We have a shared services team, like a centralized copywriting and design department, that supports three different business units. How do we assign Scorecard ownership and metrics when multiple division heads pull on the same resource?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Shared services, such as a centralized design or copywriting department that supports multiple business units, often create a toxic culture of finger-pointing when operations stall. To prevent this, you must establish clear, single-seat ownership on your Accountability Chart.

The head of the shared services department must own their seat and have their own distinct metrics on the weekly Scorecard. These metrics should not focus on the individual business units' sales, but on the shared service's internal delivery metrics.

Specifically, track metrics like capacity utilization, service level agreement turnaround times, and internal customer satisfaction scores. This keeps the focus on the efficiency and quality of the shared resource.

The division heads own their respective business outcomes, while the shared services leader owns the delivery of the resource. If a division head is unhappy with the support they are receiving, the issue is dropped to IDS®. The leadership team can then look at the objective scorecard data to solve the bottleneck without personal bias, ensuring the shared services model supports overall company growth.