How Shell Is Optimizing Finance Shared Services

Source Article: (Finance Director Europe, 16 November 2010)

Shell has positioned its global finance staff across seven service centers, from Guatemala to Glasgow, delivering 10% to 15% year-on-year savings.
Our View: Despite widespread recognition of their cost-savings potential, many shared services organizations struggle to grow. Expansion of scope and scale provides opportunities for more challenging work within the service center and raises the profile of the center to be equal to other operating units. Companies that limit the scope of Shared Services to only transaction processing and fail to run the center as if it were an independent business miss out on significant cost-savings benefits.
What We’re Hearing from SSR Clients: Despite widespread recognition of their cost-savings potential, many shared services organizations struggle to grow. Expansion of scope and scale provides opportunities for more challenging work within the service center and raises the profile of the center to be equal to other operating units. Companies that limit the scope of Shared Services to only transaction processing and fail to run the center as if it were an independent business miss out on significant cost-savings benefits.
How We Can Help SSR Clients: Identify “expert” shared services candidates, like General Mills does; learn how Diageo’s service center improves business relationships.
How We Can Help FLEx Clients: Join our Transaction Processing Cohort to benchmark and improve AP, AR, payroll, and T&E processes. Review materials on Driving Transaction Processing Efficiencies.
How We Can Help CTLR Clients: Learn how your peers are advancing the breadth of functions in Shared Services.
How We Can Help FLEx-Elite Clients: Learn how your peers are advancing the breadth of functions in Shared Services.
How We Can Help TAX Clients: Learn about Standard Chartered’s tax shared services strategy.