The healthcare payer business intelligence consulting market is highly competitive. Here are four leaders in the field, according to the IDC Marketspace: U.S. Healthcare Payer Business Intelligence Consulting Services 2015 Vendor Assessment report.
Accenture
Strengths
• Accenture serves eight of the top 10 payers. The company has strong branding, aggressive strategies and an effective internal partnership structure, according to the report.
Challenges
• Some payers criticize Accenture for too much specialization and lack of flexibility.
Cognizant
Strengths
• Cognizant has offices in 32 countries. Revenue for fiscal year 2014 increased 16 percent. The company is recognized for its ability to develop long-term partnerships and for its high staff retention.
Challenges
• The company is challenged to hire the right specialists for the right areas, according to the report. But, the company is heavily investing in strategy for this area.
Deloitte
Strengths
• Deloitte is one of the world's largest consulting firms. The company has expertise in all payer operations and payer-focused business intelligence technology, according to the report.
Challenges
• The company has been criticized for its day-to-day engagement with clients. For example, a payer expected more interaction with a senior partner, rather than junior team members.
PwC
Strengths
• PwC offers its clients data assets from more than 300 vendors and strong software development organization, according to the report.
Challenges
• PwC focuses on a hybrid model of consulting and software and data offerings. The company will need to balance its investments in each half of this model.