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My experience with Accenture over the years, which may or may not be representative of the IT services branch, is that they hire for cheap at their centers in I

My experience with Accenture over the years, which may or may not be representative of the IT services branch, is that they hire for cheap at their centers in India, and bill 50x of what they pay the workers. I have nothing against them. I understand that Accenture goes for the lowest pay possible. Quality is delivered accordingly. Smart and experienced engineers in places like India have better things to do than working for Accenture. It is still fascinating to see how big companies with supposedly smart people, keep overpaying for these IT mills. There is not a single one I have interacted with (Atos, Accenture, Tata), that hasn't provided a subpar service for a sky high fee.

game_the0ry 4y ago
> It is still fascinating to see how big companies with supposedly smart people, keep overpaying for these IT mills. Blame management for this one - they still think that tech is an operational cost overhead, not a strategic long-term interest, for their companies, which is why a company like hertz paid a company like accenture $32 million for a site that was never delivered.
datavirtue 4y ago
People cite these big numbers but the typical Tata-like reality is $70-80 an hour billed with $40-50 paid to the developer. The guy you have to wake up three or four times a day. This is much lower than the local consultancies which need at least $125 an hour with $80-90 going to the dev. I have seen the same contractor kept around for 12 years, slapped down upon applying for FTE after ten years (GE). They would rather pay more than allow them into the FTE ranks--unless their pedigree fits. Humiliating. I used to hire and manage contractors as an FTE and was a contractor initially at GE. As such, I participated in the yearly consultancy hourly negotiations and onboarding with HR. Had a spreadsheet with all of the consultants and their hourly rates for our division. When I hired I would only consider the $125 and up candidates. I work at a small consultancy now where I'm a partner. We don't do any business with GE but we do contract with other large companies willing to pay our rates. And they do so happily, even through pandemics and downturns. Our consultants keep the majority of the billing rate--save for expenses like office space and other business expenses and the "sales team" (some of which also bill). FTEs overall are the lowest paid. Even the "managers." Few evaluate the deal because they reason that they get severance or will not be laid off as readily. Ignoring the fact that the contractor already built in the severance and doesn't want to go to the Christmas party.

game_the0ry 4y ago

> It is still fascinating to see how big companies with supposedly smart people, keep overpaying for these IT mills. Blame management for this one - they still think that tech is an operational cost overhead, not a strategic long-term interest, for their companies, which is why a company like hertz paid a company like accenture $32 million for a site that was never delivered.

datavirtue 4y ago

People cite these big numbers but the typical Tata-like reality is $70-80 an hour billed with $40-50 paid to the developer. The guy you have to wake up three or four times a day. This is much lower than the local consultancies which need at least $125 an hour with $80-90 going to the dev. I have seen the same contractor kept around for 12 years, slapped down upon applying for FTE after ten years (GE). They would rather pay more than allow them into the FTE ranks--unless their pedigree fits. Humiliating. I used to hire and manage contractors as an FTE and was a contractor initially at GE. As such, I participated in the yearly consultancy hourly negotiations and onboarding with HR. Had a spreadsheet with all of the consultants and their hourly rates for our division. When I hired I would only consider the $125 and up candidates. I work at a small consultancy now where I'm a partner. We don't do any business with GE but we do contract with other large companies willing to pay our rates. And they do so happily, even through pandemics and downturns. Our consultants keep the majority of the billing rate--save for expenses like office space and other business expenses and the "sales team" (some of which also bill). FTEs overall are the lowest paid. Even the "managers." Few evaluate the deal because they reason that they get severance or will not be laid off as readily. Ignoring the fact that the contractor already built in the severance and doesn't want to go to the Christmas party.