Symbol Technologies provides innovative customer solutions based on wireless networks to deliver voice and data services, mobile computing and barcode data capture.

Business Challenges

Operating in 20 countries, each with different processes and cultures, Symbol Technologies had a compliance challenge and a costefficiency gulf to cross. They wanted to create a European SSC but the internal challenges were considerable. Human Resources had yet to begin change management and there was resistance from some countries’ finance functions to move business services under one roof. There were also major statutory and legal challenges to overcome, in addition to the human factor of potentially losing prominent members of the team.

Atos Origin to set up Shared Services within a short timeframe.Utilising SAP technology, processes were standardised, meeting compliance requirements and enabling a streamlined organisation.

Solutions

To create Symbol Technologies’ European SSC in Brno, Atos Origin applied its expertise in designing, building and operating IT-enabled business processes combined with its deep understanding of change management and regulatory requirements in Europe.

Benefits

• Financial: staff costs have dramatically reduced by locating in Eastern Europe. This, together with improved productivity from process automation, has led to a 60 per cent saving. Now the SSC is in place, Symbol Technologies has a platform for ongoing improvement and cost containment as business growth continues. Selective outsourcing has also saved costs and improved services – for example, payroll processes can also be managed on an end-toend basis, improving visibility and customer satisfaction
• Compliance: Symbol Technologies has been able to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley requirements. Without standard processes and Shared Services this would have been a far greater challenge
• Organisational focus: as transaction processing has been moved to the SSC, management in countries can focus on the core growth strategy of the business.

Download the Symbol - European Shared Services Centre Case Study