As enterprise organizations scale, shared services teams play an essential role in supporting internal departments and driving efficiency. From HR and IT to finance and legal, shared services teams streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance internal client satisfaction. However, as these teams grow, they face unique challenges that can affect their ability to support internal departments effectively. Inefficient workflows, communication gaps, and rising expectations can strain shared services teams, impacting productivity and employee morale.

To address these issues and create a thriving shared services model, enterprise organizations need to proactively address growth-related challenges with strategic solutions. Below, we discuss four common challenges facing growing shared services teams and the solutions to overcome them. In the conclusion, we explore how StartingPoint’s tools can help streamline processes, improve transparency, and support the growth of shared services teams.

1. Communication Gaps Between Shared Services Teams and Internal Departments

One of the biggest challenges shared services teams face as they grow is maintaining clear and consistent communication with other departments. When requests for support increase, communication channels can quickly become overwhelmed. Important information can slip through the cracks, leading to delays, misunderstandings, and unsatisfied internal clients.

Solution: Implement Centralized Communication Tools

A centralized communication platform is essential for keeping everyone on the same page. By using a platform that allows internal departments to submit requests, track progress, and communicate with shared services in real time, organizations can reduce misunderstandings and ensure transparency.

Best Practices:

• Dedicated Communication Channels: Use a dedicated platform for all requests and updates, reducing reliance on email, which can become cluttered and hard to track.
• Automated Updates and Notifications: Automate status updates for internal clients as requests move through the workflow, improving transparency and reducing follow-up emails.
• Defined Points of Contact: Designate primary contacts within each department to centralize communication and keep stakeholders informed.

Centralized communication tools improve visibility and accountability, enabling shared services teams to provide efficient support and strengthen their relationships with other departments.

2. Inefficient Resource Utilization and Workload Distribution

As shared services teams expand, balancing workload and resource allocation can become increasingly complex. Uneven distribution of work can lead to burnout, reduced productivity, and slower response times. This is particularly true in fast-growing organizations where shared services teams handle high volumes of requests.

Solution: Implement Workload Management and Resource Allocation Tools

Using workload management tools enables teams to distribute work evenly and manage resources more effectively. These tools provide insights into who is handling which tasks, how long each task takes, and where bottlenecks may exist.

Best Practices:

• Task Prioritization: Use a system to classify tasks by urgency and importance. For example, critical requests should take priority over non-essential tasks, helping teams allocate resources to high-impact work.
• Automated Workload Distribution: Automated workload distribution ensures that tasks are assigned evenly across the team based on current availability, avoiding situations where some team members are overloaded while others are underutilized.
• Resource Utilization Analytics: Regularly review data on resource allocation and adjust assignments to optimize productivity. Resource utilization analytics help team leaders understand where time is spent and adjust accordingly.

Efficient resource utilization and workload management tools allow shared services teams to handle higher volumes of work without compromising on quality or efficiency.

3. Tracking and Managing Requests, Tickets, and SLAs

For shared services teams, managing and tracking incoming requests or “tickets” is essential for providing timely support. However, as teams grow and request volumes increase, tracking these requests becomes more challenging. Without a reliable ticketing system, it can be difficult to meet SLAs (Service Level Agreements) and maintain high service quality.

Solution: Utilize an Effective Ticket Tracking System

A ticket tracking system provides a structured way to manage incoming requests, ensuring all tasks are documented, prioritized, and assigned. With a clear tracking system, shared services teams can monitor their performance and maintain accountability to meet internal SLAs.

Best Practices:

• Set and Track SLAs for Each Request Type: Defining SLAs for each type of request helps ensure timely service. By tracking these SLAs, shared services teams can identify patterns and areas for improvement.
• Categorize Requests by Priority Levels: Use a prioritization matrix to categorize requests by their urgency and impact, ensuring critical issues are addressed promptly while lower-priority tasks are scheduled accordingly.
• Automated Ticket Routing: Implement automated ticket routing to assign requests to the appropriate team member based on expertise and workload, which ensures fast response times and efficient resource use.

An efficient ticket tracking system helps shared services teams remain organized, respond quickly, and maintain accountability, leading to higher internal client satisfaction and streamlined operations.

4. Managing Internal Expectations and Delivering on SLAs

Meeting internal expectations and SLAs is a significant challenge for shared services teams, especially as demand for their services increases. Often, internal departments expect faster turnaround times and higher quality, which can be difficult to deliver consistently without clear communication and performance tracking.

Solution: Set Clear Expectations and Regularly Report on SLA Performance

Shared services teams should be transparent with internal departments about service expectations and capacity. Regularly reporting on performance against SLAs helps manage expectations and demonstrate the team’s commitment to high-quality service.

Best Practices:

• Establish Transparent SLAs: Define SLAs with clear timelines, processes, and metrics. Share these with internal departments to align expectations and ensure everyone understands the standards of service.
• Monitor and Report on SLA Compliance: Use reporting tools to track SLA compliance and identify areas for improvement. Regular updates on performance metrics help build trust and accountability with internal clients.
• Conduct Regular Performance Reviews with Stakeholders: Regular meetings with key stakeholders allow shared services teams to discuss performance, address concerns, and adapt SLAs as needed. These reviews help maintain alignment and show internal departments that the shared services team values their input.

Proactively managing internal expectations and demonstrating SLA compliance strengthens trust between shared services teams and the departments they support, fostering a more collaborative and productive environment.

How StartingPoint Can Drive Efficiency in Shared Services Teams

StartingPoint is a comprehensive workflow management and automation software designed to empower shared services teams to overcome growth challenges. By implementing StartingPoint, organizations can simplify work processes, increase transparency, and enable shared services teams to scale effectively.

Here’s how StartingPoint supports shared services teams in addressing these challenges:

• Centralized Communication and Request Management: StartingPoint offers a single platform for managing and tracking requests across all shared services teams, reducing the need for emails and providing a clear line of communication with internal departments. This centralization ensures that all requests are documented and easily accessible.
• Automated Workflows for Improved Resource Utilization: StartingPoint provides customizable workflows that automate repetitive tasks and route requests to the appropriate team members, balancing workloads and enhancing resource allocation. With StartingPoint’s automation, shared services teams can handle a higher volume of requests without sacrificing quality.
• Ticket Tracking with SLA Monitoring: StartingPoint’s robust ticketing system enables teams to track, prioritize, and manage incoming requests effectively. The software allows teams to define SLAs for various types of requests and monitor SLA performance, ensuring that internal clients receive timely support and that shared services teams remain accountable.
• Data-Driven Insights for Managing Internal Expectations: With StartingPoint’s analytics tools, shared services teams can generate performance reports, track SLA compliance, and identify patterns in request volumes. By sharing these insights with internal departments, teams can set realistic expectations and showcase their commitment to continuous improvement.

By streamlining communication, automating tasks, and offering data-driven insights, StartingPoint empowers shared services teams to tackle growth challenges head-on. This enables teams to provide a higher level of service, increase transparency, and scale efficiently as the organization grows.

Conclusion

Growing shared services teams in enterprise organizations face significant challenges in communication, resource utilization, ticket tracking, and managing internal expectations. By implementing centralized communication tools, workload management systems, efficient ticket tracking, and SLA monitoring, shared services teams can overcome these challenges and deliver exceptional support to internal departments.

StartingPoint offers an all-in-one solution for shared services teams, simplifying workflows, providing real-time transparency, and supporting scalability. With StartingPoint, shared services teams can become more organized, efficient, and responsive to the needs of internal departments, helping the entire organization operate at its full potential.

Visit StartingPoint at www.startingpoint.ai to learn more!

‍