Accenture, Commended 2012, The National Grid Best for Innovation Award

Accenture is a global, professional services company employing approximately 9,500 people in the UK.  Accenture has rolled out an innovative programme of video-conferencing technologies to provide viable, alternative ways to hold face to face meetings and a “like being there” meeting experience mitigating travel, time zone differences and the time it takes to get large numbers of people in the same place at the same time.

Accenture recognises the diversity of its employees and is committed to providing a working environment that is tailored to support all its people in achieving the flexibility essential to attracting and retaining the skills and expertise of a balanced workforce.

Through deploying leading edge video-conference and communication options Accenture has appreciated an increase in both meeting attendance and productivity as well as demonstrable employee engagement feedback.  For example, video conferencing tools allow one of the client leads at a US-based healthcare client to have team members work off-site one week each month to reduce travel costs and support better work-life balance.  Another client lead noted that it allowed them to work more efficiently on a project involving 180 people in 20 countries and 12 time zones.  And a UK Leadership meeting for 400 attendees was successfully hosted via video-conference and is now regarded as the benchmark in the company and is being rolled out to countries globally.