Automation and Digitisation: The Future of Outsourcing

The use of shared services centres (SSCs) has grown over the decades – the model, however, is on the brink of radical change.

There are now more than 350 SSCs around the world, and more than 40% of these have 100+ fulltime employees. Between 2013 and 2015 we saw a fall in the number of SSCs in Western Europe, Canada and the US, where labour costs are high, and a rise in the number of SSCs in Asia. According to research by Everest Group, more than 70% of US Fortune 500 companies now use shared services or outsourcing models for their finance and accounting operations.

This article discusses the advantages and risks of implementing automation and digitisation within SSCs.