Vattenfall, one of Europe’s largest electricity and heat retailers and producers, has awarded Accenture (NYSE:ACN) a five-year agreement to digitally transform its human resources (HR) function, including deployment of a new platform and delivery of end-to-end HR services.

Accenture will deliver a full HR as-a-Service offering, including a digital transformation based on SAP® SuccessFactors® solutions, and supported by leading HR applications including ServiceNow, SAP Fieldglass® and Concur® solutions, which will be cloud-based. Innovative technologies Accenture will deploy in the project will include robotics process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence and analytics as part of the business process services.

Stefan Dohler, CFO at Vattenfall, emphasizes that the decision to form strategic partnerships is in line with Vattenfall’s overall strategic direction.

“We have reached an important milestone,” Mr. Dohler said. “Reducing costs is only one objective, getting ‘state-of-the art systems’ suited to a company of Vattenfall’s size and international set-up is just as important. We will also benefit from the further technological developments in that area. These strategic partnerships will improve our competitiveness long-term, as well as allowing Vattenfall to focus on its core business.”

Accenture Operations and Accenture Technology will design, build and implement the full spectrum of HR services for all Vattenfall employees. These include recruitment, contingent worker management, performance management, reward, benefits, learning and training delivery administration, workforce administration, pension administration in Germany and payroll services working with third-party vendors.

Joost van de Meent, Senior Managing Director, Resources, for Accenture, added, “We are delighted that Vattenfall has selected Accenture to collaborate on its HR transformation. Utilities are experiencing many pressures, including the need to be more cost effective while improving the employee experience. This project delivers in both areas more effective HR systems and processes including data analytics capabilities to support more strategic HR decisions.”

Accenture Consulting will work with Vattenfall to provide a global process design to harmonize the HR services and end-user experience in addition to providing change-management support.

“Digital transformation is a key part of our business strategy, and our digital HR transformation project will take us much further on this journey,” said Kerstin Ahlfont, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Vattenfall. “Accenture’s deep industry and technology knowledge and experience will help ensure that our new HR IT systems and processes continuously improve the work environment long term.”

Henrik Tegnér, Managing Director and Vattenfall client account lead at Accenture, added, “We look forward to delivering efficient and high quality HR services to Vattenfall, including improved self service for both managers and employees, which allows Vattenfall to further focus on their strategic priorities”.

Accenture will deliver the services from its delivery centers in, Prague and Mumbai, and Vattenfall’s locations in Stockholm, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Berlin, Forsmark, Ringhals and Lulea.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With more than 401,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

About Vattenfall

Vattenfall is a Swedish, state owned energy company with around 20,000 employees with operations in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, UK and Finland. Vattenfall focuses on growth in business areas that drive the transition to a renewable energy system and has the objective to become leading in sustainable energy production and thereby secure a reliable and cost effective energy supply.

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All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.