UK's Shared Services Strategy is entering the danger zone

"In 2021, the Cabinet Office ditched that plan and adopted new strategy that aims to put 17 departments and 300 so-called arm's-length bodies into one of five cloud-based shared services centers to be up and running by 2028 at the latest. The strategy said it would save 10-15 percent in operating costs, or about £1.8 billion, over the next 15 years."

"Step forward Sopra Steria, with the gift of a legal case challenging the Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) decision to award its £370 million contract to run Oracle-based HR and finance services across four departments. It already runs part of the service under its SSCL subsidiary."

"Each shared services center would put its users on a new, common set of processes and fresh ERP and HR systems. Anyone who has tried to do this in a reasonably large organization might pause and take a sip of coffee or something stronger."

The UK's Shared Services Strategy, now five years old, aims to consolidate 17 government departments and 300 arm's-length bodies into five cloud-based shared services centers by 2028. The initiative promises 10-15 percent operating cost savings, approximately £1.8 billion over 15 years. However, the strategy faces significant challenges, including a legal case from Sopra Steria challenging the Department for Work and Pensions' £370 million contract award to run Oracle-based HR and finance services. Each shared services center will implement new common processes and ERP and HR systems across multiple departments, a complex undertaking that raises concerns about successful implementation and organizational disruption.

Read at Theregister