Accenture Report Shows How Investing in Human Capital Increases Corporate Productivity and Revenue Growth

A new book by Montgomery Research and Accenture (NYSE: ACN) on the value of human capital management explores the links between human performance and business performance, including how investing in human capital processes can increase productivity and revenue growth.

Providing insights into the human resources industry from some of the world's leading practitioners, the book, "People, Performance, Profit," investigates the ways that evolving organizational culture and new employee attitudes are changing the face of the industry. The book offers insights into organizational change and business restructuring on topics such as recruitment outsourcing, talent acquisition and retention, and succession planning.

Coming at a critical time for companies seeking to develop employees and create leaders, "People, Performance, Profit" explores innovative approaches to leadership development that blend formal training, electronic learning, coaching and knowledge sharing. "The best corporate leaders focus on attracting and retaining people with the right skills and character and developing them into leaders," said Peter Cheese, managing partner of Accenture's Human Performance practice. "This book offers fresh insight to executives who understand that people are their greatest competitive asset and who want to create an environment in which those people can thrive."

"People, Performance, Profit" and its accompanying website (www.people-project.com) were developed as decision-support tools for human resource leaders facing the challenges of attracting and retaining the right people to an organization. The book features interviews with industry leaders about how to increase overall business performance through investments in human capital. It also addresses the use of technology to improve human resource functions, such as recruitment and assessment, through white papers and case studies from major human resources suppliers and partners, including Absentys, Cognos, DoubleStar, PeopleClick, SAP, Spherion, Washington Mutual and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

"Companies are experiencing more pressure than ever to provide superior financial results," said Barry Jacobs, the book's publisher. "Downsizing, relocating and outsourcing are affecting companies' bottom lines and corporate identities in various ways. These pressures, along with increased globalization and domestic competition, require that organizations everywhere develop flexible, agile responses to changing market conditions."

"People, Performance, Profit" can be ordered online at www.people-project.com.

About Montgomery Research

Montgomery Research, Inc. publishes thought leadership initiatives that focus on the convergence of business and technology. Montgomery Research works in partnership with e-business visionaries and experts to define industry trends. Find out more about Montgomery Research at www.mriresearch.com.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With deep industry and business process expertise, broad global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilize the right people, skills and technologies to help clients improve their performance. With more than 110,000 people in 48 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$13.67 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2004. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

Contact: Barry Jacobs Publisher Montgomery Research, Inc. Tel: 415-397-2400 b.jacobs@mriresearch.com Laura Schneider Accenture Tel: 845-362-5093 Laura.schneider@accenture.com