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Accenture is a global professional services company that specializes in information technology (IT) consulting, strategy, and operations. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Accenture currently serves clients in more than 50 countries around the world.

Accenture is the largest independent technology services provider. The company is part of the Fortune Global 500 as well as the S&P 100. Learn more about Accenture and what the company does on behalf of its clients in this guide.

What Is Accenture?

Accenture is a global professional services company that provides business and technology strategy and consulting and operational services. Accenture’s capabilities span from artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to supply chain management and digital commerce.

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Accenture: A brief history

Accenture has prioritized innovation from the start. Accenture’s modern history began with Joseph Glickauf of Administrative Services when he invented the Glickiac computer in 1951. This invention pushed the company toward other milestones like the development of the operating system used for System/360 IBM computers.

Over the next few decades, Administrative Services became the Management Information Consulting Division in 1980 and then Andersen Consulting in 1988. In 2001, Andersen Consulting became Accenture which means “accent on the future.”

Accenture’s success and focus on the future led the company through several acquisitions, joint ventures, and the development of industry-leading campaigns. The company brought in $250 million in revenue in 1980, and from there, it grew to $50.5 billion in 2021 revenue.

What Does Accenture Do as a Company?

Accenture operates within three distinct service areas: strategy and consulting, technology, and operations. The company’s goal is to provide 360-degree value to its clients by helping them embrace change and reinvent their businesses.

Accenture works with customers from a variety of industrial backgrounds. For healthcare, Accenture works to implement digital health strategies to improve the patient experience. For software developers, Accenture builds the infrastructure that acts as a foundation for any platform. These are just two of the many solutions Accenture delivers to its customers.

Beyond the services the company provides, Accenture is also known as a thought leader in both business and technology spaces. The company consistently publishes in-depth research reports, white papers, and case studies regarding changes throughout key industries. 

As a company that prioritizes knowledge sharing, Accenture developed Accenture Foresight, an app used to access research reports and insights from anywhere.

What Industries Does Accenture Work With?

According to Accenture, the company currently serves over 40 specific industries. Some of these industries include:

  • Aerospace and defense
  • Health
  • Automotive
  • Travel
  • Banking
  • Industrial
  • U.S. federal government
  • Energy
  • Utilities

Accenture serves 89 of the Fortune Global 100 companies. The company also partners with other technology giants, including SAP, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Oracle.

What Services Does Accenture Offer Its Customers?

Accenture’s service offerings are vast, ranging from business consulting to building metaverse capabilities. The company splits its services into three key buckets: strategy and consulting, technology, and operations.

Strategy and consulting

  • Business strategy: Accenture partners with businesses to help them scale and adapt to change through business strategy. Accenture’s capabilities include implementing agile operating models, supporting companies in reducing IT complexity, and providing guidance for companies moving toward digital transformation.
  • Finance consulting: Accenture provides financial consulting and support to enterprise CFOs through capabilities such as financial analysis, compliance, liquidity management, and the digital transformation of core finance processes.
  • Technology consulting: Technology consulting is a core service that can include cloud strategy, tech transformation, future tech planning, and automation.
  • Change management and talent strategy: Digital transformation requires constant change. Accenture helps companies manage this change through change management strategy, HR transformation, organizational design, and talent strategy.

Technology

  • Application services: Accenture handles the entire application lifecycle for companies, from development to maintenance. Additional capabilities include custom software development, DevOps, and legacy app modernization and transformation.
  • AI and automation: AI and automation capabilities include solutions for processes such as customer engagement, marketing, and talent. Accenture uses robotic process automation (RPA) to automate processes for finance, HR, banking, insurance, and compliance.
  • Digital commerce: Accenture’s digital commerce offerings include commerce enablement and omnichannel optimization.
  • Digital engineering and manufacturing: Manufacturing and engineering companies benefit from Accenture’s industry-specific capabilities such as R&D digitization, asset management, and robotics.
  • Infrastructure: Many companies are working to replace their costly, on-premises infrastructure with technology that’s modernized and software-based. Accenture supports these efforts with cloud infrastructure managed services, networking, and infrastructure security.
  • Metaverse: Accenture takes a holistic approach to the metaverse. First, Accenture educates companies on the metaverse and its industry-specific use cases. Accenture then helps companies design and build effective metaverse strategies and accompanying capabilities.
  • Security: As businesses harness the power of technology, cybersecurity risks expand. Accenture helps companies combat security risks through cyber defense, managed security, and IoT security.

Operations

  • Business process outsourcing: For companies looking to improve their performance and reduce costs, business process outsourcing (BPO) is a great next step. Accenture offers BPO services such as Compliance-as-a-Service (CaaS), supply chain management, and managed services for marketing operations.
  • Ecosystem services: Accenture is a worldwide company with a vast number of tech partners, including AT&T, Amazon Web Services, Oracle, and GE. Accenture uses this ecosystem to bring platforms together to create custom solutions for companies struggling with common business issues.
  • Supply chain management: Accenture helps companies build resilient, agile, and customer-focused supply chains. The company also supports businesses in improving their sourcing and procurement processes.

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