Accenture snaps up Italy’s PLM Systems in digital engineering push

May 19, 2020

Professional services company Accenture has expanded its footprint in digital engineering with the planned acquisition of systems integrator, PLM Systems. Turin-based PLM – which specializes in designing and building IT systems for product lifecycle management across automotive, industrial equipment, and defense and aerospace companies – will join Accenture’s Industry X.0 innovation hub in Italy.

Accenture said the acquisition of PLM Systems would strengthen its ability to help clients improve how they generate, manage and benefit from product data in design, engineering and manufacturing. Digital technologies like artificial intelligence are taking product lifecycle management to a new level, said Nigel Stavey, managing director and global lead of Accenture Industry X.0.

“This offers industrial companies a huge opportunity to transform a core business function – engineering. PLM Systems’ expertise and experience in product lifecycle management will allow us to help clients make the best use of their product data.”

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Industry X.0 is Accenture’s digital transformation business unit focusing on the use of technologies like IoT, analytics, AI, robotics and 3D printing to improve how industrial companies operate their facilities, as well as design, engineer and manufacture products.

Product lifecycle management systems help companies manage all relevant information about a product from its inception to its disposal, which can be used in engineering and other functions to innovate and manage new products.

The planned acquisition of PLM Systems marks the next stage of a growth strategy by Accenture to expand critical skills and capabilities in strategic, high-growth areas, Accenture said.

It marks the fourth digital manufacturing advisory, services and solutions provider that Accenture has acquired over the past 12 months, following Callisto Integration in Canada, Silveo in France and Enterprise System Partners in Ireland.

Other recent acquisitions Accenture has made to strengthen its Industry X.0 business include German embedded software company ESR Labs, Dutch product design and innovation agency VanBerlo, US engineering firm Nytec, and Germany-based strategic design consultancy, designaffairs.