Accenture and Software as a ServiceAccelerating Business Value with SaaS for High Performance

Accenture helped an opensource solutions provider use SaaS to transform itssales force automationapproach and achievestaggering results—a 75percent reduction in errorsrelated to sales orders andthe creation of a dealpipeline that routes 10,000new leads per month.

In today’s highly competitive,economically challenging businessenvironment, organizations areseeking to be more nimble andflexible. Business and IT leaders arefaced with the challenge of improvingperformance, while generating themost from both old and new ITinvestments—attaining this goalinvolves ensuring that all systems andbusiness processes work seamlessly,especially across multiple geographies.

Software as a service (SaaS) is a wayto subscribe to software on-demand,instead of an application that anorganization must buy, maintain and upgrade itself. Because SaaSapplications run on the provider’sservers, the provider managesapplication access and performance.

Using SaaS provides a fundamentallyfaster way to achieve business value.Other benefits of using SaaS include:

• Faster application deployment,especially when integration withERP systems is optimized.

• Rich access to functional andbusiness capabilities, with reduced IT infrastructure and lower up-frontcosts than with on-premisessoftware.

• Greater flexibility to adapt tochanges in business and sales cycles.

• Lower total cost of ownership dueto off-premises hosting of non-coreinfrastructure and inclusion ofmaintenance budgets within service contracts.

• More time for the IT department tofocus on innovation and planningand less on software maintenance,support and management.

• Increased user adoption andperformance, leveraging the take-up of SaaS applications thatbusiness users helped create.

SaaS provides organizations withanother way to improve businessperformance—and accelerate ROI.

Furthermore, SaaS can have a bigimpact on business models because its use encourages the development of processes that span the enterprise,making it easier for a company tobecome even more focused on whatdistinguishes them from thecompetition.

While SaaS is only one tool in thetechnology mix, it has great potentialon the road to high performance.Software as a service providescompanies with another way toimprove business performance andacclerate ROI. For the best results, it is important to determine the optimalmix of SaaS and on-premisestechnology that will work for yourorganization. Accenture can help.

Accenture’s Software as a Service Capabilities

To help clients realize immediatebenefits from SaaS, Accenture offersservices in three areas:

• Providing systems integration andtechnology services for clientsseeking to implement third-partySaaS solutions. For example,Accenture worked with Aon todeploy a piloted solution globally in more than 100 countries at highspeed—an average of eight weeksper region, once the global coresolution was established.

• Assisting clients with planning,developing and hosting their ownSaaS applications to offer to theircustomers. For example, Accentureis advising a communicationscompany on how best to become aSaaS provider to extend its offeringsand break into new segments togain greater market-share andachieve longer retention of moresatisfied customers.

• Building, hosting and runningAccenture’s own SaaS solutions. For example, Navitaire’s onlinebooking system is enabled by SaaS to support the airline industry.Navitaire allows airlines to focus on new revenue opportunities,increase operational efficiency,enhance customer service andoptimize profits.

Why Accenture

Accenture has a proven track record of using SaaS to help organizationsachieve high performance andmeasurable business results. Byidentifying which business processesprovide competitive advantage anddeveloping an end-state business andIT architecture, Accenture helpsorganizations use SaaS across theenterprise to avoid stand-alonedepartmental deployments that hinderthe achievement of impactful results.It also addresses the most commonintegration and data challenges thatare inherent in implementing SaaS for the enterprise.

• Accenture brings the right people to bear on SaaS engagements atthe right time, across 17 industriesand many functional domains.

• Accenture’s highly specialized SaaSexperts, located throughout ourGlobal Delivery Network, arealready trained in the type of SaaSsolutions that our clients want.

• Building on more than 30 years of systems integration and datamanagement experience, ourprofessionals have all thetechnology skills critical toimplementing enterprise-wide SaaS solutions.

Accenture also brings packaged SaaS-specific assets to reduceimplementation time and deliverproven business results. These include:

SaaS Proof of Value AcceleratorThis metrics-driven approach rapidlydeploys technology, with limitedcustomization, within eight to twelveweeks. Both business processes andtechnology are enhanced “inproduction” with a group of pilotparticipants until verifiable revenuegains, cost reductions and/or stand-alone ROI are achieved. The solution is then deployed at scale to yoursatisfaction.

SaaS Elastic Capacity ModelThis tool helps speed SaaS changesacross the enterprise while maintainingstrong controls. This helps to ensurepredictable delivery for bothdevelopment and maintenance –including streamlining processes and governance models betweenbusiness and IT.

Accenture Delivery Methods—SaaSExtension incorporates SaaS bestpractices into its deliverable templatesand estimating models, to help deliverproven results and minimize risk.

Five tips for getting the mostfrom SaaS

1. Exploit the take-up of SaaS at a”grass-roots” level, in parallel with a strategic approach, to define howSaaS can drive sustained businessvalue.

2. Identify the key behavioral changesagainst the business process map,using SaaS-enabled metrics topromote and track the change.

3. Develop an end-state architectureblueprint to guide integration andmaster data management to minimizerework on an iterative cycle.

4. Lay the foundation for new,ongoing collaboration betweenbusiness and IT. Do not underestimatethe impact of organizationaldifferences in support of the SaaS model.

5. Create a learning environmentwhere SaaS enables rapid coursecorrection and incrementaltransformation.

Copyright © 2009 AccentureAll rights reserved.

Accenture, its logo, and High Performance Deliveredare trademarks of Accenture.

ContactFor more information on how theAccenture approach to Software as a Service helps organizations realizehigh performance, please contact:

Saideep Raj, Accenturesaideep.raj@accenture.com+ 1 267 216 1752

About AccentureAccenture is a global managementconsulting, technology services andoutsourcing company. Combiningunparalleled experience,comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions,and extensive research on the world’smost successful companies, Accenturecollaborates with clients to help thembecome high-performance businessesand governments. With more than187,000 people serving clients in over 120 countries, the companygenerated net revenues of US$23.39billion for the fiscal year ended Aug.31, 2008. Its home page iswww.accenture.com