At a glance
The comparison below describes typical engagement models. Every firm varies by practice and by engagement, so use it as a starting point for your own questions rather than a verdict on any single firm.
| Dimension | Accenture / Big 4 (typical) | Solnix |
|---|---|---|
| Primary strength | Breadth: strategy, transformation, systems integration, change management and managed services across every function and geography | Depth in building and deploying AI systems: agents, retrieval, automation and the infrastructure under them |
| Typical starting point | Assessment, strategy and roadmap phases, often followed by a larger implementation programme | A scoped use case, with a working prototype on your data within 3–5 weeks |
| Time to production | Varies with programme scope; large programmes are planned over quarters or years | Standard target of a first production system within about 60 days |
| Team model | Large, layered teams that can scale to hundreds of people across locations | A small senior team; the people who scope the work build it |
| Pricing model | Time and materials or programme-level contracts; varies by firm | Fixed-price milestones agreed in a statement of work before work starts |
| Ownership | Varies; may include firm accelerators or platforms licensed as part of delivery | Client owns all code, prompts and models built in the engagement |
| Licence vs delivery | Often paired with partner platforms and alliance software | No software licence to sell; we recommend tools on fit |
| Scale and geography | Global presence and on-site teams in many countries | Remote-first team headquartered in Hyderabad, India, working with clients worldwide |
| Audit relationship | Big 4 firms that audit you may face independence limits on some advisory work | No audit practice, so no auditor-independence constraints |
When Accenture or a Big 4 firm is the better choice
- You are running a multi-year, multi-country transformation where AI is one workstream among ERP, process redesign and organisational change.
- You need hundreds of people, on-site teams in many countries, or long-term managed services.
- Your board or regulator expects a globally recognised firm to lead the programme.
- You need integrated tax, risk, regulatory or audit-adjacent advisory alongside the technology work.
- You already have a framework agreement and procurement relationship that makes a large firm the fastest route.
When a specialist AI delivery partner is the better choice
- You have a specific process to automate or an AI system to build, and you want it in production in weeks, not after a long assessment phase.
- You want senior engineers who design and build the system, rather than a pyramid of junior staff.
- You want to own the code, prompts and models outright, without ongoing platform licences.
- You prefer fixed-price milestones tied to working software over open-ended time and materials.
- Your large-firm programme needs a specialist team for the AI build itself.
Using both
Specialist and global firms are not mutually exclusive. A common pattern is for a large firm to run the overall programme, governance and change management while a specialist builds and deploys the AI systems. This works best when interfaces, acceptance criteria and ownership of the delivered code are agreed at the start.
Questions to ask any AI implementation partner
- Who exactly will build the system, and how senior are they?
- When will we see a working prototype on our own data?
- Is the price fixed per milestone, or time and materials?
- Who owns the code, prompts, models and infrastructure definitions when the engagement ends?
- Does the proposal include licensed platforms or accelerators, and what do they cost after year one?
- How will the system be monitored, audited and handed over to our team?
Frequently asked questions
How is Solnix different from Accenture or the Big 4?
Solnix is a specialist AI delivery partner. We build AI systems and take them to production, typically with a working prototype in 3 to 5 weeks and a first production system in about 60 days, on fixed-price milestones, and the client owns the code and models. Global consultancies offer far broader services and scale, and are often the better fit for large, multi-country transformation programmes.
Is Solnix cheaper than Accenture or a Big 4 firm?
It depends on scope. For a focused AI build, a small senior team on fixed-price milestones often costs less than a large programme team. For a global transformation, a large firm's scale may be the more efficient option. Compare proposals on the working software delivered, ownership and ongoing licence costs, not day rates alone.
Can Solnix work alongside our existing consultancy?
Yes. A common pattern is for the large firm to lead programme management and change while Solnix builds and deploys the AI systems, with interfaces and code ownership agreed up front.
Who owns what Solnix builds?
The client. All code, prompts, models and infrastructure definitions developed in an engagement are client property, and client data is never used to train models for other clients.
When should we choose a Big 4 firm instead?
When AI is one part of a multi-year, multi-country transformation, when you need very large or on-site teams in many countries, or when you need tax, risk or regulatory advisory integrated with the technology work.