Accenture will expand its portfolio of consulting services by acquiring automaker Stellantis’ World Class Manufacturing Training & Consulting business unit.

Stellantis was formed in 2019 through the merger of auto industry heavyweights Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group, the parent company of Peugeot. The company has about 300,000 employees across more than 130 countries.

Accenture, in turn, is one of the world’s largest IT consultancies with annual revenue of more than $50 billion.

The World Class Manufacturing Training & Consulting business unit that Accenture is buying from Stellantis works with plant operators to implement the WCM manufacturing methodology. The methodology, Accenture and Stellantis’ claim, increases operational efficiency at plants.

WCM is designed to help manufacturers make improvements in areas such as workplace safety, production line maintenance, quality control and logistics.

The reason why it caught Accenture’s attention is that the methodology not only comes with big promises but is also widely used in the auto industry. One prominent adopter is Stellantis, which has implemented WCM at dozens of its auto plants.

The fact that WCM is already proven in the field, and at one of the world’s largest automakers at that, will make it easier for Accenture to sell manufacturing clients on the methodology.

For Accenture, another important detail is that the usefulness of WCM is not limited to the auto sector. According to Stellantis, its World Class Manufacturing Training & Consulting business unit has carried out WCM projects for companies in a variety of markets ranging from consumer goods to aerospace.

The fact that WCM can be applied in multiple industries means there is a large pool of potential clients for Accenture to target. This will make it that much easier for the consulting giant to realize a return on its investment.

“The current macro-economic environment has increased the urgency to optimize business processes, particularly in manufacturing and supply chain,” commented Mauro Macchi, Accenture’s market unit lead in Italy.

After it completes the acquisition of Stellantis’ World Class Manufacturing Training & Consulting unit, Accenture plans to implement the WCM methodology in several of its consulting offerings.

In particular, Accenture intends to work with plant operators to improve their manufacturing capabilities and implement what it describes as a culture of improvement. Using the assets gained through the acquisition, Accenture will also support clients’ efforts to make their supply chains more reliable and sustainable.

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