GUIDING THE TRANSITION TO SHARED SERVICES: A TOOLBOX FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES

Z Street Consulting is a firm specializing in human resource consulting for federal government agencies. The private sector has spearheaded efforts to centralize human resources, finance, and information technology functions using shared services centers. Momentum to replicate among federal agencies is growing, and with projected benefits ranging from cost savings to improved data transparency and cyber security, interest in shared services implementation remains high. However, practitioners lack guidance for managing transitions to shared services, especially when agencies require customization for specific features. The Capstone team researched this balance between standardization and customization and interviewed industry experts to inform technical and managerial guidelines, recommend best practices, and identify concrete tools to assist practitioners in successful shared services implementation.