• Deloitte

    Case studies / Professional services

    Award-winning case studies

    Deloitte is one of the UK’s largest professional services firms. I’ve written a number of case studies for the firm’s Consultancy practice which have won awards in the Management Consultancies Association’s Management Awards.

    My task has been to convey the challenge clearly, demonstrate how Deloitte consultants have worked closely with the client to understand the problem, and describe how they have delivered tangible results. Deloitte trusts me to talk to senior consultants and high-level clients to get the inside details of stories as well as engaging, persuasive quotes.

    Craig Young of Deloitte’s Creative Studio commented:

    “Thanks for all your hard work in drawing up those case studies. Consulting is very happy with their quality, and I think you did an excellent job.”

  • How to write a case study

    Here are a few thoughts on the format of a good case study, and the process I usually follow.

    In order to appeal to different types of reader, it makes sense to present information so that people can get the gist of the case study by scanning the page. This means using a mix of text, pictures, graphics, statistics and pull-out quotes.

    The format

    For example, I recommend using:

    • An engaging summary that tells the story in a nutshell.
    • Information-rich subheadings that summarise key points.
    • A scattering of graphics / pictures to break up the page and convey the story visually.
    • Pull-out quotes from clients that say why they hired you, why they enjoyed working with you and the results you achieved.
    • Facts, figures and stats as graphics that stand out on the page.

    The process

    And here’s how I go about it:

    • You send me as much background material on each case study as possible, including any existing write-ups, the original brief, any interim or final reports and feedback from the client (e.g. quotable praise from emails).
    • I gather information from the lead consultant who worked on the project. This normally involves a phone call of around 30-45 minutes.
    • Where possible and practical, I would also have a 5-10 minute phone call with the client to find out why they hired you, what they enjoyed about working with you and, crucially, any objective measures of success they can share from the project.
    • I write a first draft of the case study, indicating any areas that I think should be highlighted using graphics, pull-out quotes or pictures.
    • You send me your comments and changes.
    • I create a second draft of the case study.
    • You send me your final amends, which should only be small tweaks at this stage, and I provide a final draft.

    If you like the sound of this approach and would like me to write a case study for you, please get in touch.