26 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - MARCH 2015

Robbert Petterson & Irene Kruijff

... are TOPdesk consultants. They help customers with
improvement processes and implementations. Their
specializations are change management and Lean Six Sigma.

MAKE IT A COLLABORATION,
MAKE IT LEAN
HOW SHARED SERVICE MANAGEMENT CAN MAKE YOUR ORGANIZATION LEAN
Shared Service Management is an important development in the
collaboration between an organizations supporting services. The Lean
management philosophy is also becoming more popular. Both offer many
advantages for the organization and the end user. But did you know that
Shared Service Management also makes your organization more Lean?

Shared Service Management and Lean

There is a long way to go in becoming a Lean organization, and it can be
difficult to know where to begin.
The Lean management philosophy has its origins in the production

Put the customer value first

The first principle of Lean says that the customer should

always come first. What does he want to pay for? Lean says: only do
that which is of value to your customer. This sounds logical, but how

sector. It has been growing in popularity since the turn of the

often do we do things to please our boss instead of our customer?

century because it contributes to improved quality, efficiency and an

Think of reports, authorization or checks.

organizations learning capabilities. There are five basic Lean principles:

The customer also comes first when introducing Shared Service

Value, Value Stream, Flow, Pull, and Perfection. Combined, they lead

Management. This is clearest when the supporting departments

to improved company results, with more being produced against the

become a single shared service desk. This offers the customers a

same costs.

considerable benefit, because they no longer have to think about

A similar result is achieved when Shared Service Management (SSM) is

whether they have to send their request to HR, Facilities or IT. They

introduced. This is achieved by strengthening the collaboration between

can go to a single portal instead. After all, it makes no difference to

different supporting departments. With Shared Service Management,

the customer who processes his request, so long as the services can

you work towards making your service management more Lean. This is

be requested more easily and are readily available.

why we advise companies who want to work in accordance with Lean

to get started by introducing Shared Service Management.

TOPDESK MAGAZINE - MARCH 2015 27

TOPdesk Publications
Service management developments | autumn 2014

Want to know more?

Read Jordi Recasens article Expertise is Better Shared online:
www.scribd.com/TOPdesk

Service Management Simplified

Optimize the value stream

The value stream refers to the chain of activities from request

to delivery. Which steps add value for the customer? The steps without
value must be eliminated or minimized.
In Shared Service Management, the value stream is improved when
the supra-departmental processes are coordinated to form a single
shared process. Think for instance of a common process, such as an

Pull: supply on time

The Pull principle concerns services only being supplied when

the customer asks for them, and that they are then supplied on time.
This is a tricky principle, and can only be adhered to when the value
stream is mapped and there is flow in the process. Only then can the
process be controlled and predicted.
In Shared Service Management, the Pull principle is apparent when

employee changing positions within the organization. If the HR, IT

a shared process is under control. Lets take the commencement

and Facilities departments still work independently of one another,

process as an example. When someone is hired but wont start work

the manager has to issue three different authorizations before this

for another three months, its a waste to immediately order products

process can commence. When you apply Shared Service Management,

such as a laptop, access pass and mobile phone if they are just going

you bring the different processes together. This enables you to fully

to collect dust for months. In this time, the price of the products may

map the value stream of this process.

drop, or a newer product may become the new standard. When the

The value stream can then easily be optimized by removing

commencement process is fully under control across all departments,

duplicate steps. The manager only has to issue a single authorization

you can determine when these items must be ordered so that the new

for the position change, after which all departments know they can

employee has everything they need to get to work on their first day.

get to work. This eliminates two superfluous authorization steps

without losing any value.

Add flow to your activities

Once the value stream is mapped, it is time to simplify

and standardize the process as much as possible. This prevents

Strive for perfection

The fifth Lean principle states that you should always continue

striving for perfection. Lean says that you can never reach perfection, but
striving for it is important. Continue improving by taking small steps.
With Shared Service Management, you strive for completely

obstructions in the process, such as waiting times. When all activities

integrated services and supporting departments. We think that in

are picked up and processed at the right time, flow is created.

the future, you will not speak about IT, Facilities and HR, but that

In Shared Service Management, the flow principle becomes

there will be a single services department. In order to achieve this,

apparent when an organization has gained experience in communally

the departments must join forces with regard to tools, processes and

processing a supra-departmental process. In the previously mentioned

the service desk, with each department maintaining its own areas of

process of an employee changing positions within an organization, HR,

expertise.

Facilities and IT must swing into action. These departments activities

This complete departmental integration cannot be achieved in

are mutually dependent to a certain extent. The first step is often that

the short term, but the important thing is the steps you take in

HR applies a change in the staff administration, because the other

that direction. The Shared Service Management implementation

departments need this information to perform their tasks. The IT

comprises various phases. The Shared Service Management growth

department has to know which authorizations they must assign, and

model, described by Annemarie Wolfrat on page 11, shows the phases

the Facilities department wants to know whether they must supply a

organizations go through. By following this growth model, you keep

mobile phone, and which company car. When these departments work

taking steps towards better collaboration. And therefore towards

in the same tool, everyone can see the progress. In addition, the tool

improved services.

makes sure that the task is not visible until it can be picked up. This
prevents unnecessary obstructions.