公司服务：互联网时代的新机遇（英文版）

CorporateServicesNewOPPORTUNITIESintheINTERNETAGEOurincreasinglyinformation-intensiveworldoffersnewrealmsofpossibility—andcomplexity.E-enablingthecorporateenvironment,orincorporatingweb-basedservicesintotheworkplace,canfuelthecollaborationandsimplificationthatsuchinformationintensitydemands.Butaddingan“e”beforecorporateservicesinvolvesfarmorethanbuyingtherightsoftware,beefingupservercapabilities,orbringinginanapplicationserviceprovider(ASP).Ascompaniesexploreopportu-nitiestotaketheircorporateservicesonline,theyoftenencounteramazeofpotentialinitiatives.Manyofthemareinterdependent;someareconflicting.Establishedfunctionsmayberadicallyaffected,reduced,combinedoreliminated.Andcorporateboundariesmaybeleveledinadvanta-geouspartneringconnectionswithoutsideservicesuppliers.AsmoreFortune500companiesrefinetheire-businessstrategies,theyrecognizecorporateservicesasanintegralcomponentofthebusinessvaluechain.Manycompanieshaveimprovedtheircoststructures,speduptheirprocessesandenhancedprogramsforemployeedevelopmentandretention(seesidebar,CorporateServices:TheEvolution).Withacomprehensiveplantoe-enablecorporateservices,companiescansaveanestimatedUS$500to1,000peremployee.OneglobalmanufacturerofhealthcareproductsestimatesthatitwillsaveUS$47millionperyearbyimplementing“e-enabled”corporateservices(seefigure1,page2).Asanaddedbonus,thebenefitsextendbeyondsupportservicestothecorebusinessareasinfluencedbythem.Forinstance,companieswithsuccessfule-corporateservicesneedlessworkingcapital,theirpurchasingpracticesimproveandtheyshortentheirrecruitingprocesses.Cisco,therecognizedleaderin“workforceoptimization,”savesmorethanUS$50millionannually.Anotherhugebenefitisthatenterprisee-servicescanhelpattractandkeeptalentedemployeeswhowanttoworkintechnologicallysavvyenvironments.E-corporateservicescanalsoincreaseemployeesatisfaction.Researchrevealsthatemployeesfavorworkplacesthatnurtureself-management,personaldevelopment,collaboration,knowledgesharingandholisticthinking.E-corporateservicescanbeanimportanttoolincreatingsuchanenviron-ment.Withweb-enabledservices,employeesmanagemuchoftheirowndata.Theyparticipateinweb-basedtrainingandaccessknowledgeresourcesonline.Byimplementingintra-officee-services,communityandcollaborationcangrowastheglobalcorporationisbroughtunderoneumbrella.Despitethepotentialbenefits,therearemanychallengestoovercome.Thispaperfocusesonthekeyissuesexecutivesfaceindevelopingandimplementinge-corporateservicesstrategies.ItalsopresentsanapproachA.T.Kearneyhasdeveloped,basedonresearchandclientwork,toensurethatcompaniesaddressthefundamentalsofplanningandimplementinge-corporateservices.IntroductionCorporateServicesCorporationsaremiredintoughbattlesthesedays—forthegreatestefficiencies,fordiffer-entiatedproductsandservices,andfortoptalent.Corporateexecutivesaroundtheglobeareaskingacriticalquestion:“Howcanweb-basedtechnologyintegratecorporateservicesintoourbusinessvaluechain,improveourcorporateservicesandenhanceourcompetitiveedge?”Eachcompanywillanswerthatquestiondifferently;however,ourresearchandclientworkindicatethatallcanbenefitfromafour-stepapproachtocraftingandimplementingane-servicesstrategy.Bytailoringtheapproachtofitbothbroadindustrycharacteristicsandindividualcompanyneedsandstrategies,com-paniescanmaximizetheirbenefits.Thestepsareasfollows:1.Settheagendabydefiningobjectives,guid-ingprinciplesandprojectscope2.Reviewcorporateserviceprocessesandprior-itizeopportunitiesforimprovement3.Developthebusinesscase4.ManagetheimplementationandmeasurebenefitstoensuretargetedresultsSettheagendaThemosteffectiveapproachestoweb-basedsupportservicesarecarefullyalignedtotheover-allstrategyoftheenterprise.Incompaniesthatexcelate-corporateservices,managementplaysakeyroleinscrutinizingtradeoffsandmaking..-(US$millions)Sources:Interviewswithcorporatedepartmentliaisons,A.T.KearneyanalysisandestimatesOnlinefacilitiesservicesEmployeedatabaseDocumentmanagementsystemEstimatesbasedonacorporationwith100,000employeesWeb-basedtrainingPortal051015202561420Figure1:E-enabledservicesbenefitsareUS$47millionperyearCorporateServicesinvestmentdecisions.Whichinitiativefitsmorecloselywithacompany’soverallstrategy:invest-inginknowledgemanagementtohelpacom-panycompetethroughgreaterinnovationandshortertimetomarket,ortransitioningtoweb-basedtrainingforacompetitiveedgeinrecruit-ing?Toanswersuchquestions,ofcourse,thecompany’sstrategymustfirstbeclearlydefined.Thefoundationsofane-servicestrategyincludethefollowing:•Objectives:Whatarethegoals(suchaspro-ductivitygains,costsavingsorserviceimprove-ments),andhowshouldtheybebalanced?•Guidingprinciples:Howwille-corporateserviceswork?•Scope:Howbroadistheprogram?Whichcustomers,geographicregions,servicesandfunctionswillitinclude?Giventheunwieldynumberofpotentialinitiatives,settingclearobjectivesisacriticalfirststepindeterminingwhichinitiativesrep-resentthebestfit.Supposeanorganization’s..CorporateServices:TheEvolutionCorporate(orshared)servicesarethesupportinfrastructureofacom