What do Accenture do?
- One of the world’s largest consulting and technology firms
- That could mean anything from redefining strategies and working with new technologies, to increasing market share and offering better customer experiences.
- In a nutshell, we develop, deliver and implement big ideas that bring positive, lasting and profitable change to our clients’ organisations.
- We love technology. But we’re not controlled by it. At Accenture, we harness the latest innovations to bring empowerment to our clients, crafting solutions that keep them ahead of the game.
- Accenture works with 4,000 companies in over 120 countries. To fully support our clients across all their challenges, and facilitate our aim of providing end-to-end solutions, we cover a range of separate but interconnected businesses.
- Strategy Consulting Digital Technology Operations Security
What are some recent projects that Accenture has consulted on.
ABB: https://www.accenture.com/gb-en/success-making-machinery-speak-volumes
• ABB wants to help customers use the power of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to translate machinery asset data into actionable insights.
• ABB’s Motors & Generators business developed an IIoT device called “Smart Sensor,” which can be used to retrofit almost any low-voltage electric motor to help monitor its condition.
• Solution composed of a mobile app for exceptional user experience, a portal to help ABB customers manage plants, teams and relationships. A common sensor platform which integrates three types of sensors. ABB ability digital powertrain platform and dashboard. The platform allows customers to monitor whole turbine and not just one small piece of it.
• With its new capabilities, ABB can better compete in a digital world. Improving time to market, differentiating its products, creating new opportunities to provide services, and generating value for customers with actionable insights and a state-of-the-art customer experience.
• On average, only 10 percent of a factory’s equipment is monitored. Customers now have affordable tools to monitor the other 90 percent, not just critical assets.
American Express: https://www.accenture.com/gb-en/success-american-express-mobile-banking
• Accenture worked with American Express to launch a prepaid debit account solution and extended their brand to a broad new group of members.
• Accenture helped American Express tap this new market by helping create the digital platform that could bring the vision to life. Included was a mix of projects, such as a variety of new money management products and services, and a new mobile app. A common platform supports Send and Receive, a feature that allows peer to peer sending between Serve Accounts.
• Customers have flocked to the Serve prepaid digital platform, to the tune of more than $7 billion loaded onto the platform. That’s a 300 percent increase in only two years. At the time of launch, the platform was new as was its customer base: 90% of Serve users are either new to American Express or are former card members.
• 300% increase in load across the platform and 90% of the users are either new to American express or former card members.
Coop Italia: https://www.accenture.com/gb-en/success-coop-italia
• Italy’s largest retailer, Coop Italia, wanted to transform the customer shopping experience. The recipe for success? With Accenture’s help, it blended exciting new digital capabilities into the store environment to create the Supermarket of the Future.
• Coop Italia and Accenture had to strike the right balance in using technology to enhance the overall experience, not hinder it. Every decision was based on key consumer insights, resulting in a design that provided shoppers with the tools and information to make their experience as convenient and personalized as possible.
• With digital and physical convergence, Coop Italia’s Supermarket of the Future is creating an engaging and immersive grocery shopping experience. Coop is shaping the future of supermarkets by combining hyper personalization, deep product information and connected devices in-line with customer buying journeys.
Why Consulting (and not engineering)
I aspire to a career in consulting because I motivated by challenge, I thrive under responsibility I find cultivating relationships rewarding.
- Enjoy being challenged and providing innovative solutions– that’s why I studied Mechanical Engineering – economics and management module I realised I enjoyed applying my analytical skills to business problems and technology– would be excited to work on projects such as XXX at Accenture.
- Embrace Responsibility – By week 3 you will be placed on your first team project. You will get stuck in and hit the ground running as you get to know your team. Learn Skills on the job. Enjoy Early responsibility – MCS support
- Rewarding Client Exposure – Enjoy building long lasting relationships – MCS Customer Support and Purchasing - SA didn’t allow their graduates client exposure until had been there for 2+ years. Believe that my honesty and integrity would allow me to nurture client relationships at Accenture.
The prospect of solving challenging problems, embracing responsibility and building client relationships is why I want a career in consulting and the examples I have provided show why I am suited to a career in consulting at Accenture.
What are Accenture’s Core Values?
- CLIENT VALUE CREATION - Enabling clients to become high-performance businesses and creating long-term relationships by being responsive and relevant and by consistently delivering value.
- ONE GLOBAL NETWORK - Leveraging the power of global insight, relationships, collaboration and learning to deliver exceptional service to clients wherever they do business.
- RESPECT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL - Valuing diversity and unique contributions, fostering a trusting, open and inclusive environment and treating each person in a manner that reflects Accenture’s values.
- BEST PEOPLE - Attracting, developing and retaining the best talent for our business, challenging our people, demonstrating a “can-do” attitude and fostering a collaborative and supportive environment.
- INTEGRITY- Being ethically unyielding and honest and inspiring trust by saying what we mean, matching our behaviours to our words and taking responsibility for our actions.
- STEWARDSHIP - Fulfilling our obligation of building a better, stronger and more durable company for future generations, protecting the Accenture brand, meeting our commitment to stakeholders, acting with an owner mentality, developing our people and helping improve communities and the global environment.
How does Accenture differentiate itself from competitors?
- Innovation - We are always looking ahead to anticipate what’s next. The Accenture Innovation Architecture uses an innovation-led approach to help our clients develop and deliver disruptive innovations, and to scale them faster. From research, ventures and labs to studios, innovation centres and delivery centres, we help companies imagine the future and bring it to life.
- Technology - They are mostly engaged in the technology-based projects, and are the leader in technology adoption. Using technology as an enabler to create value for clients.
- Client focus – The fact that Accenture is a publicly listed company means that the emphasis is solely on creating value for their clients as opposed to partners. Many of the fortune 500 companies are in their client list. The client retention is more or less 100%.
- Accenture’s strategy is to differentiate itself by positioning as a premium brand. This means they strive to be the best in all of the areas that they work in to ensure they produce a product that is more than the sum of it’s parts.
- Tech - IBM, Capgemini
- General Business - Deloitte and PA.
- Strategy – Mckinsey, BCG and Bain
Why Accenture?
I want to work for Accenture because of the emphasis on creating value for their clients using technology, the culture of collaboration and the commitment to developing their employees.
- Emphasis on Technology – Passion for Technology – Used in all aspects of life - Projects – Excited to use it so enable businesses to grow at Accenture.
- Culture of Teamwork, Collaboration and diversity – I have found that I work better in a team whether that be as a mountain safety volunteer for WB or as part of the Leeds Formula Student Race team. I want work at an organisation where I can play to my strengths in a team environment at Accenture.
- Culture of developing people – I want to be able to improve - 2 week classroom based learning in London. Opportunity to gain SCRUM Master Certification. 1 week training at one of international schools. Quarterly virtual training with senior managers and Managing directors. 1 week soft skills and presentation skills training.
The opportunity to combine my passion for technology and business with the culture of teamwork and development at Accenture is a really exciting prospect.
Questions to ask HR interviewing
What do you think are the biggest misconceptions that applicants have a consulting career at Accenture?
What are the common attributes of consultants who excel and advance quickly at Accenture?
What will I be expected to accomplish in the first 3 months / first year at Accenture?
Question about the bench??
What do you enjoy most / least about working for this company?
What would you describe and my single greatest strength and weakness on the basis of this interview?
Questions for Analyst Q&A
What are the biggest opportunities / challenges facing the company right now?
I’d be interested to hear about your most challenging project so far and what you have learned?
Question about technology?
What do you know about Accenture’s approach to corporate citizenship?
Skills to Succeed Academy:
• 1M people not in employment, education or training across UK&I. Public spending has decreased and cannot cope with the demand.
• Accenture plans to use digital technology to tackle youth unemployment at scale by developing an online learning programme.
• The results of this are 60,000 people now have more skills and 27% have progressed into employment.
Advancing Sustainability
• Shifting to a low carbon economy to lessen the effects of climate change
• 52% reduction in per employee carbon emissions achieving 2020 goal 50% ahead of schedule
• 4% reduction in air travel carbon emissions per employer since 2016
• 76% of suppliers disclosed emission reduction actions and 72% disclosed targets
