Spotlight on Marketing - AccentureWhat were Accenture's key success factors? One of the key factors in Accenture's success has been its timing. “Accenture began life as the consulting arm of the accounting firm Arthur Anderson… In 1989, Anderson Consulting separated from Arthur Anderson in order to position itself against its competitors in IT services” (Keller & Kotler, 1994 /2006, 366). Accenture has been able to leverage its large parent company and use its massive support to focus on becoming an effective and popular name in the consulting market. Leaving Arthur Anderson before the corruption with Enron became public could have saved the company from the same fate as many organizations that suffered from their ties to the accounting firm. By “leaning” on Arthur Anderson at a fortunate time, Accenture was able to properly observe the evolution of the consulting industry and move into the staffing business. In doing so, Accenture has managed to fill a niche by being able to provide the personnel necessary to realize the innovative ideas it offers to its clients. Ian Watmore, Accenture's UK director, says: "If you can't deliver both transformational consulting and outsourcing capabilities, you're not going to win" (Keller & Kotler, 1994/2006, 367).