Managing outsourcing and shared services projects in accounting and finance sector

Enterprise project in outsourcing and shared services have been gaining prominence indifferent sectors globally. Outsourcing and shared services projects in accounting andfinance has been gaining momentum in the UK and most of the developed world. Withthe growth in information technology, and availability of platforms for remotecollaboration, outsourcing and shared services are going to grow further in the future.However, outsourcing and shared services projects in accounting and finance come withits own unique sets of drivers, challenges, benefits and skills requirements. The aim ofthis thesis is to develop a better understanding of outsourcing and shared servicesprojects in the accounting and finance sector in the UK. The thesis has taken a mixed method approach. Through an extensive review ofliterature initial issues were documented and this led to development of a semistructuredinterview questionnaire for 41 respondents which included: a) Academics b)Professional Bodies c) Clients, and d) Vendors e) Shared Services. The findings fromthis stage were presented to six experts who validated the findings and provided furtherinsights through a brainstorming session. The data collected from the brainstormingsession was used to conduct Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) of project drivers,and Interpretive Ranking Process (IRP) of drivers to benefits, skills to benefits and skillsto management levels. The major conclusions from the ISM and IRP are: 1) Compliance and legal issues is themost important driver which initiates an outsourcing project and is followed by accessto specialist knowledge, advanced technology, management support, efficiencyaspiration, need to focus on core business, pressure to improve customer experienceleading to expansion of the business. One important finding is that proximity hasbecome less important due to availability of advanced information and communicationtechnology and the recent developments in remote collaborative technological platformsmean that one can pursue outsourcing projects anywhere irrespective of location ofclient or vendor; 2) When it comes to harnessing benefits, the ability to be able to accessspecialist knowledge without having to invest in your own workforce is the mostimportant driver. This is followed by advanced technology, management support,efficiency improvements, compliance, focus on core business, business expansion,proximity and customer experience; 3) In order to facilitate a successful implementationthe order of importance of skills that leads to most benefits are: Interpersonal skills,technical skills, management skills, IT skills, intellectual skills and personal skills; and4) Interpersonal skills, intellectual skills, IT skills and personal skills are needed at alllevels of management in a client organisation, management skills are needed at middleand higher levels of management, technical skills become very important for lower andmiddle level managers who have to communicate effectively with outsourcing andshared services vendors on a daily basis.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral (Level 8)

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Islam, R

Language dc:language

en

Identifier

oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1366495

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1366495