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TOPDESK MAGAZINE - JUNE 2016

ADVERTORIAL

COLUMN

5 TIPS FOR SETTING

UP AN SSC
Shared Service Centers (SSCs) are popping up everywhere especially in
the public sector. Unfortunately , the desired goals lower costs, better
service are not always met. How do you set up a successful SSC?
An expert gives us five tips.
TEXT: NIEK STEENHUIS PHOTOGRAPHY: AAD HOOGENDOORN

24 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - JUNE 2016

Patrick van der Spank has worked in the IT business for almost a
quarter of a century. His CV includes jobs as IT manager, service
management consultant and change manager. He has managed
several SSC projects in the past years, making him an expert with firsthand experience. We asked him what he learned: how do you set up an
SSC? Below you can read his advice.

Implement two parallel change processes

The great thing about setting up an SSC, says Patrick , is
that its a combination of a merger and an outsourcing project. The
SSC merges people from several organizations who dont know one
another, but are forced to work together. This is a textbook definition
of a merger. And the organizations that become the SSCs customer
outsource their back office.
Patrick notices that in practice the terms merger and outsourcing are
often avoided. People prefer to think in terms like partner or colleague
at a distance. He believes this is not entirely justified. Becoming
aware of the two different changes makes it more transparent what
will change for the parties involved. Moreover, it becomes clear how
they can best manage this change. I would advise to implement two
separate change processes: a merger process for the new SSC and an
outsourcing process for the parties that will be the SSCs customer.

ITS NO GOOD FORCING YOUR

CORPORATE CULTURE ON OTHERS

Acknowledge the changing dynamic between

customer and SSC

Introducing an SSC leads to a changing dynamic between the

purchaser of the service (customer) and the supporting service
(supplier). Im currently setting up a collaborative SSC with
a county and two councils, explains Patrick. They merged their IT,
procurement and sales administration in one SSC, and hired people
from all three organizations. The three parties clearly agreed that
they want a working relationship based on an equal partnership.
At the same time, outsourcing those supporting services automatically
leads to a customer-supplier relationship between the SSC and the
three organizations they support. Now your former IT colleague is
your supplier.

TOPDESK MAGAZINE - JUNE 2016 25

Its good to acknowledge the changing relationship. Equal partnership

works fine as long as things go well. If not, you soon notice that the
county or council puts takes on their supplier role and holds the SSC
accountable. And thats fine! If you consider the SSC as the supplier,
it helps you to set clear expectations and make new agreements with
each other.

Build a team within the SSC

Patrick also believes that you should be transparent about the

dynamic within the new SSC. If you see setting up the SSC as a merger,
you also acknowledge the impact this change has on people. Its quite
a significant change, says Patrick. People have left their nest to work
at the SSC. They are given a different role and have to work with people
with a different work method and corporate culture. Thats why it is
important to focus a lot of attention on building a new team, with an

Formulate both hard and soft goals

identity of its own.

I learned this through trial and error, says Patrick with a smile.

Patrick noticed that this group process doesnt happen naturally.

Fourteen years ago I was working as a senior IT manager and was

Keep in mind that a new team brings a new dynamic. As a manager,

responsible for rolling out ITIL throughout Europe. I had described the

you have to respond to this change appropriately. Offer a clear vision

processes, written manuals, set up the tool and hired some interns to

and frameworks, plant the seeds for a new culture where everyone

take care of the international workshops. And still there was resistance.

feels at home. Get used to each other and search for the right

I didn't understand why, because our plan was solid. But it was a plan

collaboration. Patrick uses a number of stages of group formation:

that Id drafted alone, without involving others. It taught me that this

forming, storming, norming and performing. Discover which

approach doesnt work.

phase your team is in, and act upon this as a manager. This calls for

My advice is to formulate both hard, SMART goals and soft success

situational leadership . If youre in the storming phase, embrace that

factors for an SSC project. In my experience, organizations are good

storm. Dont wait for it to turn into a hurricane, but find the friction

at formulating their hard factor goals, like the tool setup, process

and deal with it. If you ignore it, it will only give you trouble later on.

descriptions and reports. Its my job as a consultant to include the

soft factors.
One of the ways I do this is by organizing a session per target group

Accept each others corporate culture

where I ask them why they want things to change. But I also ask them

Another important factor that determines the mergers success

why they dont want it . This brings out the fears of change such as less

is whether youre able to match the different corporate cultures. I was

autonomy, having to say no more often or unnecessary bureaucracy.

once involved in an SSC project where two educational institutions had

I then ask: what will people in your team do to actualize the change?

totally different cultures, explains Patrick. One institutions motto

And what will you do to sabotage the goal? Its surprising to see how

was Trust is good, control is better, while the others was Trust and

honest people are in answering these questions, provided that the

be trusted in return. Their corporate culture was engrained in the

group trusts me and each other. Being transparent about these things

organizations: in the recruitment policy, the management style and

improves the SSCs chances of succeeding.

work methods. Trying to change these things isnt easy. But you cant
ignore them either.
In this project I often made people aware of the cultural differences
in the organization, helping them take these discrepancies into
account. This grants managers insight into how they should manage
certain people: should you give them lots of freedom, or clear
instructions? What you definitely shouldnt do is force your corporate
culture on someone. That doesnt work. Instead focus on each others
strengths and make it work for you. How can you best support
each other?