• Home
• Job Sectors
• Accountancy & Finance
• Qualified and Executive
• Accounting Skills in Business Service Centres...

What are heads of business service centres looking for?

Consolidating back-office operations has always been a route to achieving significant cost savings and boosting the bottom line. However, in more recent times, inexpensive computing power along with highly configurable enterprise software has led to the emergence of the business service centre (BSC), and the subsequent development of a new career path for accounting professionals.

So, is there a BSC skill set or can anyone get involved? Marc Conway, Head
Of Finance at BUPA, sees the core accounting skill set as the starting point. "It is vital to possess and develop mainstream accounting competencies," he says. "I am always looking for good technical accounting and systems skills because continually refining processes will yield results. Only then can we deliver real value to our customers through maximizing our efficiency and minimizing our cost base." 

For Ian Lathey, Head Of The Business Support Centre for City Link Ltd, a strong solution orientation is very important. "The process structures enable everyday transactions to flow so the real investment of time and energy comes when things go wrong," he says. "That's when the problem-solving and team-working skills become so important to our success. For me, working in the 'procure to pay' and 'prospect to cash' space, the skill sets can be developed, but the attitudes and approaches are the key to a successful recruiting process."

A resilient personality and positive attitude are also keys to success for Gary Critchley, Head Of Business Services And Information at Marks & Spencer. "Commercial acumen is important, as is the ability to work across information silos to find solutions." He adds: "To sum it up, I'm looking for self-starters who have an aptitude for getting things done, who can work collaboratively and are outcome-focussed."

So, there is clearly a view that interpersonal skills are as important as mainstream accountancy skills. Does this then devalue mainstream finance expertise? Not according to Marc Conway, who says: "Being in the BSC does not constitute a career path in itself - I see the skills gained as transferable and I encourage staff to move between the BSC and the other finance roles within my remit."

Where does this leave the accounting professional who is looking for their next career move? BSCs are sufficiently established enough for this to be a credible career option. To be successful, you will need to show the proactive mindset and core accounting competencies that today's top finance managers are looking for. You'll also need to have a strong control and process mindset. If you get it all right, then the bottom line will be in very safe hands!

At Search Accountancy & Finance we are experts in providing recruitment solutions for many of the leading business service centres. Call one of our Business Shared Service specialists today on 0161 835 8619.