Centers of Excellence are in the headlines again. SSON Analytics data tells us nearly 60% of global shared services already operate COEs, with another 20% planning to soon. This trend of streamlining COE capabilities will no doubt continue.

In this three-part series SSON columnist and communications expert Aniisu Verghese outlines the value of investing in communications as a Center of Excellence: What does it take for organizations and communication teams to get there? And how are such teams built as the organization reframes how communications is perceived?

Part one covers why organizations must consider communications as a business service and product for organizational effectiveness & efficiency, and trends shaping the world of work engagement.

Part two discusses what organizations can do to begin the process of building communications as a Center of Excellence – working through internal acceptance, respect and credibility, and gauging maturity, among other aspects.

Part three looks at how organizations build such teams and systems, and what it means for how communications is perceived.

Note: the term Global Capability Center (GCC) refers to captive shared services (SSOs) and is used interchangeably.

Communications as a Center of Excellence for Shared Services 

Part 1: Getting Started: Understanding the communication trends shaping Shared Services.

Let’s start with some context:

• With the world of work evolving and the pandemic reshaping how staff view the workplace and their own time, organizations need to reconsider what this means for shared services centers that serve business needs. Engaging employees is becoming much harder, and yet digital tools and technology can enable faster and more robust communications.

• SSOs save close to 45% in costs over three to five years and India itself houses 50% of the world’s shared services.

• The Ernst & Young Global Capability Center (GCC) Pulse Survey 2020 indicates that only 40% of the GCCs surveyed have tools to measure employee effectiveness and workforce productivity, with 43% leveraging informal communication and meetings to drive this assessment. Seventeen percent of the respondents do not monitor productivity at an employee level. This is not just concerning for organizations but also for leaders who manage communications.

• Capgemini’s report that looks beyond COVID-19 indicates a high resilience among GCCs as they continue to serve clients and keep employee safety at the forefront. About 95% of those surveyed focused on business continuity and flexible practices that propelled productivity.

• Most GCCs have seamlessly pivoted to working from home or anywhere, which makes communication even more important. As change picks up pace and organizations try to navigate disruptions, the role of communication in involving and engaging staff becomes paramount.

Taking stock of communications within and beyond

Irrespective of the size and scale of the organization, globally distributed teams need to be communicated with, and communications between them needs to be enabled. Organizations that invest in communications are often leaders in their own right – growing brand presence, creating team cohesion and attracting and retaining the best talent in the local marketplace. Investments can mean funds for channels, content, collateral, campaigns, and more.

Given the implications of the pandemic, organizations have increasingly shifted to remote working powered by digital tools.

Communicators who understand these tools and empower leaders and managers to make the most of them will see their internal equity rise. They will be sought as strategic counsels and be more likely to get a seat at the table. When communication teams build strong credentials, they can extend their expertise and capabilities to other centers and teams, thereby driving synergies and efficiencies, adding value and reducing costs.

Identify the opportunities

Communication can be understood differently inside an organization. From creative services to event management, from customer communication to analytics and reporting – the range and scale of the opportunities are immense. Offering services like content, design, and social media monitoring can help scale the impact of how a communications team grows into a Center of Excellence over time. Even public relations and media management can be done very efficiently centrally, so that they add value to the business and beyond. The goal is to free up time for communicators and leaders to focus on pressing issues that demand their attention.

Gauging maturity and establishing goals

While the business benefits of creating Centers of Excellence are understood, it often takes proof points for stakeholders to believe and back such initiatives. The communications team needs to demonstrate value and governance in established practices. They need to indicate their passion for the function and how they have scaled impact over time. By using contemporary tools and resources and driving results for the business and the brand, they will gain acceptance sooner than later.

The goals of the communication center need to be articulated and socialized with stakeholders, thereby helping them understand how converging key capabilities and strengthening the team’s skillsets can raise the satisfaction levels among internal and external audiences in a consistent, time-bound and cost-effective manner.

Understanding resistance

Most initiatives fail when the communications leader can’t appreciate common issues and resistance among stakeholders. Among the key barriers to change are a fear of losing control, role overlaps, inconsistent policies and practices, lack of clarity on the benefits and outcomes, and uncertainty on the quality of output and range of opportunities. Finally: Egos that prevent businesses from seeing the bigger picture. It’s best to focus on the benefits – increased control, faster turnaround of requests, higher quality, and closer connection to business, among others.

While organizations are tapping the power of their global capability centers and joining the race to be a digital-first workplace, the role of communications as a Center of Excellence is more prominent than ever.

In Part 2 we will look at how organizations can begin the process of change and overcome barriers and progress on the path to success as a communications Center of Excellence.