Alsbridge Inc. Announces Global Shared Services Survey

Dallas, TX (January 30, 2007) - Alsbridge, the award winning global advisory firm providing unbiased advice and assistance on outsourcing, shared services and offshoring, today announced the first of a series of buyer surveys. The first one focuses on shared services and is being sent to the more than 25,000 members of Alsbridge’s Outsourcing Leadership Forum.

The resulting report will be released to all participants and will include a global view of interest levels, current market trends, and identified benefits. Participants can complete the survey by visiting http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=842233068443.

Ben Trowbridge, CEO of Alsbridge U.S., says the survey will be significant because little research is available on shared service operations. “Outsourcing providers regularly announce large contracts, but shared service centers are opened regularly with no fanfare in the press. The purpose of the survey is to identify what trends are propelling companies to move to shared service centers and what value large organizations believe is the most important goal,” says Trowbridge.

Current Alsbridge data suggests that organizations can realize a cost reduction of between 30 and 50 percent by consolidating business functions into a shared services center. Additionally, research has found that this concept has tremendous appeal to organizations because of increased globalization, a need for 24/7 access to information and a desire to automate administrative tasks and activities.

Trowbridge says companies need to understand three main points when considering opening shared service centers. First is scope. What processes does the company want to put into a shared service center? Understanding what functions are no longer needed on shore is at the discretion of the organization, so in order to move forward they must analyze their situation. Second is location. Companies should thoroughly research the area they want to build their center, especially understanding various government laws and customs of that particular place. Finally, those considering opening shared service centers have to understand the appropriate configuration. After finding a location for a site, the company must configure the center by creating a corporate culture that is aligned with their goals as well as those that will be working there. This includes setting up hours, establishing protocols and interpreting cultural differences.

More research and articles on shared services can be found at Alsbridge’s popular newsletter OutsourcingLeadership.com.