How To Make
Shared Services a Success
Carol Mills
Director of HR
University of Liverpool
Overview
 The pre-requisites of effective shared
service partnerships
 One model
 Learning Points
 What can go wrong
 If it goes right
Pre-requisites
Ownership at the top of all the partner
organisations
Shared, clearly stated objectives
Reviewed annually
Performance Management
Understanding local bureaucracy!
Pre-requisites
Partnership ethos – long-term
Intelligent client function
understanding/responsive service
provider
Penalties and incentives
Long-term service development plans vs
short-term gains
Pre-requisites
ensure key metrics are known beforehand
Operational SLAs are clear and
understood
where does responsibility lay?
where is the service over and under
achieving?
What is the level of service demanded?
Measurement to drive quality and
standards of delivery
Pre-requisites
Governance
What might impact on future delivery?
Cost and recovery of investment
where does “contractual responsibility” sit
if you have a 3rd party provider/partner
what are their responsibilities
If you bring on other partners impact on
charges and rewards
One model – In-house HR functions to focus on
strategy and policy and shared service provider focuses on transactional and
potentially HR advisory services
Examples of share
Of activity
Resourcing
Services
Performance
Services
Learning
Services
Reward
Services
Managed HR
Programs
Exit
Services
Retained
service
Resourcing
Strategy
HR Strategy
Target
Setting
Competency
Definition
and appraisal
policy
Learning Strategy
Compensation
& Benefits
Strategy
Case Escalation
Health & Safety
Policy
Exit Policies
Redundancy
Planning
Pensions Scheme
Policy
Shared service
area
HR Advisory
Services
HR
Admin/Transactional
Services
Campaign
Planning
Tools and forms
design
Agency
Management
Reporting
Event and
Programme
Design
Provider
Integration
Portfolio
management
Benefits
Discipline &
Package Design Grievance
Management
Health & Safety
Advice
Redundancy
Programme
Policy
Exit Package
Advice
Recruitment
Process
Admin
Annual Review
processing
Course Booking
Admin
Payroll
Administration
Absence
Management
Pensions
Administration
Employee
Screening
Promotions
processing
Training
Evaluation Admin
Redundancy
Admin
Health & Safety
Admin
Exit
Administration
Learning Points
Negotiators to stay around (memory
loss!)
Due diligence – more time & accuracy
Intelligent clients – sufficient staff
Shared benefit – greater clarity
Annual review of objectives
Communications – internal vs external
Learning Points
Performance Indicators need to be
benchmarked against best
Joint strategic management arrangements
Clarify finances – core; additional; contractual
increases; partner investments
Partners need to share the savings pain too
What can go wrong
Time input and no outcome
No business case
Resource gaps
All incentives or all penalties
Inadequate client arrangements
Contractual personalities
No ownership or understanding
If it goes right
The right fit
Key people on board and senior lead
Client control
Day to day relations
Service improvement focussed
Enhanced relationships
Not IT – BPR emphasis
Skills transfer
Contact Details
Carol Mills
Director of Human Resources
University of Liverpool
The Hart Building
Mount Pleasant
Liverpool
L3 5TQ
Tel: 0151 794 2191
Fax: 0151 794 2456
Email address: Carol.Mills@Liverpool.ac.uk