Access to experts has become easier for PE and consulting teams. Expert calls can now be arranged quickly.

The real challenge lies in choosing the right expert network – one that consistently matches experts to the specific decisions being made. When expert matching relies too heavily on static databases, insight quality often falls short. As a result, many firms look for expert networks that offer more customized matching. At Arches, we focus on custom expert recruitment across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC, helping teams access experts that fit exact project needs, including niche industries and hard-to-reach markets.

With access becoming easier, teams begin to focus on other concerns.

The Real Problem With Expert Networks Today

More Calls Don’t Always Mean Better Insight

As expert calls become easier to book, many PE and consulting teams increase call volume to move faster. But more calls do not automatically lead to better decisions.

To move fast, expert network providers may rely too heavily on static. This lead to the reduction of insight quality. On paper, an expert may look relevant. In practice, their experience may not match the market context, deal stage, or specific risk the team is trying to assess. 

Time Is the Hidden Cost

Each low-value expert call carries a hidden cost: time. Hours spent on misaligned conversations delay IC memos, slow down client decks, and push final recommendations closer to deadlines.

Instead of accelerating decisions, low-quality expert calls extend timelines and increase pressure on already tight schedules.

What PE & Consulting Teams Should Look for in an Expert Network

Experts Matched Through Custom Recruitment, Not Just Databases

When choosing an expert network, relevance matters more than reputation. The right expert network prioritizes experts with first-hand exposure to the specific market, function, and decision context being assessed.

Rather than relying only on static databases, strong providers use custom expert recruitment to match experts to each project’s questions, decision stage, and market realities. This keeps expert calls focused on practical, decision-relevant insight.

Dedicated Expert Network Teams

Beyond expert matching, the quality of services depends heavily on the team behind it. Therefore, the right expert network providers are built on diverse teams across countries and languages, enabling deeper context understanding and smoother collaboration with both clients and experts.

Support extends across the entire services lifecycle – before, during, and after the call – ensuring conversations run efficiently and insights are accurately captured, including transcript support when needed.

The Questions That Separate a Right Expert Network From the Rest

When choosing an expert network, the right questions reveal far more than surface-level capabilities. For PE and consulting teams, these questions help identify providers that can consistently support high-stakes decisions

How Are Experts Selected and Tested Before a Call?

A right expert network goes beyond static databases. It screens and tests experts to ensure their experience fits the specific market, role, and decision context.

Arches works with a pool of 160,000+ experts from different levels. The network covers any language and any location, allowing teams to source experts that fit the specific market and project requirements.

Expert selection is supported by how matching is executed. Arches’ team spans 15 nationalities, including former Big 4 and strategy consulting professionals, and operates across time zones. This allows expert screening and matching to happen continuously, resulting in clearer briefs and more relevant expert conversations.

How Is Compliance Managed During Live Conversations?

Compliance should be built into the call process itself. Strong expert networks prepare experts in advance, guide conversations in real time, and help clients avoid sensitive disclosures without disrupting insight flow. This is an area where Arches places strong emphasis on risk mitigation through structured briefings and call-level controls, which we explore in more detail in our work on how Arches helps clients manage expert compliance risk.

→ To explore how Arches mitigate risk

What Happens When a Call Does Not Fully Answer the Question?

Not every expert call is meant to resolve a decision on its own. Strong expert networks are clear upfront about scope, limitations, and what a single conversation can and cannot support. This transparency helps PE and consulting teams set the right expectations and use expert input appropriately within broader research workflows.

Choosing the right expert network is ultimately a commercial decision about speed, relevance, and risk control. For PE and consulting teams comparing expert network providers, contacting Arches can help clarify how different expert network models work in practice and which approach best fits your research and decision needs.

→ Start a conversation with Arches

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