This paper was written in response to an invitation to give a talk on how to make information services cost‐effective. Its basic message is ‘use the systems approach’, but my aim will be to express this in practical rather than abstract terms. It will be based to a large extent on experience gained over the past eight years, from the work of the Aslib Consultancy Service. This service is based on the Aslib R & D Department, and was originally conceived as a means by which some of the results of research could be applied in real life situations. To some extent this intention has been fulfilled: consultancy work does provide opportunities to apply the results of research—but only in a supportive way. The most important asset of our team is the experience we have painfully gained over the years of striking an acceptable balance between idealism and practicality. In particular, we have learned a lot about making systems work within the limitations of the people who operate and use them.