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Cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have emerged as a way to quickly gain access to new markets and customers—and global trends point to increasing deal volume. But as cross-border deal activity continues, companies will need to weigh the risks and rewards of engaging in these ventures against making greenfield investments. This article looks at the risks and rewards associated with cross-border deals, as well as eight benefits of using a shared services platform during a merger and acquisition.

If you enjoy reading this, be sure to join us in July! The 6th Annual Canadian Shared Services & Outsourcing Week presents you with the unique opportunity to learn and benchmark with your peers while assessing the 2019 Canadian shared services landscape. You can expect to hear about the latest regulatory and data governance updates, the impact of digital transformation and intelligent automation technologies, with an analysis on Canada’s quickly evolving job market.

Canadian laws present a unique set of challenges for shared services organizations operating in Canada. These regulations ultimately impact the way these organizations can do business – it's important to keep the following in mind to avoid any legal liabilities:

• Canadian data storage regulations and the rules to know when using a vendor based abroad
• Maintaining security while implementing automation into your shared services model
• How to tailor customer outreach within your shared services model (based on current regulations)

If you enjoy reading this, be sure to join us at the Summit! One of our key themes for 2019 is on how to successfully navigate Canadian governance and data regulations.

HR is evolving, and it’s happening alongside the evolution of the workforce. In short, 2018 is the year of talent and the technology needed to find, develop, engage and retain it. Workers are increasingly more attracted to independent work, the gig economy, employee engagement and employee experience. The impact of those changes has created a real struggle for people in human resources. In response, HR professionals are changing the way they hire employees, train them and manage them and all of this is related to the disruption of HR technology.

WHY A REPORT ON HR TECHNOLOGY?
The global market for HR technology is massive. In an article, the Times of India reported the industry is valued at $400 billion. In the past two years alone, $2 billion has been poured into the market in the form of venture capital and private equity investment. Those numbers are expected to rise in 2019. Despite that, HR analytics guru Josh Bersin says 45% of companies are still focused on underlying infrastructure instead of more innovative HR technologies. Simply, this puts companies and their respective workforces at a disadvantage, not just with competition, but with the business world in its entirety.

OTHER KEY TAKEAWAYS
In addition to the statistics, there are other signs of proof emanating from the HR space. People analytics is surging. Data is providing HR professionals with a deeper understanding of an
employee’s needs and concerns, strengths and weaknesses. And there’s mounting concern about the protection of that data from those who would use it for nefarious means. Self-service tools are evolving. Data is driving this revolution toward the self-serviced employee. These platforms simplify training, reporting, time tracking, and almost every other HR function. Talent sourcing is changing. HR professionals are using more technology to recruit candidates to fill their needs. The gig economy is growing and there’s more emphasis being put on developing talent and teams to meet the outlined business goals.

SSON Analytics surveyed Shared Services professionals in Canada to put together this visual analytics report which focuses on the topics of millennial talent and digital transformation.

Inside you can read a more detailed breakdown on Canadian Shared Services Centers: Maturity, % of Millennials, and Strategies to Engage Millennials &  Digital Transformation: Where Are They on Their Journey and What Are the Greatest Impacts Observed?

For a copy in your inbox, please e-mail: Amnah.Munir@iqpc.com

Find out why you're going about it all wrong. This generation differs greatly from millennials and you need to update your onboarding strategy to get the best talent. For a copy in your inbox, please e-mail: Amnah.Munir@iqpc.com

While the world seems to be spinning faster, corporate entities are fighting hard to keep up. This year, digitalization and customer centricity are what it’s all about. Understanding your customer and having quick access to the right data, will ensure you stay in the game. Shared services play a key if not critical role in supporting organizations today. Here are the 10 most important trends for the year ahead...

While RPA’s growth trajectory has been steep – implementations jumped from 9% to 32% over the last year – there are limitations to what it can do on its own. More and more organizations are facing challenges in trying to scale up its application, and are seeking new levers to drive automation further.

One of those levers is cognitive automation, which effectively operates as a "bridge" between automated activities and the artificial intelligence that determines a decision.

Download this report to find out how cognitive automation works, why it's a critical application right now, and how to successfully integrate it.

Technology has been driving the evolution of Shared Services since its inception more than three decades ago. And yet, never before have we experienced such extraordinary shifts in scope, value, and capability as over the past 18 months. This shift has been driven by nothing less than a fourth iteration of the industrial revolution based on robotic automation, but now, moving from manufacturing into services.

There has never been a more exciting time to work in Shared Services, to lead Shared Services’ evolution, or to take a seat at the executive table – at least for those who understand how to grasp the opportunities.

SSON’s annual market report highlights the underlying trends driving these shifts, identifies the ‘new and improved’ profile of a modern Shared Services team, and points to strategic value-add embedded within the Shared Services model. For a copy in your inbox, please e-mail: Amnah.Munir@iqpc.com

In this interactive report, travel through the four levels of shared services maturity (Emerging, Evolving, Adding Value and GBS) to find out where you currently fall and what you need to do in order to advance your SSO to the next level.

For a copy in your inbox, please e-mail: Amnah.Munir@iqpc.com