Case Study

Company: “Company A” is a natural resources company with major operations around the world (North America, South America, Pacific Rim, Europe, Africa). Company A has implemented shared services, with shared services centers located in each of 3 continents. Each center serves the surrounding geographic region. The centers provide accounting, human resources, purchasing and administrative services.

Challenge Faced: Leadership recognizes that the ultimate test of success of the shared services organization will be the extent to which it satisfies internal customers’ needs. To accomplish this, the shared services leaders are working to create a “customer focus” mindset among the employees.

Their Approach: A key aspect of the customer focus initiative is measuring internal customer satisfaction. Company A created and customized surveys for users and executive-level “payers” of their services. They also surveyed service providers, to see whether there are disconnects between the shared services centers and their internal customers.

The Outcome: From the many services Company A offers, the baseline data revealed which were most in need of improvement. For these services, further analysis revealed that “accessibility” was frequently cited as needing improvement. Internal customers and service providers both agreed that shared services employees should be readily available for their customers. Data from respondents’ commentary provided examples, and suggestions for improvement. Company A understood what changes were required, and had a clear direction for implementing those changes.

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