Shawn Wood currently has responsibility for systems integration consulting within the Products operating group for Accenture in South Africa.
Shawn Wood currently has responsibility for systems integration consulting within the Products operating group for Accenture in South Africa. “The great thing about this job is the sheer variety and scale of the challenges that confront one each day,” he says. “One day you are assisting one of South Africa’s leading retailers in reinventing their store systems and the next you are helping another client to implement Oracle Financials and Business Intelligence.” Wood graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Natal. He worked as an engineer for a large forestry company before deciding that the world of consulting was more attractive.
He spent some years working for a competitor in the enterprise resource planning space, primarily specialising in Baan and Oracle technologies, but when the chance to join Accenture came up, he jumped at the opportunity. “For me, it was the chance to join the leading company in the space,” he says.
According to Wood, Accenture’s ability to leverage its extensive experience, along with its wide range of offerings, can help customers achieve high performance in any economic climate. When it comes to implementing large systems initiatives, he says companies can benefit from Accenture’s industrialized approach.
In addition, companies that work with Accenture have access to cost-competitive skilled resources through the extensive Accenture Global Delivery Network. “Accenture has the unique capability to not only implement the solution for our client but to run it as well,” he adds.
From a systems perspective, Wood advises South African companies to use the economic downturn as a chance to do some internal reflection and identify areas where they can derive competitive advantage. “They should focus on implementing key initiatives that will put them into a strong position to take advantage of the upturn in the economy that will come in time,” he says. He warns that focusing solely on limiting IT investment could see companies lagging behind their competition.
Regardless of the economic climate, Wood finds consulting highly stimulating. His work necessitates learning about new industries and acquiring new skills at a great pace. He admits that it is “no 8-to-5 job,” so striking a work/life balance is something that each person has to work out for themselves.
Wood is married with three children. A keen cricketer, he also runs and attends gym regularly.
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