Accenture announces two deals, acquiring reverse logistics, procurement firms

Accenture continues to expand its supply chain capabilities, announcing the acquisition of two firms this week in the managed services and procurement spaces.

On Thursday, Accenture said it was acquiring The Shelby Group, a provider of digital procurement and optimization services. Earlier in the week, it announced its intention to acquire OnProcess Technology, a provider of supply chain managed services.

Founded in 2002, The Shelby Group is procurement technology consultancy with deep experience in Coupa and Ivalua solutions, Accenture said. Its client base includes manufacturing, financial services, consumer, healthcare and technology industries. With 172 employees, The Shelby Group works to transform procurement operations by increasing spend visibility and task automation and decreasing cost and risk.

It will become part of the Connected Solutions group within Accenture Technology.

Terms were not disclosed.

“In an environment characterized by ongoing disruption, businesses are looking to deliver sustainable savings, reduce risk and support business growth,” said Emma McGuigan, senior managing director and Enterprise & Industry Technologies lead at Accenture. “The depth of The Shelby Group’s digital procurement experience helps us meet growing client demand for sourcing and procurement transformation.”

Earlier in the week, Accenture announced it would acquire OnProcess. Terms for that transaction were also not released.

In a release, Accenture said the acquisition of OnProcess, which specializes in reverse logistic, would enhance its supply chain capabilities, specifically in asset recovery and service supply chain management, and make it easier for clients to manage service orders, drive returns, track movement, and ensure the appropriate reuse, disposal or recycling of assets.

OnProcess specializes in reverse logistics for every step of the after-sales process, leveraging automation, AI and data-led decision-making to maintain visibility from planning to asset recovery.

In the release, Accenture noted the addition of OnProcess will allow it to offer clients supply chain delivery capabilities with integrated after-sales operations. The combined solution will improve operational efficiency and enhance the customer experience, all while supporting a more sustainable supply chain, it said.

“In recent years, supply chains have risen to one of the most important business functions on the CEO agenda. In today’s environment, the challenge is to drive cost efficiency while continuing to embed and accelerate resiliency. This is why we see the focus on supply chain operations as a vital source of competitive advantage,” said Melissa Twiningdavis, senior managing director of supply chain operations, Accenture. “With OnProcess and its highly qualified professionals, we are strengthening our ability to help organizations in their supply chain reinvention efforts, enabling them to leverage domain talent, data and processes, to transform operations successfully.”

Headquartered in Boston, OnProcess has more than 1,500 employees located in the U.S., India, Costa Rica and Bulgaria. Clients cover a diverse cross-section of industries, including communications, media and technology, medical devices, logistics and manufacturing.

OnProcess was majority owned by global investment firm Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office.

Accenture has been building out its supply chain capabilities. Other acquisitions Accenture has made in the space include Xoomworks Group, a consulting and technology company headquartered in London that specializes in procurement technology, digital innovation and software solutions development; ClearEdge Partners, a firm specializing in procurement spend management, headquartered in Boston; MacGregor Partners, a supply chain consultancy and technology provider specializing in intelligent logistics and warehouse management, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina; and Blue Horseshoe, a supply chain management and strategy consulting firm and systems integrator headquartered in Carmel, Indiana.