Some giveth, some taketh away

Several weeks ago, Accenture announced a shake-up in its executive leadership and services, in what was billed as a reorganization “to drive future growth.” Meanwhile, Accenture realigned two of its growth platforms into technology (combining systems integration and technology with application and infrastructure outsourcing) and business process outsourcing (now a one-stop shop of industry-specific and cross-industry services). These changes, along with a host of other new group leadership roles being filled, will take effect at the beginning of Accenture’s fiscal year on September 1, 2009. The firm also announced that it would invest in new growth areas, including health care, analytics, digital services, mobility, emerging technologies and key geographic markets.

And those aren't the only changes afoot at Accenture. Late last week, the firm announced that it would be "streamlining" by cutting 7 percent of senior executives and reducing its real estate capacity. Those changes amount to roughly 336 jobs, and are expected to take place during Q1 of FY2010 (which starts on September 1).

These cuts are also billed as part of the firm's grand plan to "drive future growth and profitability." “As part of our drive to deliver high performance—both for Accenture and for our clients—and the implementation of our comprehensive human capital strategy, which defines our global talent and leadership models, we are acting boldly to better position Accenture for both short-term economic improvement and for long-term growth and profitability,” said Accenture Chairman and CEO William D. Green.

Wipro, also looking to drive growth and profitability, is going about the task in a completely different way. Looking to strengthen the consulting and customer management skills of its frontline employees, the firm has launched a consulting academy in the U.S. Called the EAS (Enterprise Application Services) Consulting Academy, the initiative aims to improve customer satisfaction by inculcating the right behaviors in its employees. The academy offers a six-month certification program (made up of both classroom and on-the-job training) to all Wipro employees who engage with clients.