Considering all the challenges organizations face in moving to a shared services center model, it is important that organizations look for ways to simplify the approach to global process management. One way to simplify this transition is to leverage a common enterprise technology platform, such as SAP systems, which can support both business and technical requirements and provides a solid foundation on which organizations can support current and future shared services requirements.

Built to support large, international businesses, SAP systems provide organizations with powerful and flexible business functionality for standardizing and centralizing processes according to best practices. SAP systems provide ways to roll out, enforce and monitor processes globally, across multiple businesses, company codes, and locations. They also provide built in support for managing according to global business standards as well as very specific local business and statutory requirements. The comprehensive nature of SAP systems ensures that any improvements made in one area of the business can be leveraged by other areas of the business. It is the integrated view of business that is at the heart of every SAP system that makes it possible to consolidate and manage multiple processes within a shared services model and maximizes the benefit of this model to the organization.

Technically, SAP systems provide organizations with a substantial system of record that can be used to integrate legacy and modern technology into a single cohesive system. The SAP roadmap and ecosystem of partners and solutions ensures that organizations can integrate the specific technology components that they have in their IT landscape to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of services. As part of the existing corporate IT infrastructure, organizations can use SAP systems to support shared services to reduce complexity and overall cost to the IT infrastructure and can support the services centers with technical resources already in place. By making the most out of existing technology and support investments in SAP, organizations will be able to adapt quickly to the needs of internal and external drivers, while still realizing real ROI.

With a simplified approach to global process management, using SAP systems as a solid business and technical foundation, organizations can focus on choosing the best shared services model, either in-house or outsourced, for their unique business needs.