Dear Colleague 

Welcome to July's edition of the Business Process Excellence e-bulletin from MIDAS, Manchester's Investment Agency.

In this edition we hope to bring you up to the minute news from around the region on both Shared Services and Outsourcing. Features in this edition include:

• Sainsbury's announce their new HR Shared Service Centre
• Tyco expands at site in New East Manchester
• Mouchel Parkman secures outsource deal with Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
• Three Forum members nominated for the Shared Service Excellence Awards
• Co-Operative financial staff in Manchester transfer to Outsource companies
• Royal Bank of Scotland Group joins UK's most successful Regional Shared Service Forum
• Manchester plays host to National Outsourcing Association Event
• NOA Awards deadline extended to 7th September 2007
• Future dates for your diary

You have been sent this e-bulletin because you are a key partner in creating a centre of excellence for Business Processing here in the North West.

Sainsbury's announce their new HR Shared Service Centre

Sainsbury's announced today that it is establishing a Human Resources Shared Services (HRSS) function to improve the service given to 147,000 colleagues in stores across the country following a £12m investment. Sainsbury's HRSS will provide centralised HR administration support to colleagues in over 780 stores and will be based in Manchester's Arndale Tower.

The move, which will bring the retailer in line with other market-leading organisations such as HSBC, IBM, and PricewaterhouseCoopers will free up management time in stores and allow managers to focus more on customer service, leadership and training. Sainsbury's joins a number of other successful HR shared services centres in Manchester, such as Marks and Spencer's, Network Rail and Royal Bank of Scotland, who successfully centralised in Manchester's Spinningfields development in 2005 employing over 400 staff.

Currently Sainsbury's operates all HR functions from its Holborn Store Support Centre, field based managers and it's stores. The HRSS will be the first of it's kind for the retailer and allow personnel colleagues to dedicate more time to training and serving customers.

Imelda Walsh, HR Director at Sainsbury's, said, "This is a very exciting initiative, and goes a long way to realising our aim of making Sainsbury's a great place to work. HRSS will increase efficiency, simplify processes and eliminate duplication. Most importantly, it will provide first class service for our colleagues and allow store and personnel managers to dedicate more of their time to train and develop colleagues, which will ultimately improve customer service."

The first phase of recruitment will take place in time for opening in October 2007, with stepped expansions ensuring the centre will be fully operational by the spring of 2009, at which point it will employ 250 people.

Manchester beat off stiff competition from other cities to be Sainsbury's favoured location due to the availability of suitable, cost-effective property in the heart of the city centre, as well as the established shared service centre industry. Following initial discussions, business development managers from MIDAS supported Sainsbury's by hosting a visit to the city to see how other shared services centres performed in Manchester. The investment agency was also able to work closely with the Sainsbury's team to provide networking opportunities and introductions along with information on available property, skills, training and recruitment.

MIDAS also advised Sainsbury's to apply for a crucial Selective Finance for Investment (SFI) grant from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), which helped to secure Manchester as the preferred location.

For more information please contact Rachel Green on 0161 772 2824 or Rachel.Green@midas.org.uk.

Tyco expands at site in New East Manchester

Tyco Fire & Security keeps its clients safe and sound around the world, as a single source for fire and safety equipment and integrated solutions. Tyco Fire & Security EMEA (TFS EMEA) includes ADT and Tyco Fire & Integrated Solutions. Back in 2004 Tyco started to investigate how the creation of a Shared Service Centre (SSC) could deliver cost savings and a better financial service to both its internal and external clients.

MIDAS, as the inward investment agency for Manchester, has been involved in Tyco's journey from the beginning. Hosting a visit to the region for key members of the finance team, headquartered in Sunbury, to illustrate the SSC cluster in the region and make introductions. Once signed-off, with agreement from the US parent company, Tyco began moving finance functions from London to its site in Newton Heath in East Manchester last summer and the creation of the centre began.

TFS EMEA operates in over 20 countries and consists of:

• ADT - a world leader in the security systems market, they design, install and service electronic security systems for retail, business, government and home intruder protection and detection systems and,
• Tyco Fire & Integrated Solutions - a fire protection, detection, process and control systems provider to the Manufacturing, Commercial, Education, Oil & Gas, Marine, and Power industries.

MIDAS continues to work with Tyco and Andrew Bowie, the new Head of the Shared Service Centre, as he attends North West Shared Services Forum meetings benefiting from the networking and best practise sharing.

Andrew said: "MIDAS have helped us to network with other companies who have already completed this kind of exercise and we benefited greatly from their experiences. MIDAS also helped us with a very successful recruitment campaign which delivered a 60 strong team in two phases to enable the finance centre to go live early in 2007."

TFS EMEA Shared Services currently cover employee expenses, general and purchase ledger and statutory reporting.

For more information on Tyco and TMS EFEA, please visit www.tyco.com or contact Rachel Green on 0161 772 2824 or Rachel.Green@midas.org.uk.

Mouchel Parkman secures outsource deal with Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

A new strategic organisation, known as the Unity Partnership has recently been launched by Oldham Council, professional support services group Mouchel Parkman, and HBS, the business process solutions company. This follows on from a similar joint venture company (JVC) signed with Rochdale Council last year creating the Impact Partnerhsip which we reported on in our August 2006 e-bulletin.

The JVC, worth up to £300m, aims to: help the Council transform its services, boost Oldham's local economy, kick-start widespread regeneration plans and contribute to community cohesion in the Borough , through an incremental partnership. The first phase of the development will incorporate property, highways, exchequer and customer services, together with ICT services which will be provided by Agilisys, the IT and business process service provider.

The new company will draw upon the expertise and experience of the private sector partners to support regeneration which will include the development of a Business Centre to facilitate new business, create 350 new jobs and boost economic activity within the area. Major investment programmes in both IT and processes across the Council will help to improve the quality and efficiency of services.

The Unity Partnership will work with schools, colleges and the university to provide local people with access to broader career opportunities, whilst developing the skills of the local workforce by implementing a 'Steps to Success' programme, which will aim to increase coaching, mentoring and career planning within the Borough.

This forward looking, positive and inclusive approach taken by Oldham Council has been recognised by key figures within the business community. Mike Chambers, Deputy Chief Executive of Oldham Council said: "The Council's vision of a prosperous and thriving Oldham is one step closer with the Unity Partnership. Together, our aim will be achieved more quickly and effectively. It will free-up the Council's resources and allow us to concentrate on our main priority – improving living standards for the community."

Bob Hogg, interim Managing Director of Unity Partnership, said: "This is an innovative and forward-looking partnership. We value the skills and experience of all the staff who are joining the Unity Partnership, and we are looking forward to working together to bring a fresh perspective to Council services for the benefit of all the people of the Borough."

For more information please visit www.unitypartnership.com or contact Rachel Green on 0161 772 2824 or Rachel.Green@midas.org.uk.

Three Forum members nominated for the Shared Service Excellence Awards

Three North West Shared Service Forum Members: Astra Zeneca, Tetra Pak Business Services and Royal Mail were up for European awards at the prestigious IQPC 7th Annual Shared Services Week & 4th Excellence Awards 2007, which took place at the Hilton Hotel in the historical city of Prague in the Czech Republic.

Of the twelve company nominations, across five categories, we were delighted to hear that three NWSS Forum member organisations were amongst those. Royal Mail were up for two awards, Best Mature Shared Service Organisation and Employer of the Year, with Tetra Pak's Financial Shared Service Centre also nominated for Shared Service Employer of the Year alongside AstraZeneca who were nominated for Best Automation Process.

We are delighted to announce that Royal Mail swept the board winning both Employer of the Year as well as overall Shared Service Organisation of the Year and coming a close runner up for Best Mature Shared Service Centre. Not only did Royal Mail walk away with these prestigious awards, they also had the knowledge that they were the only UK winners too. AstraZeneca received an honorary mention.

Two members from the North West Shared Services Forum were also on the judging panel for the awards: Dan Foley from Marks & Spencer and John Gregory from Kellogg's. This merely emphasises the sheer calibre of members within the NWSS Forum and the industry accolade the Forum continues receives.

The Award Dinner and Conference, back in May, attracted the largest gathering of shared service professionals in Europe and raised their profile at what is considered the most prominent awards ceremony in the industry. The Shared Services Excellence Awards were established to honour, recognise and promote Shared Services Organisations that demonstrate true best practices.

For more information please visit www.iqpc.com or contact Rachel Green on 0161 772 2824 or Rachel.Green@midas.org.uk.

Co-Operative financial staff in Manchester transfer to Outsource companies

More than a 1,000 Co-operative Financial Services staff in Manchester are to be transferred to both Xansa and Capita in outsourcing deals this year.

Xansa, the outsourcing and technology company with a large presence in Manchester, saw 220 information staff transferred in May. The deal, worth up to £100m, brings Co-Operative Insurance into line with the Co-Operative Bank, who have been working with Xansa since 1994. Xansa, who employs a total of 8,000 staff across the globe, will provide its service from a "blend of locations in the UK and India."

Capita will also benefit from the deal, seeing 900 back office and call centre staff from CFS joining them in October. Capita, the UK's leading business process outsourcing and professional services company, handles work for clients ranging from pension providers to the Driving Standards Agency and has a significant presence in the North West.

For more information please visit www.cfs.co.uk, www.xansa.com and www.capita.co.uk, or contact Rachel Green on 0161 772 2824 or Rachel.Green@midas.org.uk.

RBS Group joins UK's most successful Regional Shared Service Forum

The Royal Bank of Scotland Group HR Shared Service Centre based at Spinningfields, Manchester's new business district, is one of the North West Shared Services Forum's latest recruits, taking the total number of member organisations up to 39. RBS will join an illustrious group of companies including Co-operative Group, Esso Serve-Europe, Network Rail and Tetra Pak all of whom run successful Shared Service Centres in Manchester.

Commented Carmen Drinkwater, Head of Delivery Services, HR Shared Services RBS Group: "Having formerly been an active member of the Forum with my previous employer, I was keen that RBS joined up to ensure that as an organisation we can keep abreast of developments in the world of shared services and make full use of the membership benefits that are primarily focused on strengthening networks across shared services here in the North West and the UK as a whole."

Other forum news includes members who took a stand at the University of Manchester Graduate Recruitment Fair on 13th June in Manchester. Michelin, AstraZeneca and Marks & Spencer all sent a team of staff including their own young people to chat to students about their experiences and what their companies can offer in terms of training and personal development.

Rachel Green, Steering Group member and sector lead at MIDAS, Manchester's Investment Agency, said: "Many graduates knew little if anything about shared services and it was really important that the Forum opens their eyes to the fantastic opportunities there are for graduates of all disciplines. We were amazed be the turn out on the day and the amount of positive feedback we received from the graduates."

The North West Shared Service Forum has also seen it's quarterly Forum meeting take place at Rolls Royce in Derby on 17th May. Due to the growing membership the meeting was the most successfully attended to date and featured a guided tour around the centre, accompanied by presentations from both Rolls Royce on General Ledger and United Co-operative on HR Strategy.

First time attendee Peter Hays, HR Shared Service Manager also at RBS commented: "I found it to be an extremely informative, varied and beneficial day. I made some new contacts which is always good and took away some real 'food for thought' on a number of fronts which was testament to the content of the agenda."

Finally we are delighted to announce that plans are well under way with the preparation for the 2nd North West Shared Service Forum Annual Conference which will be held at The City of Manchester Stadium on 20th September. If you are a member put this date in your diary now – if it is anything like last year's conference it will certainly be a day you do not want to miss!

For more information on the North West Shared Services Forum please visit www.sharedservicesforum.org.uk or contact Rachel Green on 0161 772 2824 or Rachel.Green@midas.org.uk.

Manchester plays host to National Outsourcing Association Event

Wednesday 20th June saw Manchester play host, for the second consecutive year, as the NOA ventured north again to benefit regional and national business professionals from the outsourcing sector.

MIDAS were delighted to be sponsoring the event entitled 'Unique Partnerships Delivering Value to Public and Private Sectors across the North West', which took place at the prestigious five star Radisson Edwardian hotel in Manchester city centre.

The opening seminar explored some of the major issues surrounding outsourcing, with a presentation from David Ellis from Cap Gemini, who illustrated their global model and how it delivers results for customers, as well as covering current and future trends in the market. This was followed by a very lively discussion well chaired by Adrian Quayle, NOA Board Director and Vice President of Gartner Consulting, which challenged many current assumptions and discussed where Greater Manchester could sit in the future outsourcing and shared service global model.

Our second guest speakers, Graham Cowley from Capita Symonds and Bill Taylor from Urban Vision, presented a contrasting view, concentrating on the public sector and their highly successful Secondment Joint Venture Company in a local authority environment here in Salford.

To view the two presentations please visit www.investinmanchester.com/noa_seminar. For more information please contact Laura McKnight on 0161 772 2806 or Laura.McKnight@midas.org.uk.

NOA Awards deadline extended to 7th September 2007

After the success of the 2006 NOA Awards, the NOA is proud to present the fourth annual awards to recognise and reward innovation and achievement by suppliers, users and integrated teams within the outsourcing industry.

Entry into the awards is free and you don't have to be an NOA member to submit a nomination. There are over 15 categories to chose from including three new ones for 2007. All entries need to be submitted by Friday 7th September.

The awards will be held at the Brewery, London – a unique award winning venue in the heart of the city on Thursday 18th October with a planned attendance of 550 guests. More information on the event is provided below in the future dates section.

Entering couldn't be easier, simply visit www.noa.co.uk. If you would like additional information please contact Emma Pocock on 0207 292 8686. or e-mail emma.pocock@Buffalo.co.uk.

Other Dates for Your Diary

IQPC: Planning and Implementing New Shared Services
Wednesday 12th to Thursday 13th September 2007 - Le Meridien Piccadilly, London

As this two day conference unfolds it will provide delegates, who have decided that a shared service is the way forward for their organisation, with opportunities to learn from mature, established centres. Topics covered will look at in-house outsourcing, location choices, functions, and the future role of the centre to name a few.

We are happy to announce MIDAS will be exhibiting at the conference, so if you would like to speak personally with a member of the team please come and visit us.

For more information about this event please visit iqpc.com.

Marcus Evans: 5th Annual Financial Shared Service Centres 2007 – World Class Delivery through Consolidation, Automation and Multi Sourcing
Thursday 13th to Friday 14th September 2007 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

During this two day event delegates will hear practical and insightful case studies from global firms with various experiences implementing financial shared services. Benchmark against companies who are ahead in the learning curve of financial shared service implementation, expand networks of contacts and benefit from the knowledge sharing that will take place.

For more information about this event please contact Ola Samuelsson at marketing2@marcusevansuk.com or visit www.marcusevans.com.

IQPC: 6th European Purchase-to-Pay Summit
Monday 17th to Thursday 20th September, The Crowne Plaza, Brussels, Belgium

Europe's premier event for Accounts Payable and Procurement professionals is crammed with many leading P2P case studies. Giving a chance to hear the very latest best practice initiatives for every aspect of your P2P process from Finance, AP and Purchasing professionals as they share their industry secrets for successful processing.

For more information about this event please visit www.iqpc.com.

IQPC: Shared Services Exchange
Monday 15th to Tuesday 16th October, Novotel London West, London

At this invitation-only, two day event you can tailor your agenda to meet your organisation's personal needs and learn from over 40 shared services expert leaders. Whether exploring people management, maximising value and efficiency through global technology, optimising outsourcing operations or benchmarking best practice the event will be filled with ideas about how to improve your shared services operations in these areas.

For further information please visit www.iqpc.com.

NOA: 2007 National Outsourcing Association (NOA) Awards
Thursday 18th October, The Brewery, London

The NOA presents the 4th annual awards to recognise and reward innovation and achievement by suppliers, users and integrated teams within the outsourcing industry. With a planned attendance of 550 guests, the NOA Awards are unique in that they are completely independent and as such are highly respected throughout the industry.

To find out more about nominating for the event, check out our NOA Awards article earlier in this e-bulletin. To learn more about the awards and sponsorship opportunities please visit www.noa.co.uk or contact Emma Pocock on 020 7292 8686 or email admin@noa.co.uk.

Shared Xpertise Forums Finance Transformation Europe - Strategy, Applications and People in Shared Services and BPO
Tuesday 23rd October to Thursday 25th October, Brussels, Belgium

This annual pan-European event now in its fourth year, brings together more than 100 senior executives to exchange views and experiences on how to transform Finance, Accounting (F&A) and procurement activities within complex organisations. Leading F&A executives from trend-setting companies will present and share their winning strategies and best practise to help participants achieve business goals.

To find out more information about this event please visit www.sharedexpertise.com.

MIDAS, Manchester's Investment Agency, provides free expert advice on relocating and expanding your business in Manchester. We have enjoyed considerable success in attracting Shared Service Centres and Outsourcers and have a proven track record in supporting and sustaining high quality facilities in the region.

Working in partnership with a large community of organisations we can act as an advisor, help you network with other shared service and outsourcing practitioners, share a wealth of knowledge and provide a range of information about Greater Manchester as a Business Process Excellence location.

For further details on the strength of these sectors in Greater Manchester and how MIDAS can help you, contact Rachel Green at MIDAS on 0161 772 2824 or Rachel.Green@midas.org.uk or visit www.investinmanchester. com.

To unsubscribe from this e-bulletin for any reason, please click this link.

Alternatively, if you have been sent this e-bulletin by a contact or colleague and would like to subscribe to the list, please send a request via email to Rachel.Green@midas.org.uk.

www.investinmanchester.com is a MIDAS website, supported by: