back to article Accenture: DOGE's federal procurement review is hurting our sales

Accenture says federal procurement projects are continuing to slow since Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency began reviewing ways to cut costs last month, and this is directly impacting its business. The admonition came in a conference call to discuss the latest earnings for Accenture's Q2 of fiscal 2025 [PDF], …

  1. Admiral Grace Hopper

    Ah, Ace Ventura

    Having worked on a project that had to interface with another system delivered (well, sorta kinda) and supported (well, sorta kinda) by Accenture my sympathy is rather constrained.

    1. ecofeco Silver badge

      Re: Ah, Ace Ventura

      You are far more kind than they deserve.

      1. tezboyes

        Re: Ah, Ace Ventura

        Funnily enough, some of us have dealt with them under more than one name. TBF they're not worse than the rest, all of whom prey on Gov contracts.

        But it doesn't take dog-e to work out that spaffing money to those consultancies is one of the most costly inefficiencies. Just employ staff at a decent wage

    2. Groo The Wanderer - A Canuck

      Re: Ah, Ace Ventura

      Accenture and their ilk really are the biggest sources of government waste and overhead. They're notorious for "underestimating" costs and billing extra after the contract has been signed, while delivering everything horribly late and with shitty quality.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Playing the world's smallest violin

    Perfect opportunity to fill the increasing gaps in the Kennedy Center programming. As one door closes...

  3. that one in the corner Silver badge
    Headmaster

    The GSA's guidance would determinate contracts

    "Would make the contracts determinate" or "would set determinate limits/values/whatever on/in the contracts" or ...

    Or do you think he has just said the the GSA would "terminate" any non-critical contracts?

    With grammar like that they deserve all they get.

    1. abend0c4 Silver badge

      Re: The GSA's guidance would determinate contracts

      That's what I originally thought, but, according to dictionary.com, 'determinate' can - in American English - be used as a verb to mean 'identify', so the sentence does make sense in that context. But it smacks of consultant speak - pompously unclear.

      1. jlturriff

        Re: The GSA's guidance would determinate contracts

        Certainly sounds like an Americanism; sort of like "oversight," which to me means something overlooked, as opposed to "overview."

    2. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: The GSA's guidance would determinate contracts

      Reinstate them after a court rules then to have been illegally terminated?

      1. W.S.Gosset Silver badge

        Re: The GSA's guidance would determinate contracts

        So far, every Court ruling has either:

        * breached the Constitution, or

        * refused to say what the legal basis of the ruling is.

        My "favourite" was the judge who got furious at a lawyer pointing out the case failed instantly and unambiguously on Constitutional grounds, and declared that "the Constitution does not apply in my Court!".

        Closest thing to an honest judge we've seen in this farce yet.

        1. Andrew Scott Bronze badge

          Re: The GSA's guidance would determinate contracts

          Are you a lawyer?

  4. codejunky Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Envy

    Just imagine the same being said for capita and such over here in the UK. Over here we have this instead- https://order-order.com/2025/03/20/central-government-workers-hits-highest-ever-level-as-public-sector-grows/

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Envy

      Enjoying a Brexit benefit? LOL

      1. codejunky Silver badge

        Re: Envy

        @AC

        "Enjoying a Brexit benefit? LOL"

        Yes but what does brexit or its benefits have to do with this?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Envy

          All that stuff EU bureaucrats did? UK had to replicate it. Brexit benefit. Add it to the list.

          o Blue Passports

          o Pint Glasses

          o Cheaper Tampons

          o Wine Blended From Leftovers

          o Sunlit Uplands

          o Cake Eating

          o More Civil Servants

          1. SundogUK Silver badge

            Re: Envy

            "All that stuff EU bureaucrats did"

            You have heard of Pournelle's Iron Law...

            "In any bureaucracy, the people devoted to the benefit of the bureaucracy itself always get in control and those dedicated to the goals that the bureaucracy is supposed to accomplish have less and less influence, and sometimes are eliminated entirely."

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Envy

          Everything. Brexit has everything to do with what is happening to the UK right now.

          Smaller. Weaker. More isolated.

          Tragic. Sad. Avoidable.

          1. codejunky Silver badge

            Re: Envy

            @AC

            "Everything. Brexit has everything to do with what is happening to the UK right now.

            Smaller. Weaker. More isolated."

            I am guessing you are in continental Europe or something? I dont know where you are reading your propaganda but our country's problems are not due to brexit but due to the covid overreaction and the current government. Leaving the EU has kept our situation from being much worse.

            1. Eclectic Man Silver badge
              FAIL

              Re: Envy

              codejunky: our country's problems are not due to brexit but due to the covid overreaction and the current government

              The previous government was Conservative for 14 years. They instigated unnecessary austerity (based on a seriously flawed analysis of national economies borrowing large amounts of money - the purported analysis literally missed off the successful ones at the bottom of the spreadsheet from their arithmetic). They cancelled the Sure Start programme which had been shown to be of enormous benefit to deprived children, they starved public services of funds and resources, and only left office when Rishi Sunak decided that he could not be the Tory PM who stood up in the House of Commons and had to defend letting lots of criminals out o prison because 'the Party of Law and Order' had so mismanaged things that they had literally run out of prison places.

              The litany of disasters perpetrated by the Tories when in power is a nightmare failed privatisation of the Probation service, failure of managing the railways, cutting the Police by 20,000 officers, reducing funds for environmental protection etc. etc.

              The current government has inherited an appallingly bad financial situation from the Tories' last 14 years of misgovernment, made worse by both Brexit and Johnson's incompetence at managing the Covid-19 pandemic (it was allegedly ' the wrong crisis for this skillset').

              I am not claiming that the current Labour government is perfect, but to blame them entirely for the current situation is to ignore history.

              As for 'where I am reading my propaganda from', I live in the UK and only have to open my eyes to what is happening around me, the boarded up shops in the shopping centres and on the high street, the prevalence of people begging on the street, the potholes in the roads etc. I also do sometimes read those dangerously subversive left-wing articles in papers like 'The Financial Times'.

              This has been getting worse for over 14 years. Oh, and no, I don't live in some deserted old 'heavy industry' town abandoned by industrialists because of luny lefties, I live in Reading, Berkshire.

              1. codejunky Silver badge

                Re: Envy

                @Eclectic Man

                "The previous government was Conservative for 14 years"

                Please dont mistake my comment for praising the cons for 14 years. Since 2008 none of the governments had much success and that problem was primed by labour before then.

                "They instigated unnecessary austerity (based on a seriously flawed analysis of national economies borrowing large amounts of money - the purported analysis literally missed off the successful ones at the bottom of the spreadsheet from their arithmetic)."

                I disagree that there was austerity (they kept spending more, just not as much more as Brown planned). But if they did wouldnt they have borrowed less money?

                "The current government has inherited an appallingly bad financial situation from the Tories"

                Absolutely. Where the cons were doing 'managed decline' I do feel this gov is giving up on the managed part. The last election was drastically short of good options.

                "As for 'where I am reading my propaganda from'"

                Were you the coward? I am assuming not as you generally put your name to your comments. They were blaming our issues on brexit while I think we can agree we have problems closer to home (gov) even if we disagree over brexit. Even if we disagree over covid being an overreaction or not we can also agree it was economically damaging.

                1. Anonymous Coward
                  Anonymous Coward

                  Re: Envy

                  So are you saying Brexit WASN’T economically damaging?

                  1. codejunky Silver badge

                    Re: Envy

                    @AC

                    "So are you saying Brexit WASN’T economically damaging?"

                    Assuming you are the coward who wrote this-

                    "Everything. Brexit has everything to do with what is happening to the UK right now.

                    Smaller. Weaker. More isolated."

                    Brexit is not the reason for our current economic situation. Brexit did mean a short disruption as being in the EU skewed our trade (the point of being in). Being out has had far greater benefits even with the terrible withdrawal agreement aimed at appeasing remainers. Our economic situation is very much of our own governments (this and previous governments) decisions on our domestic policies.

                    1. ChodeMonkey Silver badge
                      Thumb Up

                      Re: Envy

                      "Being out has had far greater benefits"

                      Well argued, Madam. Rejoice!

                      Now be so kind as to list these glorious sunlit upland benefits. So everyone can revel in this brave new world!

    2. This post has been deleted by its author

  5. Eclectic Man Silver badge
    Meh

    Gosh!

    Who would have thought that cancelling lots of government contracts wold result in major consultancy firms having reduced revenues?

    The share price for Accenture slid 7.3 percent to $300.91 as the market closed yesterday, and is down 15 percent since President Donald Trump was inaugurated for the second time.

    The cynic in me wants to know who shorted Accenture, Capita, McKinsey etc. stock in mid January.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Gosh!

      Nancy Pelosi.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Gosh!

      "The cynic in me wants to know who shorted Accenture, Capita, McKinsey etc. stock in mid January."

      I would bet the name starts with Elon, any relative or the likes.

      1. SundogUK Silver badge

        Re: Gosh!

        I doubt he bothered. It's not like he needs it.

    3. sanmigueelbeer Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Gosh!

      Anderson Consulting Accenture is "holding the phone wrong".

      Put Donate $5mil into the Trump/Vance campaign and seek an "audience" with Trump over at Mar-y-Lago and the rest will get "sorted".

      You've gotta spend money to make money.

      1. SundogUK Silver badge

        Re: Gosh!

        Meh. They backed the slow horse.

    4. W.S.Gosset Silver badge
      Go

      Re: Gosh!

      >The cynic in me wants to know who shorted Accenture, Capita, McKinsey etc. stock in mid January.

      After the first DOGE results reveals, and knowing they'll be looking at ALL of govt, and knowing full well what the REAL "business" model of Accenture etc is from their insider perspective,

      I would assume approx.100% of the staff were up to their eyeballs on max-margined Shorts the next day.

  6. Locomotion69 Bronze badge

    A challange!

    There is, however, an "opportunity" to help consolidate, modernize, and reinvent the federal government to drive a whole new level of "efficiency,"

    I hope Mrs. Sweet is not referring to this in the meaning of "making our own services obsolete". Accenture's shareholders will not be happy about that...

  7. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    There'll be plenty of contracts later to pick up the pieces and try to patch them back together to make a working whole.

    1. GoneFission
      Devil

      But to be awarded those you have to firmly be on the current administration's shortlist for consideration. I have no doubt Accenture can scrounge up a Washington-adjacent Christian nationalist from the Seven Mountain Mandate / Ziklag cult to shake hands with just the right people though, so investors need not worry.

  8. Empire of the Pussycat

    Every cloud etc.

    some text

  9. Pascal Monett Silver badge
    Trollface

    My heart bleeds for those poor, poor shareholders

    I am so terribly sorry for those millionnaires who invested their "hard-earned" monies in a company headquartered in a tax haven who, apparently, might not be able buy a new Ferrari this month.

    Ah, the humanity !

  10. Michael Hoffmann Silver badge
    Facepalm

    As I speculate of the likely political leanings of Accenture leadership, I suppose this too qualifies as leopards eating your face.

    At the rate those leopards are chowing down on said faces, they'll have some major obesity problems

  11. xyz Silver badge

    Question...

    Bit irrelevant to the story but is that a fox or a fux in the Doge mission patch thingy?

  12. Uplink

    They should ask Elon to consult on a "deprivation of revenue" lawsuit.

  13. oreosRnice

    Good

    The amount of projects I’ve seen get sidelined for more expensive projects that turned out to be complete waste of time and money…

    I welcome the DOGE that makes the government properly use tax payer money. Instead of treating it like monopoly.

    The fact that every agency at the end of the fiscal year runs their spending balance down to zero because “use it or loose it”. Wasted, just so they can get a bigger budget the following year. On and on it goes across the government.

  14. Tron Silver badge

    Cuts in government spending impact entire supply chains.

    The UK government has torpedoed university funding and everyone who has a uni as a client is seeing their income decrease. Including me. But I despised the government anyway, so for me it is just another notch up on the hateometer.

    1. Roland6 Silver badge

      Re: Cuts in government spending impact entire supply chains.

      Trouble is both major parties have done similar things, so the challenge is voting for the party with the lower hate Peter reading…

    2. SundogUK Silver badge

      Re: Cuts in government spending impact entire supply chains.

      The UK University sector is a bloated waste of space. Needs to be cut in half, at least, before it is good for purpose again.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Cuts in government spending impact entire supply chains.

        OK boomer.

        Who needs people who are well read anyway?

  15. FuzzyTheBear
    Mushroom

    Efficiently ? That's being WAY too polite.

    Up to now they done nothing but destroy every bit of uhs Government they can.

    Sending a country back a hundred years legislatively , economicaly and politically is NOT efficient.

    I am a Canadian , frankly all they have done is make a lifelong enemy of all of us,

    Drop rgw USA like shitflies they have become. They do not deserve sympathy or friendship , much less be a reliable partner.

    Sweep what you knew of the USA., It's gone. The rest of the world must work together and isolate the USA like Russia.

    They voted for it. Now they do nothing against it. Lack of a strong response or even a pushback is a tacit agreement.

    I am personally done with them.

    1. SundogUK Silver badge

      Re: Efficiently ? That's being WAY too polite.

      A life-long enemy of Canada? Where do I sign up?

  16. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Unhappy

    Be *very* careful what you wish for.

    Sure a lot of people here don't like Accenture (myself included)

    But haveing watched DOGE's SOP so far is anyone thinking "They'll replace one bunch of con-tractors by another bunch of con-tractors"

    Because that's probably what will happen unless they make a suitable "Contribution" to the comb over Caligula's "personal wealth fund"

    1. SundogUK Silver badge

      Re: Be *very* careful what you wish for.

      After his first term Trump's personal wealth was less than when he started. This was the first time this has happened to a President.

      1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
        Unhappy

        This was the first time this has happened to a President.

        Perhaps something to do with the fact that said President had major assets in office buildings, hotels and resorts in the middle of a pandemic.

        But then I suppose to the MAGAotts this is just another sign of how very special their beloved King Cheerio is.

        I'd play him a lament, if I could play on the world's smallest violin.

  17. deadlockvictim

    So, finally some good news from DOGE?

    It's hard to tell though.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    There was me thinking there were no silver linings to Trump and Elon's kleptocratic oligarchy.

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