Master retail politics to scale shared services and outsourcing

Those of us with a front row seat watching the US elections quickly grasp that, however many Superpac ads flood the airwaves, ultimately, all politics are retail. Just watch the likes of the current crop of Republican presidential candidates, and you’ll quickly see how each one changes the message according to the audience---going to the moon in Florida, gas pipelines in North Dakota, and ethanol subsidies in Iowa.The parallel with the internal sale of shared services and outsourcing is striking. It’s natural to think that sourcing’s value proposition is obvious; after all, what’s logically not to like about faster, better and cheaper. But we tend to forget that while the first sale is made on a wholesale basis to corporate leadership (through crisp presentations and sexy PowerPoints), scale ultimately comes from a retail pitch to each buyer--business, functional or process owner. While logic is operative when the C-suite thinks through the benefits of adopting a new delivery model, it’s an entirely different ballgame when a shared services leader is sitting across the desk from a buyer. And his/her first reaction is generally:"What’s in it for me?” “You’re telling me my baby’s ugly.” “You’re nothing but a corporate empire builder.” “Who are you to say you can do a better than I can?” These are just a few thoughts that go through the minds of most internal buyers. If experience holds true, few arguments about enterprise value, standardization, flexibility and even lower overall cost will persuade management to cede control and ownership to a new, central entity.Shared services as a business model is revolutionary. It transfers ownership of people, processes and technology from the old order to a team of corporate upstarts armed with a corporate blessing (if not a mandate), a bit of money for new technology, and a license to steal. In any revolution, there are losers. The argument that consolidation of rules-based work in a corporate factory allow the retained team to focus on higher value work does not hold water in light of the buyer’s loss of control, headcount, and possibly even career.What are some of the key ingredients of a retail – or “what’s in it for me” – shared services sale?Buyer intelligence, understanding the positioning and the career trajectory of the buyer. Buyers game their responses in light of implications for their own careers.Flexible, consultative approach, customizing solutions, to the extent possible, to meet the specific needs or concerns of the buyer. Often making a few tweaks not central to the solution render the sale possible.Peer pressure Ultimately, conformity drives the adoption of most corporate change. Over time, being part of the team generally trumps being part of the loyal opposition.Patience Each business or process may be subject to a different range of corporate pressures or events. Shared services operations do not run on the same clock. Gaming the optimum time to sell based on a range of factors such as market pressures and leadership changes is critical to success.Shared services scales when both enterprise and individual business goals can be met. It’s up to leadership to craft a sales strategy that is both wholesale and retail.

Master retail politics to scale shared services and outsourcing

To continue reading this story get free access

Upcoming Events

Accelerating O2C Transformation: How AI Is Reshaping the Cash Conversion Cycle

WorkX

Shared Services and BPO Week Philippines 2026

The AP Automation Reality Check: What True Intelligent Automation Looks Like Inside D365

Order-to-Cash & E-Invoicing Transformation Virtual Summit

From Visibility to Action: How Finance Risk Intelligence is Transforming Modern Finance Operations

Follow Us

Latest Webinars

Why AI in BFSI Stalls After the Pilot — and What Leading Institutions Should Consider Doing Differently

Proven Profit in 90 Days: A Shared Services & Procurement Roadmap for the AI Era

The Last Mile of Procure-to-Pay: Why Payment Strategy Determines the Success of Finance Transformation

Recommended

Security and Resilience at Scale

Identifying a Corporate Culture That Supports Strong Processes

How Master Data Governance Guides the Path to Actionable Insights

Small Steps, Big Impact: How Incremental Process Improvements Drive Results

When Governance Fails

Ethics at the Core of Governance

How Integrity & Ethics Build Resilient Organizations

Governance as the Structure for Change

Sustaining Awareness During Growth

The Wolf Pack Way: Governing Process Excellence with Precision and Purpose

The Control Tower: Making the Uncomfortable Dots Visible

Data‑Centric Security: How to Rebuild Enterprise Data Protection for Modern Orga...

FIND CONTENT BY TYPE

SSON COMMUNITY

ADVERTISE WITH US

JOIN THE SSON COMMUNITY

Master retail politics to scale shared services and outsourcing

To continue reading this story get free access

Upcoming Events

Follow Us

Subscribe to our Free Newsletter

Latest Webinars

Recommended

FIND CONTENT BY TYPE

SSON COMMUNITY

ADVERTISE WITH US

JOIN THE SSON COMMUNITY