TNT to outsource back office functions to Accenture

BPO arrangement allows the express giant, which has been targeted for acquisition by FedEx, to focus on its core activities and customers service.    The express delivery company TNT has signed a five-year business process outsourcing contract with Accenture, the company said Wednesday.
   The move comes as TNT focuses on its core express delivery activities and seeks to reduce indirect costs. In April, TNT accepted a $4.8 billion acquisition bid from North American rival FedEx, pending regulatory approval.
   The BPO contract will see Accenture manage transactional activities related to finance, accounting, procurement and data entry for TNT. The move is designed to allow TNT to consolidate and standardize back-office operations, which are currently carried out at local level.
   “Accenture’s BPO services will allow TNT to focus on what we do best: delivering our customers’ express parcels and pallets, while enhancing our cost-efficiency and flexibility,” said Maarten de Vries, TNT’s chief financial officer.
   The transition will take place in stages between 2015 and the end of 2017.