Introduction Segmenting Accounts Payable work activities to identify those that would be best supported by a call center or help desk has been a design element for the majority of Shared Services organizations, with resulting benefits including improved visibility of problems and issues, and higher levels of satisfaction from internal customers and external suppliers. However, […]
Introduction As mature Shared Services organizations look to expand their suite of service offerings, one area that seems to be well-suited is Data Mining & Analytics. Being able to provide this type of expert service to the company as a whole can help to position Shared Services as much more than a transactional services provider […]
Introduction As more companies transition to global designs for Shared Services, one of the most significant impacts is on the business travel process, where the majority of employees most impacted are typically either upper management or are otherwise directly involved in sales and marketing efforts. As these employees shift from one region or business unit […]
Introduction A document management system or “Document Repository” is a computer system used to track and store electronic documents. Many companies have implemented a Centralized Document Repository to facilitate global access and real-time updates of documents. Shared Services can be a key user of a Document Repository, and, in many cases, can play a pivotal […]
When dealing with fixed assets, the two keys to ensuring proper internal controls in this area are having an accurate fixed asset master file and being able to determine the location of the asset itself. To accomplish this verification and reconciliation, the use of fixed asset tags is a critical success factor, along with a […]
Energy costs are one of the largest expense categories a company has, which makes it a priority to understand and manage utility-related data. Yes, if the lights were out last month at one of your company locations, you probably need to pay the electric bill; however, the process of managing utility payments is more complicated […]
As Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) quickly become part of the nomenclature for Shared Services, almost every conference topic or vendor pitch includes mention of the terms. While the world is exploding with excitement, the reality of penetration rates continues to lag far behind the hype. How do you sort through the […]
While individual process areas often have very detailed performance measurements related to cost, productivity, quality, and customer service, many times the overall Shared Services operation struggles to present its overall results in a concise and effective manner. The challenge for any Shared Services organization is to develop and maintain a cohesive reporting package that meets […]
In a world of heightened security, where any access to a company’s systems risks introducing security breaches or viruses, carefully evaluating and setting a policy for the authorized use of employee-owned devices isn’t a trivial exercise. A decision to allow personal devices triggers a series of additional decisions, including what systems or applications to make […]
Timely submission of expense reports by employees can help improve the quality and efficiency of the overall Travel & Expense process. The longer an employee waits, the more likely there are errors or omissions, or lost receipts that require special handling for approval. Given that frequent travelers are most likely either senior-level company employees or […]