Did you know that, according to SSON's State of the Industry Report 2024, over half of the SSO/GBS leverage outsourcing? However, the nuanced landscape of outsourcing can make talent management all the more difficult. 

So, in this week's episode, we delve into the critical talent management decisions shared services leaders face. We're joined by Brad Killinger, CEO of Sapience Analytics, who discusses the importance of leveraging analytics to thrive amidst today's macro talent challenges, and the transformative power of workforce analytics. 

If you enjoy this episode, please join us for our webinar with Bradley on how to Level Up Your SSO/GBS with the Power of Workforce Analytics. 

In this week’s episode we delve into the future of order to cash and the trends you should be looking out for in the next 12 months. We’re joined by Keith Cowart, Global Market Owner, Automated Finance at FIS, who gives his expert advice on improving order-to-cash processes. This includes how to create a consumer-like experience, assessing customer-risk, artificial intelligence, and payments. Listen now for a short, snappy update on the O2C trends you need to be aware of.  

If you enjoy this episode, please join us for our webinar with Keith on Modernizing the Office of the CFO Through Finance Automation. 

You can also download the following whitepaper The Definitive Guide to Choosing Customer-to-Cash Software in 2025

In this week's episode SSON talks to Wendy Walker, Solution Principal of Tax Information Reporting at Sovos, about IRS Modernization. Wendy unravells the always complicated world of tax and breaks down exactly what the latest IRS Modernization involves, how it will impact data protection and security, and the steps organizations should take to prepare for these changes.

In the episode we reference the following e-Book and webinar which are great companions for this episode. See the links below to download and register.

The IRS Modernization eBook 

Webinar: IRS Business Systems Modernization: Preparing Your Organization for Reporting Changes

This week we're talking to Jonathan Tam, Head of APAC People Services, foodpanda. 

Jonathan is an experienced People Leader with more than 20 years in Operations and Project Management. He has supported areas across Customer Service, Information Technology, Banking and Finance, and Human Resource Delivery. Jonathan will be speaking at SSON’s SSOW Philippines event which takes place on August 6-9 in Manila. Ahead of his session, we invited him to join us on the podcast to talk all things people.

Jonathan will be speaking on the topic of – Employee Experience at Shared Services & Outsourcing Week Philippines. Listeners to SSO Next can access 10% off the ticket price for the event by quoting the code TENOFF when they book. Reach out to [email protected] for more details. 

Last month, SSON ran one of their most successful Shared Services & Outsourcing Week Europe’s ever! Over 900 shared services and outsourcing professionals joined together in sunny Lisbon to discuss everything from Generative AI to change management to process intelligence.

 In order to give you a flavour of the trends discussed, we asked 10 speakers for their top take-away from the conference. 

 SSON’s next European event is held in London on the 14-16 October, with an incredible key-note, Lord Sebastian Coe of Olympics fame! Listeners to SSON Next can get 10% discount of the ticket price for this event by quoting the code SSONEXT10 when you register. You can check the website or email me at [email protected] for more details.

SSOW London

This week we spoke with Karan R Bhatia, Head of GBS Asia Hub, Sanofi Consumer Healthcare. Sanofi recently set up a global business service center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which was a great success and able to grow quickly.  In this episode Karan talks us through why Sanofi chose to set up in Malaysia, the challenges they overcame and how Karan’s own entrepreneurial spirit has been crucial in bringing innovation to the GBS.

Karan will be speaking at Shared Services & Outsourcing Week Malaysia which is taking place on June 10-13 in KL. Listeners to SSO Next are able to access discounts the ticket price for the event by quoting SSONext when they register https://www.ssonetwork.com/events-ssomalaysia

There are hundreds of stories of the benefits and opportunities that lie within AI, but when it comes to practical, real-life use-cases, the list gets smaller very quickly. That’s why we were delighted to interview Jannette Perez, AVP Finance, L’Oréal and Nathanael L’Heureux, Chief Solutions Ambassador, Oversight, about L’Oréal’s recent AI implementation. In this episode our interviewees break-down their recent presentation at Shared Services & Outsourcing Week, giving the drivers, outcomes, and challenges of how they’re using AI within their travel & expense process.

You can find out more about Oversight here.

This week’s episode provides something a bit different, a glimpse into SSON’s largest event Shared Services & Outsourcing Week North America. The event, which ran at the end of March, attracted over 150 speakers and 1000 attendees. For those of you who weren’t able to make it, we wanted to provide a sneak peek and some of the key takeaways from onsite.

Note: Listeners to SSO Next are entitled to discounts of the ticket price for selected in-person events around the world by quoting the code SSO Next when they register. Details of upcoming events can be found here. 

Last month, at SSON’s flagship event in Orlando, Allianz Services received the award for the World’s Best GBS.  The award, which is hosted by SSON Research & Analytics, aims to identify a Global Business Services that represents "the world's best" based on contributing core value to the business in terms of cash, impact on working capital, margin and market growth. This shifts the focus from transactional efficiency, which defined shared services in the past, to supporting business success in a far more strategic way. 

 In this conversation, we discuss with Turan, Allianz’s transformation in the space of process mining, customer experience and talent development, that led to them winning this award. We also get a sneak peek into the keynote presentation Turan delivered onsite in Orlando, “Redefining GBS in the Next 10 Years.”  If you enjoy the podcast please do sign up for our webinar on the World’s Best GBS 2024: Winner Spotlight & Interview

Digital workflows are replacing paper-based processes, streamlining operations and improving efficiency. This trend is driving SSO/GBS to equip their workforce with the necessary digital skills to operate and excel in the new technology-driven ecosystem. As a result, talent capabilities are under the spotlight, with organizations focused on upskilling and reskilling employees, developing new talent models, and embracing flexible work arrangements to attract and retain the really key talent they so desperately need to meet their objectives. One GBS who is doing a particularly good job here is Commerz Global Service Solutions (a subsidiary of Commerzbank AG). That’s why we invited Arne Graeber their CEO to talk to us about his talent strategy.

This podcast is in conjunction with Shared Services & Outsourcing Week Malaysia. Mr Graeber is speaking at the event, which is held in Kuala Lumpur on June 10-13, on the topic of Creating a High Performance Culture at Commerz Global Service Solutions. Listeners of the SSO Next podcast can access discounts off the ticket price for SSOW Malaysia:

• Promotion: 15% off 3 Delegate Passes 
• Promo period: 15 April 2024 – 3 May 2024 
• Promo code: MY15OFF

 Enquiries to [email protected]

In this episode, Sally Fletcher, Head of SSON Digital, speaks to Akhilesh Kohli, GBS APAC Head, Philips, about the pivotal role played by Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in nurturing talent and fostering future value creation. Upskilling and ongoing learning are areas that Philips GBS has long prioritized. They also aim to fuel innovation through cross-functional collaboration and equipping their talent with emerging technologies. All with an eye to the future and ensuring they’re prepared for whatever comes their way.

Akhilesh is a keynote speaker at Shared Services & Outsourcing Week India. Listeners to the SSON Next Podcast can access a Buy2Get1Free promotion for the event, on the 4-day pass only, valid till 5 April 2024. 

Promo code: BUY2FREE1