Introduction

Enterprise Reporting Services partners with the business units and functional organizations to ensure they have the reporting platforms, tools, and support necessary to perform their work more efficiently and effectively.  Having this role as a part of Shared Services is often a natural fit for companies since it lends itself to being performed in a consolidated environment utilizing advanced technology.

Company Experience

On a recent Peeriosity Peercast^TM, a global manufacturer with operations in over 100 countries, shared their experiences over the past few years in creating a Reporting Center of Excellence (RCoE).  They were looking to harness changes in the environment to better meet business needs and Enterprise Reporting stood out as a significant opportunity to do so.  Some of the advantages they were hoping to achieve by creating an RCoE included the following:

Reporting CoE drives cost savings

• Resources
• Redundant processes/initiatives
• Conversion costs
• Technology – allows organizations to invest in niche tech
• Training

Reporting CoE improves the quality

• Governance
• Standardization
• Clear Accountability
• Metrics, indicators, and definitions aligned
• Granularity
• Measure data health

Reporting CoE increases the speed of business

• Change management and project initiatives
• Best practices for reporting, metrics, processes
• Clear accountability
• Flexible platforms
• Automation

Interestingly, the RCoE first began with a Consumer Insights group operating in the business units, which eventually evolved into a Marketing Services Team that worked as part of the IT organization.  The company recognized that opportunities existed by having that organization partner with a Finance Reporting COE that had been recently developed and the result was the creation of Global Business Services of the Enterprise Business Services Reporting and Analysis organization (EBS).  This formalized cross-functional reporting COE drove value by leveraging an in-house development team for delivery and the design was led by existing business subject matter experts.  Conceptually, EBS owns delivery, not process, and can influence its customers, but is not the ultimate decision maker.  Led by a single global process owner, it is not a “mandate” organization and its initial growth will continue to be very grass-roots. 

While the EBS organization is still relatively in its early stages of development, a vision exists of where the company would like this organization to be in the future, which is the following:

• All functions mandated to engage RCoE as an enabler for efficiency improvement and growth
• CoE evaluates, prioritizes, and delivers across functions, regions, technologies
• Single team with business comprehension and tech champions
• The strategic junction between GBS and business for governance and initiatives
• A single framework for opportunity assessment, solution design, delivery, change management, and training
• CoE scope
  • 100% of rearview reporting
  • 50% analysis / directional data
  • 15% of forward-looking

iPolling^TM Results Review

A poll was generated in conjunction with the Peercast^TM utilizing Peeriosity’s iPolling^TM functionality.  Looking at the results of this poll, the first question asked what the status was of having Enterprise Reporting Services as part of their Shared Services service offering.  A significant percentage (29%) have implemented this as part of their operation, with another 12% that have approved doing so.  The remaining 59% have not yet evaluated this opportunity for their Shared Services organization.

The second question then addressed the level of use and acceptance Enterprise Reporting Services has experienced at the companies with this type of structure.  The most popular response at 42% is that customers are getting more familiar with the offering and are working with Shared Services to identify reporting projects that will help them.  At 29% of the companies, the service is highly valued and Shared Services is challenged to meet the demand.  Finally, at the remaining 29%, the main focus is on helping customers realize the benefits of the CoE and helping them to identify reporting projects.

Closing Summary

While Enterprise Reporting Services is still in its infancy as part of Shared Services at many companies, it can be a great success and important addition to the Shared Services suite of services.  It is an opportunity that every company should seriously consider.

What is the status at your company with respect to the creation of an Enterprise Reporting center of excellence?  Is this opportunity to leverage and expand upon the capabilities of your Shared Services operation receiving the attention that it needs?

Who are your peers and how are you collaborating with them?

“Peercasts^TM” are private, professionally facilitated webcasts that feature leading member company experiences on specific topics as a catalyst for broader discussion.  Access is available exclusively to Peeriosity member company employees, with consultants or vendors prohibited from attending or accessing discussion content.  Members can see who is registered to attend in advance, with discussion recordings, supporting polls, and presentation materials online and available whenever convenient for the member.  Using Peeriosity’s integrated email system, Peer Mail^TM, attendees can easily communicate at any time with other attending peers by selecting them from the list of registered attendees. 

“iPolling^TM” is available exclusively to Peeriosity member company employees, with consultants or vendors prohibited from participating or accessing content. Members have full visibility of all respondents and their comments. Using Peeriosity’s integrated email system, Peer Mail^TM, members can easily communicate at any time with others who participated in iPolling^TM.