Motivation: Shared Services (SS) is a cost cutting and quality improvement strategy, which is receiving increasing attention from academics and practitioners. However, previous research focuses primarily on the potential benefits of these strategies; while very little research explains the role of SS resources and capabilities in the achievement of SS goals. The purpose of this thesis is to address this gap by explaining how SS resources and capabilities influence the achievement of SS goals. Approach: A multiple-case study approach is adopted, following a qualitative methodology, with data collection occurring at four SS organisations. Findings: This thesis introduces a taxonomy of SS resources and identifies three SS operational capabilities and seven SS dynamic capabilities, grouped into four areas of competence. Furthermore, this research uncovers the capability development process in an SS context, through the identification of the specific routines that precede each capability. Finally this research extends SS research, not only by identifying additional SS goals not mentioned by previous research, but also by recognising what specific SS capabilities contribute to what goals, thus uncovering the goal achievement process in a shared service centre. Academic Contributions: This research contributes to the negligible literature focusing on SS resources and capabilities and responds to the claims that a further understanding of shared services is needed in order to provide practitioners with advice and procedural guidelines on how to design, implement and manage SS. It also lays the foundation for future research on resources and capabilities in an SS context. Managerial Contributions: The findings enable managers to identify and further develop the necessary resources, routines and capabilities to achieve their specific SS goals. Additionally, this research supports managers in identifying additional goals they can achieve, considering the resources, routines and capabilities their SSCs already have.

Thesis (M.H.S.A.)--University of Michigan, 1978.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--Univerity of Michigan, 1959. / Statement of purpose laid in.

Thesis (M.H.S.A.)--University of Michigan, 1978.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--Univerity of Michigan, 1959. / Statement of purpose laid in.

M.Comm. / Moving from a traditional organisation to a shared services business unit through the shared services evolutionary continuum, and eventually to an independent business model requires a significant investment in technology, infrastructure, planning and time. Once committed, the process is as rigorous as planning and implementing a new business venture (Van Denburgh & Cagna, 2000). From the basic shared services model through to the independent business model, and during each other phase, the shared services business unit needs to be managed. The shared services business unit executive finds himself in the position of managing a business unit that: Is service orientated. Operates in an evolutionary process. Operates in a changing environment. Runs on business principles. Is an income generating business unit in its own right. Crosses national and international borders. Considers communication between business units as an ongoing process. Is customer and process-focused. Continuously improves and benchmarks business processes against the best. The leadership challenge is now to practise these business processes in a shared services environment, to make them successful and efficient and to add value to the organisation (Gunn, Carberry, Frigo & Behrens, 1993).

This thesis presents a structured approach to measure the performance of a shared services business unit. This approach links the activities in the areas at which a shared services business unit must excel to create sustainable value for the organisation to the organisational vision. The methodology developed can be used to measure the performance of a shared services business unit by all the stakeholders that have an interest in the organisation. The study concludes that measuring of the performance of a shared services business unit is dependent on the organisational vision and strategies as contained in a mission statement. The study further concludes that as the transformation of technology, business processes, people and customer satisfaction are required for continuous evolution of the shared services; the activities that make up these areas should form the basis of the performance measurement of shared services. These activities in the areas of technology, business processes, people and customer satisfaction should be derived from the organisational vision and mission, and be supportive of the organisational mission and vision. The author has studied shared services and performance measurement metatheories and has found that the principles applicable to measure the strategic performance of an organisation can be applied to a shared services business unit. Some of these principles are so straight forward that they are often overlooked and taken for granted. The empirical methodology in this thesis follows a structured approach where the sample framework was tested to determine if the sample elements comply with the requirements of shared services. Following on this the study had to determine if the remaining sample elements are measuring the performance of their respective organisations in a structured manner. Only once this has been established can the study determine the manner in which these sample elements measure the performance of their shared services. After this, the elements identified through the literature study and empirical research could be build into a hierarchy of performance measurement for a shared services business unit. In developing a hierarchy of performance measures for a shared services business unit, shared services organisations have been provided with a structured approach to measure the performance of their shared services business unit that will indicate the value created by the shared services to all stakeholders concerned. / Prof. A.L. Boessenkool

The Thesis is conducted based on analysis of a business shared service centre, all factors to consider before the establishment, its scope, model, and the most important is to see advantages as well as to realize the shortcomings of this kind of business model. The country which is analyzed is the Czech Republic; more particular is the city of Prague; and the company is SAP Business Service Centre of Europe (BSCE). In this Thesis, first of all, the PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technology) environmental analysis has been conducted. The work continues with the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of the company SAP AG, from which, we can see that opening a SAP BSCE is a part of SAP strategy which supposes to benefit the company. In order to establish the BSCE, the SAP management board has to consider the factors such as Organization, People, Processes and IT Infrastructure. After analyzing approximately 20 cities in Europe, SAP has chosen Prague as the best mix of quality and costs factors. SAP BSCE covers the functions of Human Resource and Finance and Administration, which provide services to internal and external customers of many countries in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. SAP BSCE has brought back many advantages such as cost-savings, high quality service, business availability and flexibility, and business transparency and legal compliance. On the other hand, there are still many short-comings, such as the high turn-over rate of staff, difficulties in harmonization and standardization of processes and IT infrastructure, and how to prove the quality of service. Despite these challenges, SAP BSCE has put efforts into trying to overcome these problems. At the end of the Thesis, as per analysis of SAP financial results of business activities during the crisis, it is proven the setting up a shared service centre was a good decision of SAP and it paid off with the contribution to help SAP overcome the impacts of crisis.

Shared Services (SS) involves the convergence and streamlining of an organisation’s functions to ensure timely service delivery as effectively and efficiently as possible. As a management structure designed to promote value generation, cost savings and improved service delivery by leveraging on economies of scale, the idea of SS is driven by cost reduction and improvements in quality levels of service and efficiency. Current conventional wisdom is that the potential for SS is increasing due to the increasing costs of changing systems and business requirements for organisations and in implementing and running information systems. In addition, due to commoditisation of large information systems such as enterprise systems, many common, supporting functions across organisations are becoming more similar than not, leading to an increasing overlap in processes and fuelling the notion that it is possible for organisations to derive benefits from collaborating and sharing their common services through an inter-organisational shared services (IOSS) arrangement. While there is some research on traditional SS, very little research has been done on IOSS. In particular, it is unclear what are the potential drivers and inhibitors of IOSS. As the concepts of IOSS and SS are closely related to that of Outsourcing, and their distinction is sometimes blurred, this research has the first objective of seeking a clear conceptual understanding of the differences between SS and Outsourcing (in motivators, arrangements, benefits, disadvantages, etc) and based on this conceptual understanding, the second objective of this research is to develop a decision model (Shared Services Potential model) which would aid organisations in deciding which arrangement would be more appropriate for them to adopt in pursuit of process improvements for their operations. As the context of the study is on universities in higher education sharing administrative services common to or across them and with the assumption that such services were homogenous in nature, this thesis also reports on a case study. The case study involved face to face interviews from representatives of an Australian university to explore the potential for IOSS. Our key findings suggest that it is possible for universities to share services common across them as most of them were currently using the same systems although independently.

Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Business Administration in Project Management in the Faculty of Business at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2013 / Good governance has been and is a growing phenomenon for almost all business organisations regardless of size, profit margins and purpose for existence. Government, quasi-government, non-governmental organisations and even civic organisations have adopted a project-based approach to business. The City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality is one such organisation that had adopted a project-based approach to business. The challenge was how to effectively and efficiently implement governance issues around projects and business organisations. Most organisations can easily be misled if issues of governance are not clearly defined and followed. A project-based approach helps in defining the resources needed at specific times, the time required for a specific task and the cost of a specific operation. In a multi-project environment (programme) resources are shared in a well-defined manner. The City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality has a huge responsibility in terms of successfully initiating, planning and implementing projects successfully. The magnitude and the dynamic complexities of their operation call for proper governance structures to be established within any municipality if service delivery is the main objective. Managing complex and mega projects calls for certain leadership traits. A fusion of these traits at different management levels will be critical for effective delivery of services to the electorate. Models and plans need to be in place as guidance to successful implementation of projects. A number of people, committees and institutions have developed different governance frameworks that can be adopted by organisations as a guide to good governance. This research is based on King III guide to good governance. Challenges experienced by other Municipalities and business organisations e.g. Nelson Mandela Municipality, Eastern Cape Education Department, Transnet, LeisureNet, Limpopo Provincial government and many others, directly relate to poor governance. This therefore calls for the investigation of the Corporate Services directorate in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality to establish the level of compliance with what King III had recommended as a framework for good governance. The City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality has different general governance frameworks in place. However they do not use them effectively because of different issues identified by the researcher. The major challenges facing the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality are effective governance communication and lack of training in the practice of good governance. There were serious discrepancies when it comes to understanding and interpreting governance issues within the different levels of management. It is expected that an organisation like the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality should have proper communication channels and effective training programmes. The researcher also found that information is not readily available to people who need it most yet the expectation is that information be readily available.