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Bonsai Software
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Our approach8 May 20265 min read

Operating partner vs. consultancy firm: what is the difference?

A consultancy firm delivers a report and leaves. We stand beside you in your operations until the software runs, and that software is yours afterwards. That difference shapes everything about how we work. And sometimes it is simply not what you need.

By Yeslin Beljaars

Operating partner vs. consultancy firm: what is the difference?

A report fixes nothing

The classic pattern: a firm maps your process, writes up some advice and throws it over the wall. The analysis is often right, yet nothing changes, because building was never part of the deal. We start on the shop floor and stop only once working software is running in production. The people who understand the business are the same ones who build it, with no handover in between.

The risk sits with us

We work in milestones with a go or no-go at every step. The content is fixed before the price: in the statement of work we set out what we are building and why, and you sign that off before any quote exists. If a phase does not pass, we do not carry on. The risk sits where it belongs: with us.

In the end you own it yourself

Code, data and system transfer to the customer on delivery. No licence on your own software, no lock-in, an exit strategy from day one. An operating partner then keeps things running with monitoring, support and further development, but you are never tied in.

When you do not need us

If all you need is a second opinion or a one-off analysis, with nothing to be built, a firm is cheaper and quicker. We add value when software genuinely has to be made that fits your processes and that you want to own yourself. Being honest about that is part of the story.

The people who understand the business case are the same ones who build the software.

Bonsai

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