ACCENTURE BASIC DETAILS: Accenture plc (NYSE: ACN) is a multinational management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company

headquartered in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the largest consulting firm in the World[2] and is a Fortune Global 500 company.[3] As of September 2011, the company had more than 244,000 employees across 120 countries.[2][4] Accenture's current clients include 96 of the Fortune Global 100 and more than three-quarters of the Fortune Global 500. The international company was first incorporated in Bermuda in 2001.[5] Since September 1, 2009 the company has been incorporated in Ireland.[6]

Accenture is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the S&P 500. Formation and early years

Accenture originated as the business and technology consulting division of accounting firm Arthur Andersen. The division's origins are in a 1953 feasibility study for General Electric. GE asked Arthur Andersen to automate payroll processing and manufacturing at GE's Appliance Park facility near Louisville, Kentucky. Arthur Andersen recommended installation of a UNIVAC I computer and printer, which resulted in the first commercially owned computer installation in the United States in 1954. Joe Glickauf was Arthur Andersen's project leader responsible for the payroll processing automation project. Now considered to be the father of computer consulting, Glickauf headed Arthur Andersen's Administrative Services division for 10 years. Splitting from Arthur Andersen

Through the 1990s, there was increasing tension between Andersen Consulting and Arthur Andersen. Andersen Consulting was upset that it was paying Arthur Andersen up to 15% of its profits each year (a condition of the 1989 split was that the more profitable unit AA or AC paid the other this sum), while at the same time Arthur Andersen was competing with Andersen Consulting through its own newly established business consulting service line called Arthur Andersen Business Consulting. This dispute came to a head in 1998 when Andersen Consulting claimed breach of contract against Andersen Worldwide Socit Cooprative (AWSC) and Arthur Andersen. Andersen Consulting put the 15% transfer payment for that year and future years into escrow and issued a claim for breach of contract. In August 2000, as a result of the conclusion of arbitration with the International Chamber of Commerce, Andersen Consulting broke all contractual ties with AWSC and Arthur Andersen. As part of the arbitration settlement, Andersen Consulting paid the sum held in escrow (then $1.2 billion) to Arthur Andersen, and was required to change its name, resulting in the entity being renamed Accenture.

Perhaps most telling about who had "won" the decision was that four hours after the arbitrator made his ruling, Arthur Andersen CEO Jim Wadia suddenly resigned. Industry analysts and business school professors alike viewed the event as a complete victory for Andersen Consulting.[7] Jim Wadia would provide insight on his resignation years later at a Harvard Business school case activity about the split. It turned out that the Arthur Andersen board passed a resolution saying he had to resign, if he didn't get at least an incremental $4 billion (either through negotiation or via the arbitrator decision) for the consulting practice to split off; hence his quick resignation once the decision was announced.[citation needed]

Accounts vary on why the split occurred executives on both sides of the split cite greed and arrogance on the part of the other side, and executives on the Andersen Consulting side maintained breach of contract when Arthur Andersen created a second consulting group, AABC (Arthur Andersen Business Consulting) that began to compete directly with Andersen Consulting in the marketplace. Many of the AABC firms were bought out by other consulting companies in 2002, most notably, Hitachi Consulting and KPMG Consulting, which later changed its name to BearingPoint.

Andersen Consulting's change of name proved to be fortuitous as it avoided the taint when Arthur Andersen was effectively dissolved as a result of its role in the later Enron scandal. Emergence of Accenture

On January 1, 2001 Andersen Consulting adopted its current name, "Accenture". The word "Accenture" is supposedly derived from "Accent on the future". Although a marketing consultancy was tasked with finding a new name for the company, the name "Accenture" was submitted by Kim Petersen, a Danish employee from the company's Oslo, Norway office, as a result of an internal competition. Accenture felt that the name should represent its will to be a global consulting leader and high performer, and also intended that the name should not be offensive in any country in which Accenture operates.[

Initial public offering On July 19, 2001, Accenture offered initial public offering (IPO) at the price of $14.50 per share in New York Stock Exchange (NYSE); Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley served as its lead underwriters. Accenture stock closed the day at $15.17, with the day's high at $15.25. On the first day of the IPO, Accenture raised nearly $1.7 billion

Bermuda headquarters

In October 2002, the Congressional General Accounting Office (GAO) identified Accenture as one of four publicly traded federal contractors that were incorporated in a tax haven country.[10] The other three, unlike Accenture, were incorporated in the United States before they re-incorporated in a tax haven country, thereby lowering their U.S. taxes. Critics, most notably former CNN journalist Lou Dobbs,[11] have panned Accenture's incorporation in Bermuda because they viewed Accenture as having been a U.S.-based company trying to avoid U.S. taxes.[12] The GAO itself did not characterize Accenture as having been a U.S.-based company; it stated that "prior to incorporating in Bermuda, Accenture was operating as a series of related partnerships and corporations under the control of its partners through the mechanism of contracts with a Swiss coordinating entity." Ireland headquarters

Accenture announced on May 26, 2009 that its Board of Directors unanimously approved changing the companys place of incorporation to Ireland from Bermuda and would become Accenture plc.[13]

The company cited several reasons for the change:

Ireland's sophisticated, well-developed corporate, legal and regulatory environment Ireland's long history of international investment and long-established commercial relationships, trade agreements and tax treaties with European Union member states, the United States and other countries where Accenture does business Ireland's stable political and economic environment with the financial and legal infrastructure to meet Accenture's needs

The change was approved and became effective on September 1, 2009, the beginning of the company's 2010 fiscal year.

While Ireland is the company's headquarters for tax and legal purposes, much of the clerical administration occurs in the United States, mainly New York City and Chicago.

Operations
Accenture organizes its services and people in these three primary cross-functional groupings. Accenture client engagement teams typically consist of a combination of industry experts, capability specialists and professionals with local market knowledge.
Workforces

The four workforces serve clients in the areas of consulting, technology, and outsourcing, as well as the company itself. This is almost always an internal designation as it is commonplace for Accenture employees to work in blended teams for a variety of reasons.

Consulting: Focus on management consulting, process design work and the application of technologies to business. Responsible for sales, delivery, and leadership of most of Accenture's project-based work. Contains Accenture Technology Labs. Levels are Analyst to Senior Executive. Services: Most focus on outsourcing engagements in the areas of business operations, IT, applications development and maintenance, help desk services, and HR. Can also work on Consulting-led projects. Levels are H through A (reverse alphabetical order, lowest to highest) and Senior Executive. Solutions: The Accenture Technology Solutions subsidiary focuses on the specific technology skills needed to deliver projects or outsourcing arrangements. Comprises the majority of Accenture's employees in delivery centers in developing countries like Brazil, India, and the Philippines. Levels are Programmer to Senior Executive, with slight regional variations. Enterprise: Focus on managing and supporting all activities across Accenture's business, including legal, security, facilities, marketing, and client financial management. Levels are Junior Assistant to Senior Executive.

Operating Groups

As most consulting firms, Accenture operates in a matrix structure. The first axis is dedicated to the operating groups, or industries of its clients. The five Operating Groups comprise 19 industry groups that focus on industry evolution, business issues, and applicable technologies.[14]

Communications, Media & Technology: Communications, Electronics and High Tech, Media and Entertainment Financial Services: Banking, Capital Markets, Insurance Products: Life Sciences, Automotive, Air, Freight & Travel Services, Consumer Goods & Services, Industrial Equipment, Infrastructure & Transportation Services, Retail Resources: Chemicals, Energy, Natural Resources, Utilities Health & Public Service: Health, Public Sector, Non-profit, International Organizations, Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)

Growth Platforms

The second axis is the growth platforms, which broadly refers to the functional or technical domains in which Accenture's client-facing people specialize their skills, develop and use Accenture's methodology, and create and deliver solutions to clients.

Consulting: This growth platform is focused on business solutions, processes, and change management in the areas of Customer Relationship Management, Finance & Performance Management, Process & Innovation Performance, Risk Management, Strategy, Supply Chain Management, and Talent & Organization Performance. Technology: This growth platform brings together the full range of systems integration, technology consulting, and IT outsourcing skills. Specialties include enterprise solutions, system integration, technical architecture, business intelligence, infrastructure consulting, and technology research/development. Most people in the Services and Solutions workforces are aligned under the Technology growth platform.[14] Outsourcing: This growth platform focuses on the full range of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services to enable high performance, including function-specific services such as procurement, HR and finance and accounting, as well as services geared to the needs of specific industries such as utilities, insurance and health care.

Principal subsidiaries

Coritel BPM is the Spanish subsidiary of Accenture for software development and outsourcing. It was founded in 1984 and currently has 6,500 employees. Avanade began as a joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture, but is now well over 80% owned by Accenture. It provides IT consulting services and solutions for the Microsoft software platform. Navitaire is a subsidiary of Accenture providing specialized solutions to airlines. Accenture Federal Services is a subsidiary of Accenture that provides services directly to United States government in the national security space. Its customers include the US Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and other agencies that focus on national defense and law enforcement. This Accenture subsidiary was specifically incorporated as a US subsidiary to meet a congressional mandate that defense contractors be based in the United States. Accenture Defense Group is a subsidiary of Accenture providing document management services, information technology software systems, and business process improvement strategies. Clients are governments, government suppliers of "WarFighter" goods and services, corporations, and also include transnational organizations such as the European Space Agency.[15][16]

Accenture Technology Solutions is a subsidiary of Accenture providing deep specialized technology skills[citation needed] to clients and comprises the entire Solutions workforce, including most Accenture Delivery Centers in developing countries like The Philippines and Romania. Accenture SAP Solutions is a subsidiary of Accenture providing SAP computer software to clients, created with former Coritel BPM SAP resources. Digiplug is a subsidiary of Accenture, providing digital supply chain solutions to the entertainment industry. Based in France and founded in 1998, Digiplug supplies music and video manufacturing and delivery services to major music labels as well as wireless carriers and mobile terminal device manufacturers around the World. Accenture Mobility Operated Services is a subsidiary of Accenture that helps enterprises develop and deploy new revenue-generating mobile applications. Accenture Interactive is a subsidiary of Accenture that "helps companies develop world-class digital marketing capabilities and optimize their marketing investments".[17] Accenture CAS is the leading provider of customer management and mobility solutions to the consumer goods industry.

Leadership

Chairman of the Board:

Joe Forehand (February 2001 August 2006)[18] William "Bill" D. Green (September 2006 )[19]

Chief executive officer:

George Shaheen (November 1989 November 1999 ) Joe Forehand (November 1999 August 2004)[18] William D. "Bill" Green (September 2004 December 2010)[19] Pierre Nanterme (January 2011 )[20]

Marketing and branding

Accenture advertises in television, print, and in public places, such as airports, around the world. Previous marketing campaigns have featured slogans such as "Now it gets interesting.", replaced in 2002, and "Innovation delivered.", replaced in 2004. The current slogan is "High performance. Delivered."

Accenture has sponsored an international event called the Accenture Match Play Championship, part of the World Golf Championships, every year since 1999.[21]

Until December 2009, Tiger Woods had been a celebrity spokesperson for the company, whose advertising used the service mark "Go on, be a Tiger" and the ancillary statement "We know what it takes to be a Tiger." The company terminated Tiger Woods' six-year sponsorship deal on December 13, 2009 and removed references to Woods from its website, after details of Woods's extra-marital affairs exploded in the media .[22][23]

The current advertising campaign features client success stories and the slogan "High performance. Delivered."

The typeface used in the Accenture wordmark is Rotis Semi-sans. The right-pointing caret character over the t is intended to indicate the company's orientation to the future.[citation needed] The character is similar to an accent mark in music.

Cross-Cultural Programs

The Inclusion & Diversity organization drives activities that support teaming and learning in order to work more effectively across cultures. With Accenture people serving clients in more than 120 countries around the world, understanding cultural differences, values and beliefs is essential. To help our employees work across cultures, Accenture provides online and classroom training for people at all levels that is aimed at heightening employees awareness of cultural differences. We also offer a wealth of resources and robust tools that build awareness and acceptance of the personal styles and values of others.

One such resource is GlobeSmart, which offers 24/7 online access to up-to-date information on global business effectiveness. Additionally, Accenture people have access to training, such as an online Building Cross-Cultural Awareness course, which teaches participants how to maximize value with a multicultural team.

Employee Resource Groups

In many cities around the world, Accenture supports groups, meetings and other opportunities to connect individuals who wish to strengthen their support network. Employee resource groups (ERGs) help our people build connections and address issues that are of interest to them personally. These groups, which may be organized around a common interest, ethnicity, sexual orientation, career path, family arrangement, faith or religion, focus on an individuals needs and interests, as well as the needs of the communities in which we work and live.

ERGs develop based on local demand and interest, and differ from location to location. No matter where they are, their goals are to:

Promote diversity through initiatives that focus on education, awareness, professional and personal development and cross-cultural interactions. Foster a means for individuals with similar backgrounds to network around similar challenges and opportunities. Offer professional direction. Support national and local recruiting and retention efforts. Build external relationships with diverse businesses. Support diverse nonprofit organizations as part of our corporate citizenship initiative.

For example, employees in the United Kingdom have access to interest groups ranging from ethnicity to enablement for people with disabilities, to sexual orientation and religion.

Governance Principles Accenture's Corporate Governance Guidelines describe the functions, composition and performance of the board of directors, including its committees and operations.

Corporate Governance Strong corporate governance is critical to the long-term creation of stakeholder value at Accenture. This section of our website provides an introduction to our approach to corporate governance, including access to our key guiding principles and documents, and introduces our board of directors and board committees.

Company Overview Executive Leadership Investor Relations Newsroom Client Successes Corporate Governance Governance Principles Board of Directors Board Committees Board Committee Composition Accenture Code of Business Ethics Political Contributions Policy Governance FAQs Shareholder Principles Contact Board Corporate Citizenship Our People Sponsorships Business Events Alliances

Alumni

Governance Principles Accenture's Corporate Governance Guidelines describe the functions, composition and performance of the board of directors, including its committees and operations. Read More Board of Directors The board of directors provides governance and oversight regarding the strategy, operations and management of Accenture. Read More Board Committees Accenture's board of directors has four standing committees. Read More Board Committee Composition View the committees on which each member of Accenture's board of directors serves. Read More The Accenture Code of Business Ethics Our Code of Business Ethics, available in 16 languages, emphasizes critical areas particular to our organization and business model while highlighting aspects of conduct that are imperative for all employees. Key sections address clients and the marketplace; professional conduct; and our role as local and global citizens.

The Accenture Standards of Federal Business Ethics and Conduct, which supplement the Accenture Code of Business Ethics, set forth the requirements that must be complied with whenever work for a US federal government client is performed.

The Accenture Supplier Standards of Conduct, which supplement our Code of Business Ethics, set forth the standards and practices that Accenture suppliers are required to uphold.

Corporate Political Contributions The company has a longstanding global policy against making contributions to political parties, political committees or candidates using company resources (including monetary and in-kind services), even where permitted by law. For example, in the United States the company is prohibited from using company resources to make independent campaign expenditures, or to contribute to state or local ballot measures, non-candidate organizations (such as political convention host committees) or organizations organized under Section 527 of the US Internal Revenue Code. US Political Action Committee In the United States Accenture maintains a political action committee (PAC) that is registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The PAC makes Federal political contributions on a bipartisan basis to political parties, political committees and candidates. The PAC is not funded by corporate funds, but is fully funded by voluntary contributions made by our US senior executives. The company does not retaliate against senior executives who do not contribute to the PAC.

The PAC complies with all applicable laws concerning political contributions, including laws requiring public disclosure of such contributions. As permitted by law, corporate funds and facilities are used to provide administrative support for the PAC, including for the solicitation of contributions and the distribution of funds. All contributions made by the PAC are reported in filings with the FEC and are publicly available on the commissions website. All PAC donations are also disclosed to the US Senate and House of Representatives in the companys semi-annual filings required by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act.

The PAC is managed by the Office of Government Relations (Government Relations), headed by a Managing Director who is a member of our United States Leadership Team. Government Relations approves all PAC contributions.

All PAC activities (including solicitation of senior executives and contributions to parties and candidates) are governed and overseen by its governing body, the PAC Committee, which includes senior leaders from across the companys US business. Contributions to Trade Associations The company belongs to trade associations to which the company pays annual dues. The company does not make contributions to trade associations for the purpose of political contributions. Shareholder Principles Accenture's board of directors believes it is essential that shareholders of the company are treated fairly and have appropriate access to the company and recourse against the company.