by Attractor
November 16, 2009 in Our Track Record
Attractor can now offer a cost effective, independent, web-enabled, benchmarking service to NHS clients.
Using this new toolkit, and growing a dependable evidence-base, NHS Trusts can make robust decisions about the actions needed to improve service quality and value for money. Read the rest of this entry →
by Attractor
November 9, 2009 in Corporate Services, Public Services, Workforce Management
The NHS Electronic Staff Record forced organisations to review working methods in HR, Payroll and Finance – a significant challenge for all teams.
Addressing inconsistencies in data held by these departments, strengthening communications, recognising common needs and challenges has helped some to improve understanding and trust, reduce antagonism and conflict.
Integrated systems processes have forced many teams to become more proactive in resolving issues of control and data maintenance. Where relationships have truly been improved, closer working on strategic employment issues has become possible.
Some are now taking integration to a new level of sophistication. Read the rest of this entry →
by Attractor
October 22, 2009 in Corporate Services, Public Services, Shared Services and Outsourcing
The government is apparently considering a major privatisation initiative for back office functions including IT, human resources and estates management.
Presumably this would involve sale to new “facilities management” companies
Alongside the sale of the Dartford River Crossing, the Tote and Channel Tunnel this would raise funds to pay off Government debt.
It seems the government would create special companies to take over back-office functions. Presumably these would be floated on the stock market, delivering “windfall capital”.
by Attractor
October 1, 2009 in Corporate Services, Public Services, Shared Services and Outsourcing
Photo:Covilha, Flickr
As purse strings tighten, high-quality front-line public services should be protected as much as possible. Nonetheless, core services shouldn’t be treated with kid gloves or complacency. Both front-line and back-office teams need to be proactive in identifying how to save money.
Back-office teams will face pressure to adopt outsourcing and shared services to save costs. Evidence shows these solutions can reduce costs and improve quality, though examples of failure aren’t hard to find.
New services don’t always deliver the lower “headline” costs expected and poor quality can create major hidden expenditure linked to correction and re-working activity. A short-sighted focus on cost-cutting can weaken effectiveness across the whole organisation.
Management should consider how effective back-office teams contribute to cost-control across the business. It would be unwise to reduce costs in one area but find the organisation spends far more elsewhere. Read the rest of this entry →
by Attractor
September 24, 2009 in Corporate Services, Shared Services and Outsourcing
Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society, well known as “LV=”, has recently brought its outsourced HR function back in-house, with estimated savings of some £3m in the first year.
Taking the view an internal HR function was critical to successful delivery of business growth and change, it was considerd essential to have the function delivered internally.
Creating a new service, starting with a blank piece of paper, was an opportunity for radical change and the HR service has been subject to significant process redesign. Read the rest of this entry →
by Attractor
August 7, 2009 in Corporate Services, Public Services, Shared Services and Outsourcing
Photo:The Seeing Eye, Valerie Everett, Flickr
With ESR implementation and the Agenda for Change reward projects completed, the NHS now benefits from a single IT platform for HR and Payroll operations plus broadly common terms and conditions of employment. With these “modernisations” in place, the potential benefits of shared service models should be easier to realise and much stronger.
Past experience of NHS organisations with outsourced and shared service operations has been, at best, mixed. While there are examples of trusts reporting significant savings, others have experienced performance and quality problems.
Differentiation between good and bad performance will no longer be core technologies or comprehension of employment terms – which are standardised. Competences in data capture, business processes communication and customer service should sort the wheat from the chaff.
What have been your experiences with using or delivering services in a shared service environment?
What makes the difference between the best and worst?
by Attractor
August 5, 2009 in Our Track Record
The HR Director of a Special Health Authoritycontacted Attractor to help resolve problems between the organisation and its outsourced payroll service. Payment errors were experienced by many employees and confidence in the service (and management) were being undermined.
The HR Director, recently joining the organisation, needed an independent view on the cause of the problems and the range of viable solutions.
Attractor agreed to respond quickly and assist the organisation to understand and address the issues, helping to build the confidence of employees and their representatives the problems were recognised and being efffectively addressed. Read the rest of this entry →
by Attractor
April 6, 2009 in Our Track Record
A Mental Health Trust recently adopting the ESR solution was concerned that, due to problems during the implementation project, they had not adopted effective working methods. Concerns existed over core business processes and how these would work with the external payroll provider. The Head of Human Resources asked Attractor to review role allocations and processes. Read the rest of this entry →
by Attractor
March 25, 2009 in Corporate Services, Public Services, Shared Services and Outsourcing
In February 2009 as part of communications on the NHS Operating Framework, the NHS chief executive, David Nicholson encourages NHS organisations to ensure they are obtaining good value for money in expenditure on back office functions, inlcuding consideration of shared services -
“Where corporate services are currently retained in-house, I would encourage NHS management boards to be clear that the decision to retain them represents better value for money than alternative options such as NHS Shared Business Services, or other shared service or outsourcing solutions,”
It is clear all NHS organisations should do more to actively consider how corporate functions are delivered, their effectiveness in contribution to organisational outcomes and overall efficiency. It is also important that issues of performance outcomes and quality are addressed.
What are the views of front line and back office team-members on this subject?
by Attractor
November 7, 2008 in Corporate Services, Shared Services and Outsourcing
Five NHS organisations employing over 16,000 staff ended a payroll contract with Capita after experiencing problems with late and incorrent payments plus a data security incident.
University Hospitals of Leicester trust, Leicestershire Partnership trust, Leicestershire County and Rutland primary care trust, Northampton teaching PCT and Northampton Healthcare trust subsequently entered into a contract with McKesson Shared Services.
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