This workshop explores the best practices in AP automation and transformation. We will share real-life case studies and best practices to uncover the winning strategies for practical AP transformation.

·       Understanding how shared services are developing internal tech competencies to improve processes, tech being used to expand the scope of existing processes (AP, compliance, payroll, purchasing, IT, etc.), and bringing tech and process as close as possible to ensure long-term improvements 

·       How SSCs can take a risk-averse and calculated approach towards embracing tech that drives innovation, unlocks opportunities (AML, KYC, Fraud, etc.), and maximises efficiency

·       How accurate and powerful AI can act as a springboard to accelerate the evolution of SSCs

·       What will will SSCs of the future look like, and what role will they play?

Sponsored by: PRGX

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Aaron Galloway

Senior Manager, Finance Business Integration
Airbus

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James Sly

President
PRGX

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As the boundaries between human and machine intelligence overlap, the potential of Agentic AI and Generative AI (GenAI) to revolutionize Business Operations is becoming increasingly evident. From automating routine tasks to enhancing decision-making and fostering innovation, GenAI is reshaping the landscape of Shared Services organizations in addition to other functions across the value chain. However, the successful integration of Agentic AI and GenAI, respectively requires a strategic approach that addresses both its opportunities and challenges. This workshop will explore practical applications of GenAI within targeted functions, providing attendees with insights and strategies to harness its power to effect impactful transformation.

·       Identify GenAI Use Cases: Discover specific applications of GenAI that can deliver tangible benefits within Shared Services organizations, such as automating document generation, improving customer service, and optimizing processes.

·       Promote Security Awareness: Review privacy pitfalls to avoid with respect to purpose limitations and incorporating robust data governance with systematic reviews.

·       Overcome Challenges: Learn to address common challenges associated with Agentic AI and GenAI implementation, including data quality, ethical considerations, and workforce integration.

·       Develop a GenAI Strategy: Create a roadmap for integrating GenAI into your shared services operations, outlining key steps, resource allocation, and expected outcomes.

·       Measure and Optimize: Understand how to measure the impact of GenAI initiatives and continuously optimize your approach to maximize value.

·       Foster a Culture of Innovation: Explore strategies for cultivating experimentation within the Shared Services team, encouraging the adoption of new technologies.

Sponsored by: Capgemini

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In order for GBS organisations to streamline their service delivery and customer experience, they need to rethink their service management framework. The task is becoming increasingly complex given the ever-expanding services functions/areas. Join this session to hear how to:  

·       Organise Service Management and to interact with the internal customers across the different matrix dimensions

·       Set up key business partnering roles to provide dedicated single point contacts

·       Leverage service management platform to drive customer centricity

Sponsored by: Ernst & Young

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“End to End” & “Process Excellence” are on every leadership agenda. GBS and Shared Services deliver services that support functional elements of “end to end” business processes, but rarely, if ever, “own” these true “end to end” cycles. Despite the ambiguity, there are high expectations, aspirations and value in a well-executed “end to end process” and “Global Process Owner” (GPO) approach. 

Sharing best practices with interactive discussions and exercises, this session will explore some of the opportunities and challenges in enabling “end to end” process excellence and introduce tools and tactics for the GPO and other stakeholders (both “enabling” and “beneficial”) to drive successful outcomes.

The workshop will cover:

• What problem are we trying to Solve?
• End to End Processes & the GPO
• Aspirations & Challenges
• Strategies for Success 
• Influence vs Control
• “Outside-In”
• Business Value
• “Think like a CFO”
• Stakeholder Engagement
• The Art of Execution
• Critical Capabilities 

Sponsored by: Consider Solutions

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Dan French

CEO
Consider Solutions

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Steve Fox

Process Excellence Leader
Consider Solutions

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This workshop is designed to provide a comprehensive framework for achieving service and operational excellence for finance shared services through tangible metrics and collective benchmarking insights.

·       Understand how KPIs can be used to monitor the efficiency of shared services functions like billing, payroll and accounts payable/receivable

·       Defining the Key Financial Process KPIs

·       How to leverage the billing cycle metrics for P2P & O2C drive positive impact on cash flow and level up process automation?

·       R2R metrics: Time to Close (monthly, quarterly, annually)

·       How are we leveraging these metrics for strategy and digital transformation?

·       What are typical benchmarks in the industry?

Join us at SSOW Lisbon for an exclusive, expert-led workshop hosted by Redwood and featuring Schneider Electric’s Director of Digital Projects, Stefano Olveri.

In this session, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at Schneider Electric’s SAP-based finance transformation—and learn how they’re building autonomy, cutting manual effort by up to 80%, and accelerating the close across journal entries, reconciliations, and more.

You’ll also gain access to fresh findings from SSON Research & Analytics, revealing what’s still holding back R2R automation in large enterprises—and where the biggest opportunities now lie. These insights will help you benchmark your automation maturity and sharpen your roadmap.

Redwood will then show how to go further—demonstrating how forward-thinking organizations running SAP are bringing to life the vision of a fully orchestrated, fully automated Touchless Close. With native SAP integration and modular, end-to-end automation, you’ll see what’s possible—and how to get there faster.

This is a must-attend session for global process owners, heads of shared services, and finance leaders responsible for R2R transformation—those tasked with scaling automation, boosting efficiency, and ensuring control and compliance across complex SAP environments.

Why attend?

• Learn directly from Schneider Electric – See how a global enterprise is deploying Redwood across China, Germany, and North America to standardize and automate R2R in diverse SAP environments
• See the art of the possible – Discover how Schneider is achieving deep automation across journal entries, reconciliations, and closing tasks
• Benchmark your maturity – Access research from SSON Research & Analytics that highlights where companies are falling short—and what sets leaders apart
• Build your automation blueprint – Understand the essential components of a fully orchestrated Touchless Close, including SAP-native integration and modular automation at scale
• Leave with a plan – Walk away with actionable insights and practical next steps to eliminate inefficiencies, shorten close cycles, and strengthen compliance

Sponsored by: Redwood

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Shak Akhtar

Executive Director, EMEA Finance Transformation
Redwood

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Barbara Hodge

Global Editor & Principal Analyst
SSON Research & Analytics

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With more and more GBS organisations accelerating their digital transformation, having a systematic approach in driving AI-enabled digital transformation is imperative to be future-proof. Join this workshop to hear the best practices in building towards a truly AI and digital enabled GBS operation.

·       Sharing best approaches in adopting emerging technologies such as agentic AI, Small Language Models (SLMs), and predictive analytics – systematically

·       Streamline workflows, optimise resource allocation, and facilitate real-time decision-making

·       Exploring different ways of converging digital technologies and AI into existing GBS structures, processes, and systems

·       Fostering a culture of continuous improvement and transformation within GBS

Sponsored by: Infosys BPM

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Santhosh Unni

AVP and Head of Digital Transformation & AI - EMEA and APAC
Infosys

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This workshop will provide key insights on how GBS leaders can develop strategic alignment and balance key elements around sourcing model, cost and talent management to create a robust and agile sourcing portfolio.

·       Sharing market insights and decision-making frameworks on how enterprise and GBS leaders can make better, fact-based, and future-ready sourcing decisions

·       Covering key themes including make vs. buy decisions, talent and location strategy, vendor selection and portfolio management, total cost of operations, and maximising value from sourcing portfolios

·       Sharing practical case studies with proven results

Rohitashwa Aggarwal

Partner
Everest Group

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Abhishek Sharma

Managing Partner
Everest Group

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This session is designed to deep-dive into the framework and key performance metrics for HR shared services organisations. We will walk through the fundamentals to help you understand the importance of KPIs and key business metrics, and effective performance management strategies for HR shared services organisations. Participants will also have the opportunity to work on defining KPIs for their own shared services.

·       Understand how KPIs can be used to monitor the efficiency of shared services functions like billing, payroll and accounts payable/receivable.

·       Defining the Key HR process KPIs

·       HR Shared Services – which KPIs matter most? Employee Satisfaction & Engagement; Attrition & Retention Rates; Time to Hire

·       Developing and evaluating effective payroll KPI metrics

·       Adjusting overall shared services and digital transformation with these KPIs

·       Understand the framework for managing and improving performance in shared services

·       Understand the intersection between performance metrics and overall business outcomes

The AI revolution reshapes the art and science of planning and delivering change. Embrace the future of change management by exploring how AI can streamline the execution of initiatives and empower your GBS teams to navigate change with confidence and clarity. This session aims to inspire you to apply the latest technological solutions to the most impactful use cases in the OCM field. Join us and learn practical strategies to accelerate change adoption while maintaining strong employee engagement:

·       Leverage historical and real-time data to forecast change impacts and identify potential risks

·       Use Natural Language Processing tools to analyse sentiment from surveys and communications, pinpointing areas of resistance and opportunities for more targeted messaging

·       Enhance stakeholder engagement by automating routine queries and providing real-time support during transitions

·       Using AI-driven insights, develop tailored strategies for different employee groups, ensuring that communications and training align with individual needs

·       Streamline routine processes so that change managers can focus on strategic decision-making

·       Build a Human-AI Partnership by learning best practices for integrating AI without losing sight of personal interactions

Sponsored by: Adaptive Group LTD

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Grzegorz Ruszała

Senior Manager & OCM Lead
Adaptive Solutions & Advisory Group

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There are many lessons that can be learned from those that have recently launched GBS organisations at scale with speed, particularly when they have an experienced team in place. Join this case study to hear how the team have pulled the key strategies together and built a solid foundation for GBS; to deliver sustained efficiency both now and in the future.

·       Accelerating the GBS launch with an experienced management team pulling transactional cycles together with speed

·       How to effectively untangle the complexities of business process and data with a simplified organisational architecture

·       Where technologies can make a big difference: Gen AI for SOP creation and process mining for process efficiency improvement

·       Building a foundation and having a longer-term plan to deliver continuous improvement after the initial gains

As automation and AI transformation deepens, what are the key roles and skills required for the future Finance function? And, more importantly, how are we developing effective strategies and approaches to prepare our teams towards that future?

·       Identifying and curating future-ready digital skillsets: What are they and how do we embed them in the transformation roadmap?

·       Developing your finance team during a talent crunch – using digital pathways and leadership development programmes to grow talent

·       The future skills for shared services: specialists vs. generalists

·       How do we overcome cultural challenges to develop business skills and business partnering capabilities?

·       Cultivating a sense of belonging in the finance team throughout the transformation journey

·       Is it time for virtual centres to grow?

James Thieriot

VP, Global Business Services Project
Sodexo

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Florian de Longvilliers

Global Business Services Director, Transformation
Air Liquide

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GBS’ roles in S4/HANA transformation are most critical in many organisations. In Pandora, GBS is co-leading global implementation across all lines of business and countries. Join this session to hear timely and valuable insights on establishing a strategic programme foundation to drive success. You will also hear practical steps in managing transformation at such a scale, providing key insights from process and change management perspectives.

·       Setting yourself up for success: Strategic approaches to structuring a successful S/4HANA transformation

·       Emphasising the business partnership with IT to drive successful outcomes

·       Tactics for managing complex change across multiple business units and international boundaries

·       Best practices for seamless integration of processes and technology to ensure business continuity and growth

Organisations must transition to skills-based frameworks to remain agile, equitable, and competitive. This panel discussion explores the key challenges in moving from job-based to skills-based talent strategies—navigating automation, workforce redeployment, and capability building. Learn how to implement a scalable approach that redefines roles, unlocks workforce potential, and enables continuous learning in your shared services and GBS setup. 

• Adapt to workforce changes by shifting from experience-based models to dynamic, skills-driven structures 
• Enhance agility by designing talent strategies that align skills with evolving business needs 
• Maximise workforce potential by redeploying employees impacted by automation into higher-value roles 

Pete Saunders

Director of People Services
Rolls-Royce

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Farah Abu-Hijleh

Head of Global HR Services
SLB

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With increasing regulatory pressures, a global skills shortage and increasing employee experience expectations, organisations face significant challenges in not only finding talent but also nurturing the talent they already have. In this session, you will hear how Deliveroo is transforming its HR practices to meet the demands of today's dynamic business environment.  

• Increase recruitment efficiency by analysing data to identify trends, measure success and refine your talent management strategy 
• Explore current challenges in talent development to understand what excellence means in your organisation 
• Understand the long-term impact of not modernising your talent management strategies and how to drive development with employees 

·       The evolution of traditional automation (e.g., OCR) and its enhancement with Generative AI

·       Sharing the AI transformation journey

·       The exponential impact of combining legacy technology with modern AI

Gunter Van Craen

Chief Digital and Information Officer and Member of the Executive Committee
Bekaert

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Under the technology pillar, the Digital Acceleration team at 3M GBS is focused not only on experimenting with digital technologies, but also on driving organisation-wide adoption through partnerships with IT teams and citizen development programmes. Join this case study to learn how they adopt automation, AI and other digital technologies through business-led initiatives.

·       From Citizen developers to A Gen AI Centre of Excellence: Taking AI a step further

·       Sharing the award-winning cases of AI embedded P2P and O2C business case study

·       Beyond Business services: Sharing practical examples where AI is helping the wider business