Understand the activity.
Shape the service.

Assessing HR activity for a shared services model

Davies was examining opportunities to move selected HR activity into its shared-services operation. The work covered functions with different requirements, including payroll, HR administration and talent acquisition.

A practical assessment needed to establish which activities could move, what responsibilities should remain and how the future service would operate across locations.

Understanding the activity

Business specialists and analysts examined the work behind existing roles. The assessment considered routine administration, exception handling, systems, process ownership and the support needed from retained teams.

Payroll brought questions about processing cycles, working hours and the responsibilities that needed local oversight. HR administration included onboarding records, contract-related processing and employee information. Talent acquisition required a distinction between sourcing and administrative support and the work requiring local knowledge or direct relationships.

This activity-level view helped the team identify different options for the future model instead of assuming every role would transfer unchanged.

Connecting the findings to readiness

The proposed model depended on recruitment, process documentation, technology access and training. It also needed specialist reviews and a clear arrangement for handling employee enquiries.

Our work included cross-functional readiness discussions and support for mobilisation, helping connect the assessment findings to the wider delivery requirements. The programme needed the proposed roles, recruitment decisions and technology approach to remain aligned as the scope developed.

What the work established

The assessment produced a more detailed view of the possible scope, retained responsibilities and decisions required. At the point documented in the programme records, the work was still moving through assessment and mobilisation.

Its value was to give leadership a practical basis for deciding what to pursue and what needed to happen before transition.

What this brings to Leanpro

The experience is relevant to organisations considering shared services across corporate functions. A useful assessment needs to reach the activity people perform and connect its findings to a workable operating model and delivery plan.