Many companies have either recently implemented, or are currently exploring, the option of providing terminated employees with access to view paycheck history, with the possibility of expanding access to include being able to view year-end earnings statements and other self-service functionality. This approach is not without controversy, with the benefits of reducing the support levels […]
Background A key component of a Peeriosity membership is the ability to benchmark quantitative performance in eight key process areas, and the ability to see differences in structure and design for 28 different business processes that are often candidates for Shared Services. This research abstract looks at the composite results of the structure and design […]
The introduction of mobile device technology has had a big impact on all of us. By eliminating the need for a separate watch, GPS device, scanner, or camera, mobile devices have changed the world. Because of their unique capabilities, in addition to being pretty decent mobile telephones, it’s no surprise that mobile devices have made […]
Every Purchase-to-Pay organization is likely familiar with working with the Treasury Department to set the appropriate discount terms with suppliers for early payment – with a rigid set of rules for when discounts can be taken, and the constant pressure to collect paper invoices, complete the matching process, and enter invoice details to ready invoices […]
While the achievement of significant cost reductions and high levels of productivity are both very important to every Shared Services organization, there is no disputing the fact that customer satisfaction is also a critical success factor to the overall health of the operation. However, in the traditional back-office process areas typically found in Shared Services, […]
With more companies moving from a decentralized “close to the business” design for Order-to-Cash processes to multi-country, regional, or global designs for delivery via Shared Services, the need for setting clear service expectations quickly becomes apparent. While the type and complexity of service level agreements (if this term is even used) can vary greatly, the […]
The word “petty” is defined as something that is relatively worthless or unimportant, with a secondary definition of a person who gets caught up in the small details. The word “cash” however, takes on a whole other meaning, with an emphasis at most companies on proper business use, tracking, and detailed record keeping. While some […]
Developing a culture of Continuous Improvement requires much more than sending employees to formal quality management training. Any culture is a reflection of management and therefore needs to start at the top. Management must embrace Continuous Improvement, be an example, and get people excited about the contributions that they can make. While not a simple […]
There is no debate that developing accurate accruals is a key tenet of an effective period-end closing process. However, this is one aspect of the close that has become quite unwieldy at a significant number of companies and, in some cases, has taken on a life of its own. Whether related to accrual thresholds that […]
Making step-change improvements to Accounts Payable processes requires a rigorous approach that considers the end-to-end process that spans order initiation, order receipt and fulfillment from the supplier, receipt of goods or performance of services, and finally completed with payment to the supplier with the resolution of any discrepancies, rebates or refunds. For processing, many small […]