Shared Services
I have always been a great fan of Shared Services, it simply stands to reason not to duplicate where it is not needed. Even where, on the face of it, a centralised concept might not seem self-evident, e.g. administering Pension Schemes covering people in very different countries, the in-depth knowledge gained might benefit the whole group.
Obviously implementing Shared Services can, in the short term, upset fiefdoms, but in my experience the gained transparency, giving the ability to truly compare, will eventually win over your most capable managers.
Some of my Cases
B. Braun - A Late Introduction
See also: