Business resiliency has become a ‘buzz-phrase’ in the COVID era. Businesses looked desperately to their Business Continuity Plans and leadership teams to guide them through the crisis. However, these plans could not have foreseen such a global, location agnostic crisis. Businesses are now looking at how they can improve their risk and resiliency strategies to protect and prepare for another crisis.

During the crisis, LionCo was recently subjected to a cyber-attack that compromised its systems and shared services had to ensure their support of critical services were sustained.

Hear how they battled and sustained critical business support -

• The BCP – what worked and what will be adapted to improve readiness and response?
• Innovative means of providing 100% service output through system downtimes/outages
• Data security - improving governance, business understanding and protection of data

Emma Beard

Enterprise Services Director
LionCo

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As the pandemic developed across the globe, many businesses recognised the value which artificial intelligence could bring to business continuity. However, many across the APAC region have yet to progress beyond automation technology to the more advanced digital capabilities needed to drive a successful AI practice. This session will provide some guidance on the road to embedding AI into your business process optimisation plan.

•        How are businesses currently implementing AI? Use cases and examples

•        Opportunities: efficiencies and crisis support

•        Digital infrastructure and starting the journey

•        Why now? – integration and timing

Sponsored thought-leadership session

Covid has shone a light on IT shared services as an agile enabler to resilience in crisis. This session will see Maria Paz, the CIO of Villa Maria Catholic Homes, share the response of shared services in age care during one of the largest pandemics in history. As a celebration of the sacrifice and commitment made by those in the health care sector during this period, she will share the pivotal role played by IT and the opportunities for positive, sustainable recovery as we progress into a new future for health care and shared services.

·        The impact felt from Covid19 on age care: an overnight shift

·        The pivotal role of IT Shared Services in driving an agile response to crisis

-         Strengthening intelligence, resource optimisation and more

·        Progressing out of crisis: covering cost and managing the impact in a sustained way

·        The challenge of change fatigue

·        Supporting mind-set and mental health as top priority and new emerging roles

Maria Paz

Chief Information Officer
VMCH

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•        Fast tracking digital uplift: driving analytics and process automation in Mars’ goal of global self-service HR

•        Investment in AI for analyzing big data

•        Expanding the scope of shared services as a result of crisis: health and wellbeing

-         Digital innovation and data science providing novel support to new services

-         Data tracking of wellbeing and performance in an outcome focused workforce

-         Internal communication enablement to foster community in remote working

•        Cross-functional collaboration between HR and IT for online health campaigns

Neal Yang

MyP&O Director (HR)
Mars - China, Australia & NZ

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This session will deep-dive into SSON Analytics' Top 20 Most Admired SSO Benchmarking Study. You will compare benchmarks, performance drivers and strategies to drive continuous improvement, as well as address shifts in priorities as a result of the global pandemic.

•        Gain insight into some of SSON Analytics' top benchmark metrics

•        Hear how top companies are prioritizing metrics for long-term value

•        Learn how metrics drive continuous improvement

Naomi Secor

Global Managing Director
Shared Services & Outsourcing Network

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In this panel, executives will join to discuss leadership in business services and how diversity can be embedded from the bottom-up and top-down. Areas of discussion will include:

·        What is a ‘diverse’ workforce?

·        Embedding equality at all levels: challenges and opportunities

·        The evolution of shared services as a prime opportunity to drive diversity

This session will analyse how shared services can become a proactive business partner to support industry shifts. Becoming an intelligent business partner goes beyond driving insights through advanced data analytics and incorporates the ability to contribute to enterprise priorities and transformation initiatives. In this session, leaders from across diverse shared service functions will join to discuss operational considerations which will bring shared services forward to play a central role in supporting business improvement.

•        Moving up the value curve: why should shared services re-evaluate its role in enterprise?

•        Alignment to business strategy: adaptations and differing models

•        Challenges of positioning the back office as a value-add partner

•        Next steps for operational strategy post-alignment: what can we ask from shared services?

Melissa Hankinson

Deputy Director of Quality & Service Improvement
University of Canberra

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