Solvay creates shared services centre in Brazil
Solvay announced that it has decided to create a new shared services centre in Curitiba, Brazil, which will offer a number of centralised transactional finance and accounting services to Solvay affiliates in the Americas. The new unit will be modelled on the Solvay Shared Services ("3S") created in Lisbon in 2005, which carries out a number of repetitive, standardised operations in finance and human resources management for Solvay affiliates in Europe and worldwide. The Curitiba unit will also act as backup for the centre in Lisbon, consequently limiting the operational risk of the entire 3S system. The "New 3S" centre will be effectively set up in the coming months and its operations will gradually begin in the course of 2010. Once it is running at cruising speed, it will employ a total of 70 people.
Solvay selected Curitiba following a detailed assessment, which included selection criteria such as overall cost, availability of skilled workforce, attractiveness of the location, image, social and political conditions, among others. In addition, Solvay is familiar with operations in Brazil, as the Group has been present there for nearly 70 years."Our 3S centre in Lisbon has managed to cut the Group's administrative costs, while minimising social consequences," commented Bernard de Laguiche, Chief Financial Officer, Solvay. "At the same time, we have improved the quality of our internal transactional services, which ultimately benefits our clients. We want to extend that fruitful experience to other locations, in order to further enhance our competitiveness," he added.
"I am particularly proud that the operational model developed by 3S in Lisbon will be replicated in a twin unit overseas," said Guy Mercier, General Manager of Solvay Shared Services. "Other parts of the world will now benefit from our innovations and competitive processes," he said.
Solvay is an international chemical and pharmaceutical Group with headquarters in Brussels. It employs more than 29,000 people in 50 countries. In 2008, its consolidated sales amounted to €9.5 billion, generated by its three sectors of activity: Chemicals, Plastics and Pharmaceuticals. Thomas Varchmin, Process Leader for Close the Book at Solvay, is presenting at the Attaining F&A Shared Services Process Excellence conference, taking place next March in London. To speak directly with him, or to find out more about shared service centre location choice, register today to qualify for our earlybird discount.
