The Millennial Leaders Are Coming! Dread – or Delight? :

Your Millennial workers are not ready. Are you prepping them?

by: Jeanette Nyden
Published: July 10, 2017
Tags: Millennials, Procurement, training

How do you map out a complex scope of work?:

Even though you are using a template (contract) – how do you ensure you account for complex scope?

by: Jeanette Nyden
Published: May 24, 2017
Tags:

3 Elements for 21st Century Relationship Management :

New joint relationship management thinking builds a more cooperative, collaborative working relationship, versus traditional agreements that shift risk, and use governance to monitor and penalize

by: Jeanette Nyden
Published: April 12, 2017
Tags: supplier management, joint relationship management, negotiation, contract, Jeanette Nyden, shared services, Outsourcing, contracting

Contracts: How to Bring Counterpart Redlines to the Law Dept. for Review:

Take commercial considerations to the line of business before the Law Dept. The Law Dept. needs to be engaged as a resource of last resort

by: Jeanette Nyden
Published: March 3, 2017
Tags: Law Dept, negotiating, contracting, SLAs, Jeanette Nyden, Contracts

Continuous Improvement: a Little "Retro" is a good thing:

While RPA is grabbing the headlines, Continuous Improvement is quietly getting on with the job of improving service performance and delivery

by: Mary Sue Rogers
Published: June 22, 2017
Tags:

HR shared services and the “Gig Economy”:

As the workforce is increasingly characterised by 'independent' workers, you will need to adjust to their needs within HR services

by: Mary Sue Rogers
Published: May 25, 2017
Tags: HR, independent workforce, Mary Sue Rogers

Process Improvement, AI, Robotics and the Human Touch:

AI and robotics are new tools for process engineers to hit their objectives. Will automation change the focus of process improvement and the role of the process engineers?

by: Mary Sue Rogers
Published: April 12, 2017
Tags: Mary Sue Rogers, AI, RPA, IA, robotics, HR, Human Resources, shared services BPO, Outsourcing, Process Improvement

Shared Services Center Leaders need more than People Skills:

If you were hiring an SSC leader today, these are the skills and competencies that you should put at the top of your list

by: Mary Sue Rogers
Published: March 20, 2017
Tags: skills, leader, HR, Mary Sue Rogers

HR transformation journey. First things first: Engage your team:

Assess the change readiness level of each team member and then choose the appropriate leadership action to coach and grow them through the change curve

by: Simon Brown
Published: June 9, 2017
Tags: Simon Brown, change readiness, HR, transformation

10 Tips for Successful Go Live: Begin with the End in Mind:

Common factors that can make a great difference to the speed of implementation and effectiveness of your transformation.

by: Simon Brown
Published: August 16, 2016
Tags: implementation

So, You Are on Your Way! Now, How Do You Keep Your People Engaged in Transformation?:

When you come to the nitty gritty of transformation, the truth is it can mean redundancy and painful change. Simon reflects on decades at the front line, and discusses your only two options for navigating through this

by: Simon Brown
Published: July 19, 2016
Tags:

Is NOW the time to split HR Shared Services in two?:

A blasphemous idea? Or the only sensible solution for driving more value out of HR?

by: Simon Brown
Published: September 4, 2014
Tags: Simon Brown, HR, strategy, GBS, Ram Charan

What you should know about Performance setting:

How do you translate team objectives into personal objectives? Via these two charts...

by:
Published: May 24, 2017
Tags: Huw Chapman, HR, goals and targets

How to Move from "Business Strategy" to "People Strategy":

Most business objective goals break down into 4 key areas. Find out how to align your services strategy accordingly!

by: Huw Chapman
Published: April 6, 2017
Tags: HR, Huw Chapman, business objectives, strategy, people, teams, performance, shared services, Service Delivery

Your People, Your Success:

"To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace." A roadmap that will guarantee greater employee engagement – and your team's success

by: Huw Chapman
Published: March 2, 2017
Tags: success, Employee Engagement, Huw Chapman, HR, Human Resources, business transformation, strategy, performance

CFOs & Sustainability: Don’t Miss a Trick:

Sustainability has established itself as a hot topic as it regularly pops up at board meetings, on social media, at industry events and in the press. It’s evident that sustainability is good for the environment, but not all CFOs view it as being beneficial for their businesses.

by: Jens Madrian
Published: March 20, 2017
Tags: CFOs, sustainability, future-proof, Finance, Jens Madrian

The Modern CFO: Becoming a Catalyst for Sustainability:

Finance is no longer the domain of number crunchers. CFOs need to become champions for sustainability in their respective businesses to reflect its strategic importance.

by: Dr. Jens Madrian
Published: January 27, 2017
Tags: sustainability, CFO, Demand Side Response, Role of CFO, A4S, flexibility

Getting Business Partnering Right:

Five ideas that will ensure the finance teams connect properly with their business colleagues which Jens Madrian found particularly helpful.

by: Dr. Jens Madrian
Published: September 9, 2016
Tags: Jens Madrian, Finance Business Partnering, business partnering, Finance transformation

The Changing Role of the Corporate CFO:

Finance roles will have to adapt in the face of massive socio-economic mega-trends like digitalisation and big data, and none more so than the CFO. Kicking off his new column, SSON's newest Advisory Board member presents the CFO's viewpoint!

by: Dr. Jens Madrian
Published: April 26, 2016
Tags: CFO, Finance, transformation, shared services, Jens Madrian, Advisory Board, SSON, Thought Leader, leadership, CFO RWE Npower, Finance Director RWE Npower, Commercial CFO, New age CFO, Digital Transformation

Millennials: Myth vs Reality – the Next Generation of Shared Services Leaders:

The millennial generation is beginning to assume leadership roles. It's time to assess what this means for shared services as an industry

by: Rochelle Hood
Published: September 26, 2016
Tags: recruitment, on boarding, talent management, skills, training, learning, talent strategy, multigenerational, millennial

Tips on Writing a Good RFP for Outsourcing:

A poorly written request for proposal (RFP) is the first step towards misunderstanding and mis-aligned expectations. Get off to a good start in your sourcing negotiations – follow these 5 tips

by: Brish Bhan Vaidya
Published: July 25, 2016
Tags: Procurement, RFP

Finding Hidden Money in your Procurement Process:

"I love finding money in my Clothes while putting them for Laundry. It’s like a Gift for me….from me."

by: Brish Bhan Vaidya
Published: April 21, 2016
Tags: Procurement, savings, process

Big Data in Supply Management: How Big Is the Need?:

Analytics has the potential to help procurement come into its own as a strategic partner to the business. SSON's new Advisory Board member kicks off his column: Brish Bhan Vaidya

by: Brish Bhan Vaidya
Published: February 22, 2016
Tags: Big Data, Data, Analytics

All the News that's Important for YOU:

ABB in India, RPA in BPOs, Wipro expands Healthcare solutions...

by: Barbara Hodge
Published: February 12, 2016
Tags: news, India, BPO, ABB, Wipro

The Week that Was...Jamaica, IT threatening BPO, top BPO locations, public sector, and more...:

The Week that Was...Jamaica, IT threatening BPO, top BPO locations, public sector, and more...

by: Barbara Hodge
Published: January 15, 2016
Tags: news, SSO

Best of the New Year's SS&O News You Need to Know...:

Best of my daily news roundup just for SSON members

by: Barbara Hodge
Published: January 8, 2016
Tags: SSON, news, Jamaica, Germany, Avaloq, Avon, HP, Pontoon, Adecco, HR, Healthcare, finance services, Finance, NASA

The SSON Daily News: November 3rd, 2015:

Equifax Inc. will hire 400 employees in the next three years for its Shared Services Center, from which it will provide support for its operations in 19 countries in North America, Latin America and Europe.

by: SSON News and Analysis
Published: November 3, 2015
Tags: Daily News, Outsourcing, Business Process Outsourcing, BPO, HR, shared services, SSON, Business Development, Global

Setting the Stage for Customer Service:

Your attitude is the most fundamental of all your service tools

by: Lew Bader
Published: February 11, 2016
Tags: customer service, attitude, service, O2C, order to cash

Order-to-Cash "101": Order Processing (Part 2):

Order Processing is full of potential pitfalls. Here O2C expert Lew Bader takes us through what can go wrong

by: Lew Bader
Published: October 15, 2015
Tags: O2C, order to cash, order-to-cash, order processing

Order-to-Cash "101": Credit Analysis (Part 1):

Creating a behavioral risk profile for customers

by: Lew Bader
Published: September 29, 2015
Tags: Lew Bader, O2C, credit, financial best practice, order-to-cash

The Future of Vendor Interface Looks Much Like Today, Only Different:

Global Payment leaders have a common complaint: they want "plug-configure-play" vendor solutions – not to be shoe-horned into increasingly impersonal frameworks. "Far-thinking providers should build a ‘Universal Supplier Portal’ suggests Mark Seethaler, SSON's ever-optimistic, ever humorous columnist...

by: Mark Seethaler
Published: August 19, 2015
Tags: payments, vendor, supplier, portal, service provider

Payments in Pesos and Pounds:

Welcome to the world of multicurrency payments where tradition, culture, and anti-counterfeit measures create enormous challenges! Tips on which options work best.

by: Mark Seethaler
Published: January 19, 2015
Tags: Mark Seethaler, LDS Church, payments, global payments, cards, foreign exchange, bank draft, wire transfer

Conference Champion, or One-and-Done?:

Managing your career is not just the HR department’s responsibility, it’s also yours. Use conferences to raise your knowledge base and gain some valuable contacts to improve your personal effectiveness. Tips on how to turn an industry event into a boost for your team.

by: Mark Seethaler
Published: March 25, 2014
Tags: Mark Seethaler, SSOW, Conference, career, talent

Networking at Events: Bringing the Benefits Home:

You've enjoyed a few days' stimulating debate – but now to the crux of the matter: How to turn conference discoveries into applied benefits for your organization?

by: Mark Seethaler
Published: March 25, 2014
Tags: Conference, SSOW, career

An Update: the European IT Outsourcing Market:

Clients wish IT providers were more pro-active, but TCS scores well in Whitelane's ITO survey. Find out who the top 10 IT service providers (by client satisfaction) are in Europe

by: Dr. Carine Peeters
Published: May 7, 2015
Tags: SSOWEEK, Europe, IT Outsourcing, TCS, Tata, Whitelane, survey, ITO, Dr. Carine Peeters

Why Aren't You Offshoring Business Services? An Analysis of "Blocking" Factors:

Top 5 factors that would make organisations consider offshoring, despite misgivings about quality

by: Dr. Carine Peeters
Published: May 21, 2014
Tags: Carinen Peeters, BPO, offshoring, why not offshore, reasons not to offshore, cost of offshoring

The Difference Between Success and Failure in Global Sourcing: a Tale of Two Companies:

Did you know that the perceived success or failure of global sourcing usually hangs on how much time it takes to implement? So what makes some companies get it right faster than others? Dr. Peeters' research unearths 3 crucial factors

by: Dr. Carine Peeters
Published: April 4, 2014
Tags: Carine Peeters, GBS, sourcing, culture, success factors

Managing Offshoring Initiatives: Shall We Go or Should They Come?:

A recent survey highlights five important reasons for the evolution towards greater use of "inpatriates" as opposed to "expatriates" to help coordinate and control offshoring initiatives.

by: Dr. Carine Peeters
Published: January 10, 2014
Tags: ohhshoring, culture, expatriates, inpatriates, cost of offshoring, cultural costs, Carine Peeters, Florence Duvivier

Accelerating Growth: Adopt, Integrate & Scale:

Digital marketing and social media are true game changers because they enable anyone to be heard. 'Scaling' is still a big challenge for many, however

by: Tom Zbaren
Published: April 30, 2015
Tags: SME, SMB, digital, sales, marketing, mobile, agile, growth, Services, Outsourcing, Tom Zbaren

BPaaS and Centers of Excellence:

The ability to perform advanced business processes with no upfront capital investment enables ALL businesses to add to their scope of service and capabilities – and grow beyond their current boundaries.

by: Tom Zbaren
Published: February 13, 2015
Tags: SME, small and medium sized, BPaaS, cloud, social media, BPO, COE, centers of excellence

BPO and the Medici Effect ...:

Today, Cloud, Integrated Business Services, and Verticalization hold the key for BPOs wanting to connect with the emerging SME market.

by: Tom Zbaren
Published: February 2, 2015
Tags: SME, SMB, BPO, small, medium, business, cloud, integration, verticalization

The Power of a Digital and Customer-centric Mindset:

Three barriers to winning over SMEs for BPO: time zones, cultural differences and trust

by: Tom Zbaren
Published: December 23, 2014
Tags: SME, SMB, middle size, small, BPO, shared services, Outsourcing, partner, sourcing

Call Reduction as a Result of Chat, How Do You Prove It?:

My 2nd blog on the subject of Live Chat (Starting Out With Live Chat) went down really well, and thanks for all the feedback. For those that missed it, I discussed the piloting of Live Chat and some pit falls to avoid to ensure that your pilot and ongoing operation is a success.

by: Wayne Butterfield
Published: March 27, 2015
Tags: chat, self service, Wayne Butterfield

Starting out with Live Chat:

Customers' patience runs out much faster on Chat than it does waiting on a phone line

by: Wayne Butterfield
Published: March 5, 2015
Tags: chat, customer service, Wayne Butterfield, Telefonica, O2

Before "Live Chat": What Do You Want it to Achieve?:

Self-service is what our members are putting their faith in. But before you develop a business case for "Live Chat" you should be asking yourself what you want it to achieve. Paper over web cracks? Increase online conversion?

by: Wayne Butterfield
Published: February 13, 2015
Tags: self-service, chat, Wayne Butterfield, Telefonica

A Client For Life is a Dying Breed:

It's not like a few years ago: Competition is greater than it’s ever been and it’s a constant struggle to clearly differentiate and create a USP for your product.

by: SSON Editor
Published: October 28, 2014
Tags: customer satisfaction, customer service, client

Fun in Shared Services – It's Not Just for the Holidays...:

If you want to boost your SSO team's energy and morale – how about suggesting a team exercise moment? Our diarist says skipping can do a whole lot more than ... well, read for yourselves

by: Anonymous Diarist – Putting the Fun in Shared Services
Published: December 17, 2013
Tags: diary, anonymous, culture, fun

How to Deal With "At Risk" Vendors:

Did Swift's troubles earlier this month impact you? Don't overlook the risks your vendors pose. Here's how to cover that

by: Jeanette Nyden
Published: August 29, 2014
Tags: Risk, provider, negotiation, supplier, Jeanette Nyden

Unlock Value By Decreasing Vendor Risk:

Buyers can unlock value for their organization by decreasing both their companies’ and vendors’ exposure to risk. For example, a food manufacturer unlocked value by partnering with their trucking vendor to mitigate the risk of fluctuating fuel costs.

by: Jeanette Nyden
Published: June 10, 2014
Tags: Risk, vendor, BPO, Jeanette Nyden

SMAC and Big Data Have Raised the Game: But it's Still About Delivering On Expectations:

Big data can only take you so far. More important is to focus on the customer experience...

by: John Kirk
Published: July 2, 2014
Tags: John Kirk, SMAC, social media, Big Data

Big Data Strategy for SMEs:

Tackling the challenge of Big Data is like taking on other challenges. In other words: do you build it yourself or do you outsource it? Here's how to make that decision

by: John Kirk
Published: May 21, 2014
Tags: John Kirk, Big Data, SME, Data Analytics, gathering'data strategy

SMAC for SMEs:

Are you missing the boat? Don't be put off by the acronym: The power of "SMAC" lies in integrating its components.

by: John Kirk
Published: April 3, 2014
Tags: SMAC, John Kirk, SME

Case Study: Shared Services Center Saves Millions:

Planning is a prerequisite for successful SSO implementation, and applies to mature centers, too. John Kirk tells you what the "planning & design" phase should cover, and shares tips from the trenches

by: John Kirk
Published: February 14, 2014
Tags: planning and launching, start up, how to, shared services, costs, John Kitk, SME, Tools and Templates

Why Brand Architecture is a Critical Strategic Imperative:

Editor's Introduction: Brand Architecture is a key strategic tool to ensure that audiences will understand what you offer and how they can engage. It’s a critical issue for Shared Services, where businesses often resist having control taken away from them, and the general perception of "paying less for service" all too easily translates into "lesser service."

by: John K Grace
Published: May 31, 2014
Tags: branding, logo, mission, buy in, John Grace

Using a Strong Shared Services Brand to Attract and Motivate the Best Talent:

A strong internal brand can act as a beacon to attract the best talent, and can keep the team motivated and excited. Are you making the most of yours?

by: John K Grace
Published: October 21, 2013
Tags: branding, John Grace, communication, brand, value

How to create the right perception: re-branding Shared Services:

Shared Services, by its actual name, creates the wrong perception from the start. How about re-branding the shared services offering to signal MORE, rather than LESS?

by: John K Grace
Published: August 26, 2013
Tags: branding, John Grace, brand, perception, signal more, Global

Shared Service brands can help "users" tap into greater value:

Just like other aspects of business, a strong shared services group should be proactive in marketing itself and always looking for ways to communicate their value. This will stimulate demand, and also assuage the resigned perceptions that may exist. In fact, it should make you an even more valued partner.

by: John K Grace
Published: August 1, 2013
Tags: brand, branding, John Grace, service, market, marketing, buy-in, Global

A Marketing Perspective on Shared Services: Why Users are the Creators of Value:

New research finds "Value" is not built into the provision of a service, but is created at the moment of use. Thus, 'Big Data' is only a value proposition until you draw on it to make better decisions. As users drive value, you should invest in educating them accordingly

by: J.G. (Jeroen) Meijerink
Published: February 19, 2014
Tags: user satisfaction, user, training, HR

A New HR Channel?:

The new generation of cloud-based HR systems allows managers to be almost entirely self-sufficient, but many organizations still resist turning over the controls, claiming managers 'just aren’t ready' or can't be trusted with so much power. Frankly, they are probably right...

by: Jim Scully
Published: January 21, 2014
Tags: HR Technology, self service, Jim Scully

Ready or Not, It’s Decision Time:

SaaS is disrupting HRMS platforms in a perfect example of what economist Joseph Schumpeter called "gales of creative disruption." During these periods, the pace of change accelerates as new market entrants put pressure on incumbents, and everyone scrambles to survive. If you’re not already thinking about what’s next, Scully recommends you start.

by: Jim Scully
Published: December 11, 2013
Tags: HRMS, Joseph Schumpeter, Jim Scully, creative destruction, SaaS, disruptive technology, HR Technology

Your HR Technology Choices Explained: Client-Server, Hosted, or SaaS Solutions:

Cloud, Convergence and Commoditization. Those are the trends that are defining HR Services technology's evolution. Jim Scully walks us through the options

by: Jim Scully
Published: October 27, 2013
Tags: Jim Scully, HR Technology, technology, SaaS, ERP, cloud

Clearing up the Cloud:

SSON's HR Tech guru attempts to bring clarity to the sometimes-murky topic of Cloud Computing

by: Jim Scully
Published: August 21, 2013
Tags: cloud, Jim Scully, client server, technology, HR Technology, evaluating technology, Human Resources, HR

What if Vincent Price had had access to Data Analytics? "No mere mortal can predict the profit of the Thriller...":

wenty years after his death Vincent Price remains immortalised as generations X, Y and doubtless Z (to come) still recognise his legendary, and eerily creepy, tones as synonymous with Michael Jackson's Thriller.

by: Emma Beaumont
Published: October 30, 2013
Tags: Emma Beaumont, Data, analysis

Spend Analytics: Why even a multi-million dollar budget won’t buy you any logic (or even a good IFA it seems):

We’re still hearing it all the time from shared service leaders in every geography - cost control isn’t the only driver, but it’ll ALWAYS feature in the top three for most businesses.

by: Emma Beaumont
Published: April 18, 2013
Tags: Emma Beaumont, cash, retirement, cash management, Procurement, spend analytics, Michael Phelps, Rio Ferdinand

What Cloud technology and Lady Thatcher have in common (and why we all need more disruption in our lives):

Like most of us in the UK (and around the rest of the English speaking-world), like it or not, I’ve seen, heard and read a lot about Margaret Thatcher this week. It’s been somewhat unavoidable.

by: Emma Beaumont
Published: April 17, 2013
Tags: Emma Beaumont, cloud, Margaret Thatcher, Thatcher, Disruptor

Improving collaboration – an effective Social Media integration point for businesses:

A new generation of social enterprise apps are delivering on business needs, and Forrester estimates a 61% increase in spending on enterprise social collaboration software by 2016. So how will you integrate social media to your work streams?

by: Glenn Remoreras
Published: July 24, 2013
Tags: social media, SMAC, Glenn Remoreras, CEMEX, collaboration, wikis, team work, engagement, decision making, Global, Forrester, social enterprise apps

Who's King in India (and why this is important)?:

Do you know who’s the King of India? You’re thinking, India is a democratic country and doesn’t have a King. Wrong. Think again. The King of India is Ran"King" – ranking!!

by: Anirvan Sen
Published: June 21, 2013
Tags: India, culture, respect, rank, ranking, shared services culture, community, Anirvan Sen, Asia

Contours of China: an Introduction to an expanding talent pool:

I love to travel and I love to study the cultural aspects of different countries. Being in the BPO industry has allowed me to interact with people from all over the world on a regular basis.

by: Anirvan Sen
Published: May 14, 2013
Tags: China, Anirvan Sen, BPO in China, staff in China, Shared Services in China, Asia, talent management, talent pool, BPO

"Elder Brother" Syndrome:

Understanding the role-play in offshore BPO teams

by: Anirvan Sen
Published: August 28, 2012
Tags: BPO, Anirvan Sen, culture, offshore, Global

Outsourcing and Global Communication:

The BPO industry offers plenty of highs – and lows

by: Anirvan Sen
Published: August 28, 2012
Tags: Outsourcing, Anirvan Sen, psychologist, BPO, global communication