Accenture’s benchmarking assets
Accenture has a quantitative finance function benchmarking capability ready for client use. The offering uses our Finance Process Excellence model as the organizing framework. Our process scope is more detailed than some of our competitors, and we believe Process Excellence is the world’s leading process model.
Quantitative Benchmarking Assets
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Formal Process Hierarchy: Accenture's Process Excellence framework addressing all finance processes.
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Metrics: Formal list of cost, headcount, quality, cycle time, and volume metrics across all finance processes.
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Database: Benchmarking database comprising companies across all industries, geographies, and sizes.
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Tools: Standardized data collection tool for capture and consolidation of client data, standard output templates—Excel and PowerPoint.
Related Qualitative Assessment Tools
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Mastery Scales: Summaries for each major process that define "basic," "competitive," and "mastery" performance.
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Loading Practices: Extensive list of leading practices across all finance processes.
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Qualitative Interview Guides: To facilitate efficient discussions and root cause analysis.
Skilled Resources
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On Site Team: Experienced client team works collaboratively with client leadership to execute the project.
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Central Operations Team: Off-site team efficiently generates benchmarking comparisons and standard output
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Subject Matter Experts: Experts in finance benchmarking advise the project throughout the project—from planning to data collection to results analysis.
Methodology
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Proven Project Methodology: Blends quantitative and qualitative assessment with industry, process, organization and technology expertise.
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Efficient Data Collection: Rigorous process for data collection, consolidation and validation as well as results analysis and interpretation.
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Scope: Addresses current state assessment, future state design and roadmap/business case for change programs.
Benchmarking in action
In Accenture’s experience, top businesses and governments do three main things to achieve and maintain their leadership position. They:
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Regularly identify the gaps between the capabilities they currently have and those necessary to be competitive and cost effective in the future.
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Strive to be leaders in those capabilities that are most important given the needs of their business.
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Pursue improvements via formal, structured change programs.
Benchmarking can be instrumental in helping organizations emulate these leaders.
Client Successes
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)—Accenture helped DLA create operational cost metrics and benchmark the results against commercial industry. Accenture provided the results to DLA senior leadership to give the agency a baseline against which to track operational performance. DLA will use the metric and benchmark information to track and report the agency’s progress. DLA can use this information to select areas for process improvement and drive out operational inefficiencies.
Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA)—Accenture helped DeCA evaluate and challenge current commissary practices. We identified improvement opportunities by benchmarking the agency’s practices against grocery industry best practices, tools and workforce management techniques. This project identified areas to improve customer service, reduce operating costs, standardize processes across the enterprise and further define the organization image.