August 17, 2015

Accenture Acquires Total Logistics, Adding Powerful Management Consulting and Technology Consulting Capabilities in Retail Supply Chain and Logistics


LONDON; Aug. 17, 2015 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has acquired Total Logistics, an independent logistics and supply chain consultancy based in Wokingham, UK. The acquisition will strengthen Accenture’s supply chain capabilities and enhance its ability to help companies across multiple industries – particularly retail and consumer goods – provide their customers with interactive shopping experiences on any device at any time.

Total Logistics’ capabilities will become part of Accenture Consulting, which helps clients across all industries transform to compete in today’s digital world. Initially, Accenture will leverage Total Logistics’ supply chain and logistics strengths to support clients in the retail and consumer goods industries. Over time, Accenture will extend Total Logistics’ capabilities to other industries, including life sciences, automotive and industrial equipment.

Total Logistics has a wealth of experience working with clients to optimize their distribution networks and improve the performance of their supply chains. The company helps retailers and their suppliers move products more smoothly through the supply chain, enabling them to improve service performance while reducing costs.

“Consumers’ expectations to shop using any channel they choose and still get fast and reliable delivery poses logistical and financial challenges for retailers,” said Lucy Larkin, managing director in Accenture’s Retail practice in the UK. “In this environment, it becomes critical for retailers to transform their supply chain models to enable a more real-time, digitally enabled service. The acquisition of Total Logistics ensures that we are well-equipped to help our clients achieve better business outcomes from their digital transformation programs.”

Andy Keith, the managing director of Total Logistics, said, “Total Logistics has more than 25 years of experience working with clients on strategy, design and implementation in the supply chain and logistics sector. As part of Accenture – with its broad industry skills and global reach – we will be able to help clients transform their businesses and make sure they are prepared to better serve their customers both now and in the future.”

Total Logistics is the second acquisition that Accenture has made recently in the UK to strengthen its retail and consumer goods capabilities and enhance its strategic consulting capabilities in supply chain and logistics. In June, the company acquired Javelin Group, a UK-based retail strategy consulting and digital transformation services provider.

About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 336,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “positioned,” “outlook” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These include, without limitation, risks that: the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for the company; the company’s results of operations could be adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company’s clients’ businesses and levels of business activity; the company’s business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company’s services and solutions, and a significant reduction in such demand could materially affect the company’s results of operations; if the company is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company’s business, the utilization rate of the company’s professionals and the company’s results of operations may be materially adversely affected; the markets in which the company competes are highly competitive, and the company might not be able to compete effectively; the company could have liability or the company’s reputation could be damaged if the company fails to protect client and/or company data or information systems as obligated by law or contract or if the company’s information systems are breached; the company’s results of operations and ability to grow could be materially negatively affected if the company cannot adapt and expand its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings by new entrants; the company’s results of operations could materially suffer if the company is not able to obtain sufficient pricing to enable it to meet its profitability expectations; if the company does not accurately anticipate the cost, risk and complexity of performing its work or if the third parties upon whom it relies do not meet their commitments, then the company’s contracts could have delivery inefficiencies and be less profitable than expected or unprofitable; the company’s results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the company’s profitability could suffer if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful, and the company may not be able to improve its profitability through improvements to cost-management to the degree it has done in the past; the company’s business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; the company’s work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; the company might not be successful at identifying, acquiring or integrating businesses or entering into joint ventures; the company’s Global Delivery Network is increasingly concentrated in India and the Philippines, which may expose it to operational risks; changes in the company’s level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in the company’s treatment as an Irish company, could have a material adverse effect on the company’s results of operations and financial condition; as a result of the company’s geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue geographic expansion, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; adverse changes to the company’s relationships with key alliance partners or in the business of its key alliance partners could adversely affect the company’s results of operations; the company’s services or solutions could infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company might lose its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others; if the company is unable to protect its intellectual property rights from unauthorized use or infringement by third parties, its business could be adversely affected; the company’s ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; many of the company’s contracts include payments that link some of its fees to the attainment of performance or business targets and/or require the company to meet specific service levels, which could increase the variability of the company’s revenues and impact its margins; if the company is unable to collect its receivables or unbilled services, the company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be adversely affected; if the company is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; the company’s share price and results of operations could fluctuate and be difficult to predict; the company’s results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; any changes to the estimates and assumptions that the company makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; the company may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the “Risk Factors” heading in Accenture plc’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture’s expectations.

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Contact:

Molly McDonagh
Accenture
+ 44 7825 023 622
molly.mcdonagh@accenture.com