Every department in a business typically goes through an annual planning process of some type that includes setting both the budget and tactical objectives for the upcoming fiscal year. Because Shared Services is often viewed as a “business within the business”, created to support a diverse set of processes across multiple functions, business lines, and […]
Simplifying processes to eliminate unnecessary complexity and work steps has the greatest impact when the scope is across a large client base, spanning multiple business units and geographies. With common systems and a global organization increasingly the norm, more companies are pushing to complete the puzzle by implementing common work processes that require standardization, with […]
The Travel Expense Reporting process is typically an insignificant component of the overall shared services effort from a complexity, headcount, or cost perspective; however, because corporate travelers are most often senior-level employees or staff with direct roles in the sales effort when it comes to image, the T&E process gets a lot of attention. For […]
We are all familiar with the statement that “change begins with measurement”. When we look at the range of metrics used in Shared Services measuring what happens within Shared Services is almost always carefully defined, and tracking touch-points with other processes is increasingly a component. More difficult, but yet perhaps more important is the need […]
As implementations of Shared Services transition from traditional work activities (albeit on a larger scale) to the new roles and responsibilities required to deliver redesigned processes (that often cut across geographies and functional boundaries), it becomes increasingly difficult to define job positions and set compensation structures. Having accurate position descriptions and being able to define […]
As a follow-up to the December 2013 research brief on the topic of “Mandating Electronic Payments to U.S. Suppliers”, this article takes a closer look at one of the process steps companies often follow when setting up a supplier for electronic payments. While no longer required, many companies create an Automated Clearing House (ACH) pre-notification […]
As models for Global Process Ownership become more common, increasingly companies are looking for insights from peers to regional or country-specific processing requirements. When deviations from a global standard are required there is nothing more valuable than having the direct insight into the practices followed by peer companies. Recently, a Peeriosity member used iPollingTM to […]
Intercompany Accounting – the recording and reconciliation of accounts payable and accounts receivable activities that take place between separate legal entities of the same company – is often ripe for simplification and improvement. Puzzling in a way, since, unlike trade accounts payable or trade accounts receivable transactions, all the parties involved are ultimately employees of […]
The past decade of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) has seen the growth of a multi-billion dollar industry that has its share of successes, notable failures, and many experiences that fall somewhere in between. Outsource provider employees can be “offshore”, “near-shore”, or “onshore”, using either new staff or, in some cases, re-badging the existing workforce. Interestingly, […]
While creating a high-performing workforce starts with a progressive hiring process – by including problem-solving, customer service, and conflict management skills as part of the selection process – it doesn’t end there. Creating a culture of support and mutual respect with carefully designed programs to allow employees to balance their work responsibilities with life responsibilities […]