Client Stories
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Our global experience has equipped us with deep expertise in a wide range of business and technology services. Here are some stories highlighting the challenges our clients have faced and how we have successfully addressed them.
GBS Strategy
GBS Vision and Strategy
Creating a more effective business services model to scale to meet future demands
GBS Enablement for a Future Ready Enterprise
Guiding the approach to large scale transformation and the work required to enable a future ready enterprise
Accelerated Expansion from GCC to GBS
Expanding the value proposition with a broader set of improvement levers and a more integrated operating model
Outsourcing and Partner Selection
Outsourcing - First Generation
Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of finance shared services utilizing outsourcing
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Outsourcing - Next Generation
Providing guidance and key insights in outsource provider selection and negotiation
Outsourcing Remediation
Resetting outsourcing relationship and governance to turnaround provider performance
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Outsourcing for the Middle Office
Guiding the expansion of outsourcing for key middle office functions, enhancing service delivery while boosting both quality and cost-effectiveness
Governance
Governance Design and Execution
Launching effective shared services governance in a new hybrid outsourced/captive operating model
Governance Build-out
Providing insight and hands-on support to develop processes and activities for effective governance
Operating, Location and Delivery Models
Business Services Global Service Delivery
Evaluating the existing network of client-facing service centers to balance delivery capability with cost-effectiveness and high-quality services
Operating Model Optimization
Setting the path for a more agile and scalable operating model to meet future demands
GBS Vision and Strategy
Challenge: A large multinational services company had three separate global centers that needed a more effective business services model to scale and meet future demands across various technology and business processes. The organization aimed to reduce general and administrative (G&A) spending as a percentage of revenue and unlock value through a more efficient and scalable operating model for Global Business Services (GBS).
Our Approach: Using our Timberstone Maturity Assessment, our efforts included:
• Assessing the global centers and providing recommended changes to the target operating model.
• Creating actionable, specific improvement plans for each center, aligned to target objectives and designed to address short and long term needs.
• Providing recommendations that included a high level business case and a roadmap for implementation.
Results: The company gained market insights on potential opportunities, along with an overarching roadmap designed to accelerate long-term, sustained transformation.
GBS Enablement for Future Ready Enterprise
Challenge: The CEO of a U.S. retailer aimed to create a future-ready enterprise. The company identified an outsourcing partner to help transition to a future-ready enterprise across various front and middle office services, including Merchandising, Customer, Supply Chain, Finance, and Human Resources. Their vision was to establish a global business services (GBS) organization that could facilitate the strategic outsourcing partnership alongside internal capabilities, starting with selected pilots of third-party services.
Our Approach: We provided the framework and guidance for establishing a GBS function by:
• Developing organization, roles and responsibilities, and decision rights.
• Offering insights on creating solutions for pilots, including accountabilities, scope, services, and pricing.
• Developing contract structures for both an overarching master outsourcing agreement and schedules for individual services.
• Providing market insights on terms and conditions and introducing additional service options for consideration to enable a comprehensive review of possibilities
Results: The program enabled the organization to take a fact-based, solution-oriented approach to a large-scale transformation initiative and appropriately prioritize the work required to become a future-ready enterprise.
Accelerated Expansion from GCC to GBS
Challenge: A major financial services company wanted to expand the value proposition of their Global Capability Centers (GCCs) by creating a fuller GBS organization with a broader set of improvement levers and a more integrated operating model.
Our Approach: We provided the framework and guidance for establishing a full GBS organization by:
• Aligning stakeholders on GBS's vision and strategy, including developing an overall execution plan.
• Establishing the GBS macro-organizational and governance design, including decision rights.
• Benchmarking all functions against industry-leading GBS practices.
• Refining the model for GBS performance and service management.
• Finalizing a GBS location strategy for distributing current and planned work
Results: The program accelerated the organization’s transition from a GCC to a fuller GBS model, creating additional value.
Outsourcing - First Generation
Challenge: A European beverage company aimed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of its finance shared services through outsourcing. They had a proposal from an outsourcing provider but needed to complete the actual agreement.
Our Approach: We collaborated with the client, their outside legal counsel and the provider by:
• Negotiating the outsourcing agreement, focusing on key business terms and conditions to match client needs and market standards.
• Leveraging our market experience to ensure the agreement was good, fair, safe and sustainable.
Results: The company successfully completed the agreement within the planned timeline, incorporating key constructs for future reliance. Our collaborative approach ensured that all parties worked together effectively to achieve their goals.
Outsourcing - Next Generation
Challenge: A global manufacturer and retail company aimed to implement global business services. They needed to finalize the selection and contracting with a BPO Service Provider for services in source-to-pay, order-to-cash, and record-to-report global processes.
Our Approach: Our efforts included:
• Providing insight to the client in comparing proposals from four BPO Service Providers.
• Facilitating the selection of the BPO Service Provider, providing guidance to refine their proposal and negotiate a contract.
• Collaborating with the client’s business and legal teams to negotiate key business terms and pricing in the contract
• Offering insights on leverage points and market practices on similar BPO contracts.
• Developing roles and processes for governing the relationship and managing the contract with the BPO Service Provider.
• Assisting in the actual governance of the contract while the client builds the Governance Team.
Results: The program revitalized the finance service delivery operation, aligning it with the company’s future strategy.
Outsourcing for the Middle Office
Challenge: The leadership of a major U.S. retailer wanted to improve service delivery, cost, and quality for several back and middle office functions. They had an outsourcing relationship with a large global provider and wanted to expand this relationship beyond its current scope. Their vision was to create a Global Business Services (GBS) organization that could facilitate the strategic outsourcing partnership alongside internal capabilities. The breadth of services extended well beyond traditional IT and transactional processes including planning and analytics. Determining the scope of functions and structuring an enterprise Master Services Agreement (MSA) and subsequent function-based agreements was a top priority.
Our Approach: We provided the foundation for long-term success by:
• Providing the framework and guidance for establishing a GBS function, including organization, roles, responsibilities, and decision rights.
• Offering deep content expertise on complex outsourcing agreements, working with the client’s external legal counsel to ensure market-ready terms and conditions.
• Introducing service levels, pricing, continuous improvement mechanisms, and governance best practices to both our client and the service provider.
Results: The program enabled the organization to take a fact-based, solution-oriented approach to a large-scale transformation initiative. Our work resulted in market-leading contract agreements that are flexible enough to adapt to a rapidly changing business environment.
Outsourcing Contract Review
Challenge: A global food and beverage company had a long-standing outsourcing agreement with a leading service provider. However, they realized that the agreement had not kept up with evolving market terms. They wanted to make improvements without having to re-compete the agreement.
Our Approach: We assisted by:
• Providing insights into the contract against current market trends.
• Developing recommendations for revisions to the contracted business terms.
• Offering guidance to help navigate negotiating contract improvements in a fact-based manner, allowing sustainable changes to be made.
Results: The company gained access to professional insights with a broad market perspective, avoiding the time-consuming and costly process of re-competing their agreement. We helped them improve the agreement in a productive, timely, and cost-effective way.
Outsourcing Remediation
Challenge: A leading manufacturer of automotive supplies had outsourced its information technology infrastructure following a spin-out from its former parent company. The service provider was failing to meet critical service levels and had missed key transition milestones. Reverting to insourced services was not feasible. The company sought insights on how to better manage the provider to achieve appropriate service levels and how to manage IT services customers in an outsourced environment.
Our Approach: The efforts included:
• Coaching both the client’s governance and the service provider teams on how to better meet contractual obligations as well as satisfy business needs.
• Assisting the client team in establishing the structure of operational governance and clarifying the roles and responsibilities of both parties.
• Providing expertise and insights on how to restructure the agreement to better meet current business imperatives, in the role of neutral third party.
Results: The parties successfully settled millions of dollars in disputed fees and established a mutually beneficial working agreement for the future.
Transformation Partner Selection
Challenge: A healthcare benefits organization needed to transform their Benefits, Billing, and Eligibility platform to support their long-term strategy with new capabilities. They required independent insights and guidance to select the best build partner.
Our Approach: We provided market insights and independent guidance for partner selection by:
• Assessing the marketplace for potential partners.
• Developing an RFP to solicit proposals.
• Guiding potential partners on meeting the company’s needs.
• Evaluating proposals, including financial comparisons.
• Facilitating reference checks.
Results: The organization was able to provide recommendations to their board on next steps, supported by independent guidance and marketplace insights.
Governance Design and Execution
Challenge: A consumer goods company had completed an outsourcing agreement for core finance and accounting activities but did not establish the necessary governance processes or design the retained organization needed to support the new operating model.
Our Approach: Unique to this client were their efforts to manage a divestiture of a significant portion of the business while concurrently establishing a new operating model. Timberstone Partners assisted by:
• Setting up the organization, processes, and procedures for managing process and service performance across internally delivered and outsourced services.
• Creating the model for ongoing process transformation.
Results: The company accelerated their learning curve and established a foundation for success by leveraging Timberstone Partners’ knowledge of outsourcing governance, along with coaching, tools, and templates.
Governance Build-out
Challenge: A global manufacturer and retail company needed support to build out governance processes after selecting and signing a contract with a Global BPO Service Provider for services in source-to-pay, order-to-cash, and record-to-report global processes.
Our Approach: We provided insight and weekly hands-on support to develop processes and activities for effective management and governance of the contract and the Global BPO Service Provider by:
• Identifying and highlighting contractual obligations.
• Evaluating transition milestone completion.
• Analyzing change orders and their value case impacts.
• Educating stakeholders on pricing considerations.
• Reviewing and analyzing invoices.
Results: Our support enabled the client to understand key business risks and effectively manage the contract and relationship with the Global BPO Service Provider.
Business Services Global Service Delivery
Challenge: A global professional services firm wanted to evaluate their existing network of client-facing service centers to balance delivery capability with cost-effectiveness and high-quality services.
Our Approach: Our efforts included:
• Identifying the optimal size of delivery centers.
• Determining the client services to be supported.
• Selecting city/country pairs that optimize delivery costs, access, technology infrastructure, and service capability.
• Developing data-centric models, created scenarios for future growth, and provided a roadmap to guide implementation teams.
Results: This ongoing project will develop an optimized delivery footprint and timeline for the delivery network build-out, positioning the client as a more nimble, cost-effective, and globally capable provider.
Operating Model Optimization
Challenge: A large services firm's Finance function target operating model (TOM) was difficult to scale for growth, and past improvement initiatives no longer met the current business needs.
Our Approach: Our efforts included:
• Developing a service delivery model that effectively incorporates remote, embedded, center-based, and offshore resources to increase flexibility and optimize operating costs.
• Creating a roadmap with a supporting opportunity case to address short and long-term opportunities across all TOM layers - service delivery model, people, process, technology, data and reporting, governance, and controls.
• Recommending operating model improvements that were stress-tested against two critical finance sub-functions to ensure efficacy and completeness.
Results: The "outside-in" perspective, developed from working with numerous clients across industries globally, provided unique and valuable insights. The internal teams were better able to articulate a vision for the future based on reevaluating service delivery for both the short and long term.