Bench time. This word makes all DSC executives shudder.

The calculation is simple and brutal: a consultant on bench costs you their loaded salary without generating revenue. At €4,500 average monthly cost, each week on bench = €1,125 net loss.

Bench time is not inevitable. It's a symptom.

A symptom of commercial processes to improve, reactive rather than proactive staffing, and ignored enhancement opportunities.

The real cost of bench time (2025 figures)

For a 50-consultant DSC with a 12% bench rate:

6 consultants permanently on average bench
Average cost: €5,000/month/consultant
Annual loss: €360,000

And this figure doesn't count hidden costs: demotivation, skill loss, brand image, manager mental load.

Why do DSCs have a bench problem?

Cause #1: Reactive staffing - Mission ended → panic → urgent search.
Cause #2: No visibility on mission ends - "We learned the mission was ending... the day before."
Cause #3: Unexploited CV database - Who is AWS certified? Who speaks fluent English?
Cause #4: Big client dependency - When 60% of revenue comes from 3 clients.

5 strategies to reduce bench time

Strategy #1: Anticipate mission endings (D-90)

D-90: Automatic end-of-mission alert
D-60: Meeting with consultant
D-45: Commercial activation
D-30: Updated CV sent out
D-15: Final decision

Result: 40% reduction in average bench time.

Strategy #2: Add value to bench time

Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, GCP): +10-15% on daily rate post-certification
Internal training: Skill development
Internal projects: Tool development, R&D
Junior mentoring: Knowledge transfer

Strategy #3: Diversify client portfolio

The golden rule: No client should represent more than 20% of your revenue.

Strategy #4: Leverage skills data

Your ERP should allow skill search, automatic matching, and gap identification.

Strategy #5: Practice "productive bench"

A consultant on bench should never be idle: internal tool development, article writing, meetup participation, POCs on new technologies.

How to measure and manage bench time?

Utilization rate: Target > 90%
Average bench duration: Target < 15 days
Renewal rate: Target > 70%
Replacement delay: Target < 30 days

Testimonial: From 15% to 6% bench in 12 months

"We had a chronic 15% bench rate. By implementing D-90 alerts and a real proactive replacement process, we got down to 6% in one year. That represents €200,000 saved." — Julien R., CEO of a 75-consultant DSC

Conclusion

Bench time will never completely disappear. But with the right processes and tools, you can:

Anticipate mission endings (not suffer them)
Reduce bench duration by 50%
Add value to this period (training, certifications)
Manage with reliable data

The 3 keys to success:

Anticipation: D-90 alerts, not the day before
Proactivity: Commercial upstream, not reactive
Tools: An ERP that centralizes everything

Bench Time: How to transform this period into an opportunity