Welcome back to another weekly round-up of consulting M&A. We have lots to cover this week because there have been deals galore, especially with big consulting firms like BCG, Accenture, and EY making their presence felt. We’ll be looking at them, plus some other consulting M&A deals during the week.
#1. Accenture adds Eclipse to its Industry X offering
Accenture, one of the top IT consulting firms in the world, has added approximately 800 staff to its digital engineering and manufacturing service line with the purchase of Eclipse Automation. The Canada-based company joins Accenture Industry X for an undisclosed sum, thereby enhancing its offers in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Eclipse Automation, founded in 2001, has spent over two decades deploying solutions for prominent manufacturers in the life sciences, transport, consumer products, nuclear energy, and electronics industries. In that period, the company developed sophisticated automated systems for medical equipment, sustainable energy efforts, and electric vehicles, among others.
Accenture’s acquisition of Eclipse Automation was done in order to help clients build factories of the future while offering automated production lines that leverage the cloud, data, and artificial intelligence (AI), making factories and plants smarter.
#2. OnePLM joins the group for digital transformation backed by investors
OnePLM, one of Siemens Digital Industries’ largest partners in the UK and Ireland, has been acquired by private equity firm Holland Capital. Moreover, Magnus Digital, Dimensys, Cards PLM Solutions, and Appronto are joining forces with OnePLM and other digital transformation-focused portfolio companies.
OnePLM was first known as Cutting Edge Solutions, but in 2019, soon after acquiring Majenta (2018) and TEAM Engineering, it changed to its current name. Besides, the company is based just outside of Oxford and provides services for managing product lifecycles and assets. It works with the manufacturing industry and offers consulting, engineering, software, and training services.
Speaking about the acquisition, the Managing Partner at Holland Capital stated that this will strengthen the group’s leading position within the digital transformation consulting and solutions landscape.
#3. Accenture adds The Beacon Group to its strategy practice
Accenture, a top IT consulting firm, made a second acquisition during the week by purchasing The Beacon Group, a growth strategy consulting firm based in Portland, Maine.
The Beacon Group, which was founded in the year 2001, has more than 60 experts delivering consulting in growth strategy, market modeling, and M&A to large companies in aerospace, healthcare, life sciences, industrial, and technology.
The deal sees Accenture roll its new acquisition (the Beacon Group) into its Accenture strategy division that includes several offerings in various fields including cost-centered transformation, intelligent operating models, and M&A.
#4. BCG buys AI software firm Formation
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has purchased Formation, a San Francisco-based startup that offers a dynamic offer optimization and personalization solution powered by artificial intelligence.
BCG Ventures, the consultancy’s corporate innovation and digital business building branch, spun off and formed a new company called Formation in 2015. Retail, grocery, and e-commerce firms can send millions of one-to-one offers thanks to the company’s dynamic offer software. First-party consumer data is used by the Formation platform to build offers that are tailored, tracked, measured, and machine-learned optimized.
The acquisition of Formation by the Boston Consulting Group will help the firm build on its prior investments in AI-enabled software. Moreover, the expansion will help BCG in delivering technology that increases customer lifetime value and at the same time, the speed at which they can develop cutting-edge software at BCG.
#5. EY acquires sustainability consulting firm Afara
EY Canada has purchased Afara, a Calgary-based sustainability-focused management consulting firm.
Afara, which was founded in the year 2014 by Dan Zilnik, has 14 employees across offices in Calgary and Toronto. By combining policy and regulatory expertise, engineering and science, behavioral economics, and management consulting, the company assists firms in enhancing their sustainable performance.
The acquisition of Afara by EY Canada will increase its capacity for sustainability and ESG advice. Moreover, the company’s strategy consulting division, EY-Parthenon, will welcome Zilnik and his team with open arms.
#6. Water specialist Westhoff Engineering joins CIMA+
Westhoff Engineering Resources, a Calgary-based engineering firm specializing in water resource management, has been bought by CIMA+, a design and engineering consulting firm based in Laval, Quebec.
Westhoff Engineering, founded in 1996, offers engineering and environmental services for water resource projects, including planning and design, construction, inspections, and auditing. The team of engineers and biologists at the boutique firm have extensive experience with novel approaches to stormwater management, such as wetland and stormwater integration, low-impact development, and modeling to design and assess drainage systems.
CIMA+’s acquisition of Westhoff will help the firm strengthen its environmental capabilities nationwide. Moreover, speaking of the deal, one of the top officials at CIMA+ stated that their clients will now have access to a wider array of expertise and services under one banner because of its new acquisition.
#7. Accenture buys supply chain IT consultancy Inspirage
Accenture, one of the top IT consulting firms in the world has made another purchase (THIRD!) this week by acquiring Inspirage, an Oracle-focused supply chain IT consulting firm based in Bellevue, Washington.
Inspirage, a company founded in 2007, is an Oracle Platinum Partner that serves clients in product-based industries such as high-tech, life sciences, manufacturing, consumer goods, retail, and oil & gas. Since 2012, the company has been an Oracle Cloud/Fusion Co-Development Partner and has provided consulting and implementation services in areas such as digital transformation, customer experience, product lifecycle management, supply chain management, logistics management, and enterprise resource planning (ERP).
Accenture’s acquisition of Inspirage will aid the firm in improving its Oracle Cloud business group’s supply chain capabilities.
#8. ACA Group purchases Focus 1 Associates
Focus 1 Associates, a company that offers regulatory compliance services to wealth management, private equity, hedge fund, and diversified financial services companies, has been acquired by ACA Group, governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) consultancy with a focus on clients in the financial services industry.
Focus 1 was established in 2005 with a focus on helping SEC-registered investment advisors with their compliance requirements. Focus 1 offers a la carte compliance testing and review services, annual compliance reviews, mock SEC examinations, and compliance training.
The acquisition of Focus 1 by ACA will strengthen the company’s compliance advisory practice, which includes registration and filing, program development and enhancement, reviews and mock exams, training and education, inspection support, and managed services.
#9. Other consulting M&A deals
- Clearwater completes acquisition of cyber consultancy CynergisTek
- EY’s top leaders approve split of audit and consulting business
Closing Thoughts
Thank you for reading! That wraps up this week’s consulting M&A news. If we missed any, then please write to us and let us know. We’ll be back again next week for another consulting M&A round-up. Until next time, stay safe, and see you soon!