Member Article

Leicester’s Lafarge scoop shared services award

Financial shared services firm Lafarge has received a top honour in an industry competition.

The Leicester-based centre provides accounting services for building materials sister companies Lafarge Aggregates & Concrete UK in Syston and Lafarge Cement in Solihull.

The centre was named winner in the Culture Creation category of the 12th annual European Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON) Excellence Awards.

Judges recognised Lafarge’s commitment to ongoing personal development and innovative motivational practices, making special mention of the department’s unique form of submission via video.

Multi-nationals such as IBM and Microsoft also received awards, and Lafarge narrowly missed out on an award in the Innovation category.

Phil Lanyon, director Lafarge UK financial shared services said : “I am really proud of this award, it is a fantastic award and a reflection of all the efforts our people have put in to making the shared service centre work so well.

“Importantly it also recognises on a major scale, among other global companies the way the UK business units work with us and the way we work with them to make financial shared services such a success. It is a supreme example of working together as ‘one Lafarge’.”

The SSON’s annual Shared Services Excellence Awards are judged by a panel with proven expertise in customer service, culture creation, communication, value, and improvement and innovation.

Naomi Secor SSON conference producer said: “The calibre of applications has been increasing every year. We were delighted with the number of applicants, as well as the originality displayed.

“One of the submissions arrived in the form of a video – which was very impressive. We also were able to witness just how many shared services are moving into the “added value” space, leaving the legacy of “back office” truly and firmly behind.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .