Vodafone and Accenture partner on ‘shared services’

The partnership will give a boost Vodafone’s ‘shared services’ unit called Vodafone Intelligent Solutions, in order to ‘commercialise Vodafone’s shared operations to accelerate growth, enhance customer service and drive significant efficiencies for Vodafone’s operating companies and partner markets, as well as create new career opportunities for its people.’

After the €150 million cash injection from Accenture, Vodafone will retain majority interest, management control and sourcing decisions. The unit will tap into Accenture’s digital solutions, platforms, AI services, and learning capabilities to create new skilling and career paths for employees.

“Today’s announcement is a significant development for Vodafone as we change and simplify the way we work to better serve our customers and drive growth,” said Margherita Della Valle, Group CEO, Vodafone. “The partnership with Accenture opens up new opportunities for our company and our people. We’re excited about the potential of our new commercial shared services organisation and the potential to serve not only Vodafone’s own markets but our Telco partners across the industry.”

Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO, Accenture added: “We are proud to have partnered with Vodafone for over 20 years across many strategic programs. We are excited to take our partnership to a new level with this ground-breaking joint venture that will help power Vodafone’s reinvention and create significant value for their operating companies, partner markets and employees. This move speaks to their ambition to work in entirely new ways, reduce structural complexity, open avenues for growth, create better experiences for their customers and provide additional career paths for their people.”

Ultimately the move is supposed to make Vodafone a more agile and efficient organisation, we’re told, subject to completion of the definitive agreements, which is expected to happen in the Spring of 2024.

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