this is the question to start asking.