The Big Four are again building up to become serious players in the consulting market and the big consulting firms are worried about the increasing competition, according to an Accountancy Age web poll.

The poll of Accountancy Age readers found that 68% disagreed with statements coming out of major consulting players like Capgemini and Accenture over the Big Four’s lack of expertise and ability to again compete with them for consulting work.

The Big Four have built up their consulting and advisory divisions over the past two years having divested their consulting arms at the turn of the century. But with non-competes running out the firms have aggressively recruited from consultants over the same period.

Nearly one-third (32%) agreed with the consultancy firms, with 19% of respondents saying that the Big Four lacked breadth of service and 13% said that the Big Four would have to implement products as well as advise in order to compete.

Accenture managing director, David Thomlinson, and Capgemini consulting CEO, Tom Blacksell, hit out against the Big Four in Accountancy Age two weeks ago.

Blacksell said clients were more 'discerning' and consultants needed to carry out as well as advise on work: ‘The ability to execute as well as advise: I see that as being a pre-requisite to being successful in the market.’