From operational complexity to structured management that improves efficiency, strengthens credibility, and accelerates business opportunities
Context
Accenture is a global leader in professional services working with some of the world’s most prominent organizations.
In Spain, it operates in highly regulated sectors where sustainability, compliance, and risk management are key factors. In this context, the ability to demonstrate ESG performance in a clear, consistent, and verifiable manner has become a critical element for competitiveness.
The Challenge: Managing Complexity in an Increasingly Demanding Environment
Before integrating Achilles, Accenture faced fragmented and reactive management of sustainability information requests and supplier compliance.
The growing diversity of requirements demanded by its clients meant responding to multiple ESG assessments, each with its own formats, criteria, deadlines, and schedules. This made it difficult to maintain a unified view and complicated information management.
Additionally, the volume of requests (especially in tenders and audits) required maintaining a consistent and up-to-date message at all times, regardless of the client or channel.
“One of the main challenges was the multiplicity of assessments, each with different formats, criteria, and deadlines, which made efficient management of sustainability information requests difficult.” Ana Millán – Responsible Business Director at Accenture
Evidence collection required the participation of multiple internal areas, which increased response times and operational complexity.
“The need to coordinate information from different areas increased the operational burden and made it difficult to ensure consistency and traceability of information.”
Overall, this context generated resource-intensive management, with manual processes, duplications, and limited capacity to prioritize improvements strategically.
The Turning Point: Adapting to New Market Demands
The change was driven directly by client expectations.
With increasing frequency, Accenture needed to be assessed and approved on external platforms such as Achilles to participate in procurement processes, audits, or tenders.
“Our clients began to require assessments through specific platforms as a condition for working with them.”
Working with the Achilles platform as a solution that not only met these requirements but also provided order, consistency, and efficiency.
The Solution: Centralizing Information and Standardizing Management
Using Achilles enabled Accenture to centralize all its ESG information, creating a structured, validated profile aligned with market standards.
This change facilitated more organized assessment management, reduced questionnaire dispersion, and improved traceability of information shared with clients.
“Centralization on a recognized platform allowed us to reduce dispersion and manage information in a more organized and structured manner.”
Furthermore, as it is a standard recognized by multiple clients, the company was able to respond more quickly, consistently, and efficiently to different requirements without having to start from scratch in each process.
Internal Impact: From Reaction to Continuous Improvement
Working with Achilles represented a profound change in how sustainability and compliance requirements requested by clients are addressed.
The use of Achilles enabled Accenture to move from a reactive model to a more structured one, where information is organized, available, and prepared for continuous use.
“We have evolved from a sustainability response management model with multiple submissions to a single-response model via Achilles that is more organized, professionalized, and oriented toward continuous improvement.“
The platform also provided a clearer view for identifying improvement opportunities and defining concrete action plans.
“Score analysis allows us to identify areas for improvement and prioritize actions to continue evolving.”
This translated into more efficient management, better internal coordination, and greater capacity to anticipate client needs.
Tangible Business Benefits
The impact of Achilles has been both operational and strategic.
Internally, the company has reduced document duplication, optimized information management, and achieved significant time savings through the reuse of evidence and standardized documentation.
“The use of a single platform has reduced document duplication and enabled the reuse of audited information, improving efficiency.”
From a commercial perspective, having a recognized assessment has become a key element in tender and due diligence processes.
“Having Achilles approval is now a recurring requirement that improves our eligibility and streamlines sales processes.”
Additionally, ESG recognition (such as the Platinum rating) acts as an independent seal that strengthens the company’s credibility and positioning as a responsible supplier.
Market Perception
This change is also reflected in how Accenture is perceived by its clients.
Today, the company conveys greater clarity, consistency, and readiness to operate in complex and regulated environments.
The ability to respond in an agile and structured manner strengthens trust and reinforces long-term relationships.
“The use of Achilles has improved our ability to respond more quickly, consistently, and transparently to our clients’ requests.”
Looking to the Future
Accenture will continue advancing in the integration of sustainability into its business model, using information as a key tool for decision-making and continuous improvement.
“Achilles has evolved from being an assessment tool requested by clients to becoming a strategic lever for improving our management and anticipating client expectations.“
On this journey, it will continue strengthening its capacity to manage compliance efficiently, consistently, and aligned with new market demands.
