Accenture was ranked topmost in two recent reports by industry analyst firm HFS Research. The first report covers services providers for Industry 4.0; the second assesses service providers for the Internet of Things (IoT).
According to HFS Research, Industry 4.0 — also called the fourth industrial revolution — is the growing effect automation and data exchange technologies have on manufacturing. These technologies can make manufacturing more productive, reduce its cost, help get products and services to the market quicker and personalise them for a large number of customers.
“The ongoing digitisation deeply affects industrial companies on many levels,” said Nigel Stacey, global lead of Accenture Industry X.0. “Technologies like the IoT shift the value of a product from hardware to software. They also enable industrial facilities that are more and more autonomous. These are significant changes, so companies look to service providers for answers and support. Our double recognition by HFS shows Accenture has become the prime address for businesses wanting to take full advantage of Industry 4.0.”
IoT has become the most critical lever for Industry 4.0 as it forms the backbone for most of the other Industry 4.0 technologies applications, according to HFS. IoT services “either save or make money for a client by employing connected sensors attached to ‘things’ (…) to determine their current state or how their state has changed with time,” based on the data the sensors generate.
“Intelligent devices, industrial facilities, vehicles, and homes all run on the IoT,” said Craig McNeil, a managing director at Accenture Industry X.0. “But to drive real value from it, companies need to treat it like one tool in a toolbox and use it in conjunction with other important tools, such as advanced analytics and artificial intelligence.”
“Accenture leads the way on taking clients towards Industry 4.0, which is a complex concept comprising technical advancements in manufacturing, emerging technologies and applications,” said Tapati Bandopadhyay, research vice president, HFS Research. “Instead of a tech-focused, piecemeal projects view, Accenture takes a holistic, business-first approach that adopts best practices to drive clients’ transformation from traditional to digital.”
Details from both reports
The HFS Industry 4.0 Service Providers 2019 report lists the following Accenture strengths:
- Accenture’s Industry X.0 practice is a partner for the holistic digital transformation of manufacturing, from product and services development and engineering to production, operations and supply chains.
- Accenture has the highest number of Industry 4.0 professionals of the providers evaluated.
- The company has the most clients for Industry 4.0 of companies across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
- It also has the highest number of Industry 4.0-related patents.
- Accenture has increased its industry and technology competency with several successful acquisitions in the Industry 4.0 sector.
According to the HFS IoT Service Providers 2019 report, Accenture’s IoT strengths include:
- Its technical knowledge of how to engineer IoT devices and use IoT data;
- Its experience with IoT projects in the following industries: telecommunications, media, high tech, chemicals, energy, utilities, automotive, manufacturing and industrial equipment;
- Its collaboration on IoT services with leading technology providers and industrial companies;
- Its more than 40 IoT solutions that clients can quickly apply to, for example, mines, chemical plants, construction sites, ports, acreages and vehicle fleets.
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