Question 8

1. At Accenture the service would run more smoothly if capacity and demand were better matched during the initial phase of the project. At Accenture the major capacity constraint is people. Say for an example, a project requires 3 people with deep knowledge of an SAP HR module. If those 3 people are already on different client engagements, the new customer will have to wait until an acceptable substitute can be found. This waiting time adversely affects the service because it shows that Accenture was not adequately prepared for the work they agreed to. If Accenture has the right people at the right time then the customer wait times will be minimal.
2. Demand and capacity can be kept in line in three ways. First, based on upcoming project work Accenture can hire experienced employees in the area. This ensures that there are people in the pipeline with the right skills for the work. Second, Accenture can hire new employees (such as college grads) who are cheap and also a blank slate. They can train these employees from the outset in the areas that need to be filled. Last, they can train existing employees, during project downtimes on new skills that will help fit the needs of clients.