One solution is moving towards a layered model that incorporates a center of excellence. According to the Hackett Group:

"In top performing companies, shared service organizations in finance and other back-office operations are evolving toward a three-layer model. One layer is large-volume transaction processing centers, typically offshored in low-cost countries. The second layer is centers of excellence that are responsible for service delivery and act as the primary interface to the business leaders. The third layer is high-level knowledge workers co-located with the business units, to serve as on-site business partners." (The Hackett Group, 2014)

For organizations to flourish, they must break free of old biases about AP and AR processes and look for ways shared services centers can help improve service. Being considered "easy to do business with" matters, and organizations must improve processes for internal and external stakeholders if they want to differentiate their business from their competitors. Interestingly, optimizing AP and AR processes are key to that goal. Faster, cheaper capture is just one part of the equation. Organizations must look for complete process optimization, removing manual touches and eliminating friction wherever possible. They must strive to incorporate new ideas to improve efficiencies and improve customer and vendor satisfaction. By setting goals for the future, and establishing metrics for measuring the performance of shared services centers, organizations can optimize processes and improve transparency to ensure continual process improvement.