For many years, shared services transformation was built for stable environments. We had time to analyze, design, optimize, and standardize. Methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma worked well because the business context was predictable and changes were incremental.
Today, this reality is changing for most companies, and those that do not feel it yet will face it very soon. Rapid digital transformation, geopolitical uncertainty, and constant cost pressure are reshaping shared services transformation and accelerating the need for faster execution.
Let’s add one more element to this equation: Artificial Intelligence. AI is not just another disruptor; it’s a real revolution often described as the next industrial revolution. It dramatically increases both the complexity and the speed at which change happens.
In this new world, the biggest risk is not making mistakes; it is moving too slowly. Transformation can no longer be about perfect solutions delivered on time, but is about speed to value, fast adoption, and course correction when needed. “Good enough” is becoming our new normal, and if shared services continue using yesterday’s transformation thinking, they will quickly fall behind.
From Six Sigma to Speed to Value: What really changed
Transformation within shared services typically follows a clear and structured path. Methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma helped organizations improve quality, reduce errors, and standardize processes. This approach was made for a world where we could forecast the demand, and the technology road maps were planned years in advance. Transformation projects were carefully discussed, well documented, and delivered only once we were confident that the solution was the best one and we felt comfortable with it.
What really changed is not the value of these methodologies, but the environment in which our businesses operate today. Problems are no longer always clear at the start. Business priorities change faster than project timelines. New technologies appear before previous solutions are fully implemented. In many cases, by the time a perfectly designed solution is ready, the business has already moved on, and the “perfect” solution is already obsolete.
This is where speed to value becomes critical. Instead of asking, “What is the perfect solution?”, transformation teams need to ask, “What value can we deliver now?” It’s about delivering something useful early, learning from real application of it, and accepting the good enough. This shifts the focus from long analysis phases to faster decisions and from large programs to smaller experiments.
This does not mean abandoning standards, governance, or facts. It means applying them pragmatically. The goal is no longer to eliminate all uncertainty before acting, but to accept a high level of assumptions and manage uncertainty while moving forward.
In simple terms, the biggest change is in mindset. Transformation is no longer a sequence of well‑defined projects executed occasionally. It is a continuous capability to respond quickly, adapt fast, and stay relevant in an environment where standing still is no longer an option.
“Good Enough” is the new normal (and why that’s hard)
For many of us, accepting “good enough” is one of the hardest changes. Most of our work experience has been about aiming for predictability, accuracy, and stability. We want a clear definition of done, significant benefits, and minimal risk. This mindset made sense in the past, but today it often slows down the transformation efforts rather than helping them to be successful.
In a fast‑changing environment, waiting for perfect data, full alignment, or complete certainty can mean missing the moment to create any value at all. “Good enough” does not mean poor quality or lack of discipline. It means delivering a solution that works today, brings benefits to business, and, if time permits, improving it over time.
This shift also requires a different view on failure. Small, controlled failures are no longer a sign of weakness; they are part of learning and a key element of our transformation approach today. The real risk is not trying, not testing, and not adapting fast enough. When speed and learning become priorities, shared services can move from being reactive to becoming true drivers of value.
Speed to Value Transformation: A Practical Checklist
To understand whether your transformation approach is ready for today’s reality, ask yourself a few simple questions.
- Are we delivering visible value in weeks, not months?
- Do we start with small pilots instead of fully designed end‑to‑end solutions?
- Are teams allowed to fail fast and learn fast?
- Do we stop initiatives that do not deliver value early?
- Is “good enough” accepted when it moves us forward?
- Do business teams own change, rather than waiting for transformation teams to deliver it?
If most answers are “no”, the challenge is not capability - it is mindset.
Speed to value is not about working faster for the sake of speed. It is about focusing on what truly matters: delivering value early, learning fast, and adapting continuously. In a world defined by uncertainty, transformation is no longer a one‑time effort or a group of projects. It is a capability. Shared services that embrace this shift will stay relevant and trusted partners to the business. Those who don’t risk being left behind, not because they lack expertise, but because they move too slowly to use it.