We align those processes and compare the individual functions and activities against the Gen AI technologies which are emerging. So you look at the fact that if you’re building a large language model, leveraging machine learning, leveraging neural networks, leveraging a chatbot or a digital assistant in some combination or strategic way, how does that impact both functions and activities? We’ve been doing this review for more than 6 months. We’ve identified hundreds of use cases. So it’s allowed us to: one, evaluate functions and activities for the level of Gen AI if we wanted to call impact. We then compare that opportunity for a client against the client’s actual cost, time, service levels that they’re achieving. It allows us again to use that measurement capability that exists in Quantum Leap to not only tell the client which activities we believe will drive the highest value, we can compare that value to the numbers that they’re currently incurring, so that it results in a benefit case.
We can do that. We can then also use our growing use case repository to prioritize these opportunities for clients, again, at a functional — bifunctional group throughout the enterprise and then — help the client then establish priorities. A client can decide that it wants to simply walk what we would be calling workforce productivity or an incremental impact. It could — client could be more aggressive and look at something more transformative or the client can be highly ambitious and do something that would be very breakthrough. But as everyone is finding out, the investments required to actually achieve some of the breakthrough performance requires data harmonization that will support these large language models in order for them to have the intended impact.
So we see the clients deciding how they want to start. But at the same time, clients that are very serious about this are really looking at their data standards and harmonization of data efforts that will allow them to position the most breakthrough innovation that Gen AI will offer. So what I like the most about it since we’ve been in front of clients and now over the last week in front of — in proposal scenarios with other providers is that we see the story really being framed from a technology perspective. And we believe that most of the clients are looking for somebody to bring a business perspective, how to prioritize, what’s the impact, what’s the organizational impact, all of the things that we do very strongly. So for us, it’s been a rapid, if you wanted, move to take all of our IP, benchmarking assets, Quantum Leap and DTP as well as the research that people can now avail themselves through Hackett Connect and make sure that they’re being enveloped by this new JI innovation and activity that the clients must consider.
We think it is a significant effort. It will be a significant effort for us throughout the year. But boy, I think we are pretty happy that we launched Explorer before the end of the year and the activity that we’ve seen since the beginning of the year has been very promising.
George Sutton: Thank you. That’s very helpful detail. So I wondered on the market intelligence side, how much has that — and there wasn’t a lot of discussion on market intelligence on this call or at least the prepared comments. I’m curious how much impact this Gartner issue has caused from that perspective, if any. Could you just walk through that for us?
Ted Fernandez: None. The Gartner issue, as you referred to it, was a, I would call it, more recruiting related where individuals that we hired, a very important one, the head of sales individual had a non-compete agreement, which was enforced in Connecticut. So we took them out of any direct sales related activity that would compete with Gartner, and he will be precluded from returning to his Head of Global Executive Advisory Sales until November 6, which is when that — his 1-year period ends. We were very fortunate. We were hiring a second leader to support some of our other renewals and customer service issues, very talented individual, which replaced this individual 2 weeks after we got that notice from the court that they believe that the — their position was enforceable.
We made that transition. We think we’ve addressed that about as smoothly as we can. And as I said in my prepared comments, it may have disrupted or impacted, right, to ask a leader not be here at the end of the year, lead the team. But I referred to the interim head as a little bit of a Brock Purdy. No flash, just great execution, and we are delighted to have him on board. Therefore, we are looking forward to the investments we make in ’23 to impact ’24, but it had no impact on our development of market intelligence reports and how we intend to use them to support our executive advisory programs and now becomes a critical part of AI Explorer because a lot of the AI Explorer questions are not only what’s my opportunity, how do I prioritize? But they also want a perspective of which vendors do what well and therefore, who they should consider.
And I believe that they will rely on us, on that market intelligence element of our business to support Gen AI initiatives.
George Sutton: Got you. So he can’t come back until November 6. Just make sure he gets out and votes the next day on November 7. Thanks, guys.
Ted Fernandez: He will be — he’s ready to go. Don’t worry, we will keep him busy in things that do not conflict with this agreement.
Operator: Thank you. [Operator Instructions] Our next caller is Jeff Martin with ROTH MKM. You may go ahead sir.
Jeff Martin: Thanks. Good afternoon, guys. Ted, I wondered if you could elaborate on what you see as a growth acceleration in 2024. Maybe first touch on the sources of that. Is it giving more seasoned sales people, not having them become more seasoned and therefore conversion rates go up? Is it new offering, is this a combination? In detail that would be helpful.
