How we shaped a value-led finance transformation
September 20, 2020
Through the years, Accenture’s Finance organization has orchestrated multiple deliberate stages of transformation. Our journey has been an evolution rather than a revolution, one that I’m especially proud of as Accenture’s CFO.
Work initially started with Accenture’s IPO was followed by a series of progressive improvements—all geared toward enhancing the value our finance services and the insights we deliver to Accenture. We first focused on our operating model, establishing a single global system instance of SAP, global shared services and process excellence. These building blocks laid the foundation for further transformation.
From this strong foundation—really because of it—we’ve embarked on our next major stage of transformation.
Setting the direction for this next stage started with rethinking our strategy and defining our vision for the future. We were determined to address the needs of a growing and more complex Accenture business and operating in an ever-changing regulatory environment. We were looking to drive greater value, develop our people and become even more effective advisors to the business.
A new vision and strategy for our future
The outcome of this work is Finance Reimagined, our vision, strategy and road map for the future of Accenture Finance. Our teams put a lot of thought and energy into shaping these components. We considered both the Finance organization we want to be today and the organization we need to be in the future.
Our new vision is about driving even greater value and innovation for Accenture, our clients and our people. To make this vision real, we are investing in developing new skills, applying innovation and deploying digital technologies in the activities we do. We want to unleash the potential within our teams to design and deliver next-level, world-class services.
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Our transformation strategy is relatively simple—implement the vision through two main tracks:
- First, reimagine policies, reinvent processes, unleash innovation, and invest in automation and digital technologies to streamline—if not eliminate—manual tasks. Beyond automating how things are done today, adding maximum value is achieved by rethinking what will be needed against the backdrop of our company’s future requirements.
- Second, invest in the skills that will allow our Finance people to shift toward higher-value activities like planning, analyzing and advising. This investment in learning and development will help our people provide more effective support to the business and create greater career opportunities for them.
We are taking steps to make sure our strategy is implemented in tangible ways. We’re moving forward with agility and innovation, introducing new processes, digital technologies and programs in stages and sprints.
We are relentlessly focused on targeting areas of new value across the business. Our strategy will evolve further to position Accenture as a leader for today and tomorrow, supporting an economic engine that continues to increase stakeholder value.
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We considered both the Finance organization we want to be today and the organization we need to be in the future.
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I am excited by the journey we’re undertaking—building on our strong legacy of transformation. I’m excited for what it will mean to each of us in Finance, and for what it will mean to Accenture. I invite you to read our full transformation story here.
