What would help your organization get started with shared services?
results breakdown
Having a better understanding of what shared services involve appears to be an important first step for many organizations. Understanding the costs and benefits was the most common response, with 13 selections (57%). This was followed by finding suitable partner organizations (11 responses, 48%) and seeing examples of how shared services work in other organizations (9 responses, 39%).
These results suggest that organizations want to feel confident about the financial and practical benefits before moving forward. Finding the right partners is also important, as successful arrangements will depend on organizations having compatible needs and goals. Funding and board approval were each selected five times (22%).
Providing clear financial information, real-life examples and opportunities to connect with potential partners could therefore help organizations feel more prepared to explore shared services.
What would be the most important sign that shared services are working well for your organization?
Results Breakdown
When considering what success would look like, lower costs stood out as the top priority, receiving 18 responses (40%). Better access to expertise and resources was the next most common choice, with 11 responses (24%). This suggests that organizations are interested not only in saving money but also in gaining access to skills and resources that may be difficult to maintain independently.
Better or more reliable services and fair costs and flexibility were also identified as important, with six responses each (13%). This shows that financial savings need to be balanced with maintaining service quality and ensuring arrangements work for all participating organizations.
Ultimately, organizations appear to be looking for shared services that offer good value for money while also improving the support, resources and services available to them.
When could your organization realistically begin participating in shared services?
Results Breakdown
There is a noticeable difference in how ready organizations are to participate in shared services. While the largest group, eight respondents (31%), said they were not currently considering it, 10 respondents (38%) indicated that they could potentially get involved within the next 12 months. Of these, six (23%) selected within the next six months and four (15%) selected six to twelve months.
Another five respondents (19%) said they would consider participating if a specific need arose. Only three respondents (12%) indicated that they would likely wait longer than a year.
This suggests that there is some interest in moving forward with shared services in the near future, although not all organizations are at the same stage. Some may already be considering their options, while others may need more time or a particular operational need before exploring the idea further. Taking a flexible approach will be important to accommodate these different levels of readiness.