Accenture's IT Challenge
Presented by TechVibe
The World of Accenture
Accenture
Competitors Clients
Introduction to AccentureA management consulting and
technology services companyNet revenues of $11.57 billion for
2002 fiscal yearMore than 80,000 employeesMore than 110 offices in 47
countries
CompetitorsTridion, a management support
and content delivery specialist serving Europe and based in the Netherlands
A.T. Kearney, another multinational firm with management expertise
Teleca USA Incorporated, a multinational firm based in San Diego, California specializing in technical services
ClientsDell, with a need to upgrade their
manufacturing infrastructure and reduce inventory
AT&T, with a desire to learn the science of supply chain management
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines which wanted a new IT system and online booking
Fiat Auto which wanted to be the first European car manufacturer to embrace the web as a way to purchase cars
The IT ProjectWhy undertake the project?Upgrade or Rebuild entirely?Outsource relocation requirements4 days of documentation, 2 days of
relocation, 2 weeks to setup overall
Hierarchy of the IS DepartmentManager – Designs the
infrastructure. Known as “The Boss.”
Supervisor – Allocates tasks compliant with design specifications to liaisons
Liaisons – Actual implementersAssociates – Responsible for the
infrastructure and troubleshooting
IT Hierarchy Figure
Manager
Liaison
Supervisor
Liaison Liaison Liaison
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
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TechnologySwitches and RoutersDomain ControllerLotus NotesSQL – Structured Query Language
– Examples – MS SQL Server, OracleActive DirectoryFDDIWindows NT ServerSAP – Systems, Applications, and Products
in Data Processing– Example – mySAP Business Suite
The Reborn IT Structure1 PDC server, 1 SQL server, 1 mail
server, 1 Lotus server, 1 print server, and 1 test server
Remember the IS Hierarchy – it applies here as well
IS Department Manager – “The Dictator”– Has access to all domains– Grants or restricts access
Access Figure
User
DC
Domain 1 Domain 2
Domain 3
Resource 1 Resource 2
Resource 3
WORK DATABASE
Connections Between Servers and Domains
BDC
SQL
TEST
LOTUS
PDC
SERVERS
DOMAIN 1USERPOOL
RESOURCES
DOMAIN 3USERPOOL
RESOURCES
DOMAIN 2USERPOOL
RESOURCES
EXTERNALSERVER
USERS PRIOR TO VALIDATION
DOMAINSETTINGS
BenefitsAdheres to accepted IS concepts of
Automation, Security, and ComplianceAutomatedTest server for testing new updates
without affecting the “real” structureStrict Security – Access is based on
employee job descriptionMore Security - Only those that
implemented the system are allowed to change it
System monitors
DrawbacksDatedSome upgrades must still be done
manuallyOnly prominent problems will trigger the
system monitorsUses a RAID 1 system, versus the
currently more popular RAID 5Based on the Windows 9x architecture
and thus inherits every flaw and instability problem and so has a weak foundation
Overall ImpressionDespite problems, the IS department is
never overworkedMost problems encountered are minorEven though the foundation may be
weak, it was the best at the moment of implementation
Still manages to meet the IS goals of Compliance, Security, and Automation
Overall Grade: A
All graphics were used without the expressed permission of the author(s).