For the chemical/ pharmaceutical company Bayer Nordic the
establishment of a single accounting and finance department in the
Nordic market was a key to success.
Since the centralisation of the operations in Copenhagen in
1993, Bayer Nordic's turnover has increased by 60%, while costs
have decreased by 30%. According to Peer Steensbro, Finance
Director of Bayer in Copenhagen, the success is primarily due
to a well functioning Shared Service Centre concept. During the
initial investigations Copenhagen soon emerged as an excellent
choice for Bayer Nordic's financial headquarters. Easy access to
major German cities and state-of-the-art airport facilities
attracted Bayer Nordic from the outset. But just as important were
Copenhagen's other advantages, as for instance a top-quality
international school and a friendly, English-speaking
population.
The objectives were clear: The centre should provide identical
economic reporting and a uniform accounting structure, as well as a
single sales statistic for the entire Nordic region. Besides, the
centre should improve and simplify communication between Bayer
Nordic's eight different national centres, and administrate
regional warehouses. However, the implementation was not easy. A
regional structure or Shared Service Centre is, by nature, a
negative decision. Without support from the top management, the
process would have been virtually impossible, since jobs can be
lost at every organisational level, according to Peer
Steensbro.
But with a consistent focus, Bayer Nordic succeeded. From a
sprawling company consisting of nine legal and organisational
entities, seven managing directors and nine managing boards in
1993, Bayer Nordic and its Shared Service Centre has emerged as a
lean business with just four legal entities and a single
organisation with one managing director and one board.
