Last week, SSF UK members came together for the first Financial Accounting & Reporting network event, a powerful and thought‑provoking online session that focused on one central theme: What customers within our organisations truly need from Finance and how Shared Services teams can better meet, and exceed, those expectations.
The conversation opened with a deep exploration into the people behind Finance processes. Members were encouraged to step into the shoes of internal customers and reflect on the complete end‑to‑end Finance experience. This sparked a rich discussion about expectations, frustrations, communication gaps and the drivers of genuine value.
A key insight from the session was the recognition that friction often occurs not because of process complexity alone, but because teams lack a shared understanding of how their actions impact the wider customer journey. Members highlighted the importance of meaningful feedback loops, more effective measurement, and the need to bring empathy and curiosity into day‑to‑day interactions.
A highlight of the event was a member contribution from Natasha Hitchman, FSSC RTR Manager at Kier Group, who offered a candid look into Kier’s Internal Customer Experience journey.
Natasha shared the challenges the organisation has faced in aligning Finance operations to evolving business needs, and outlined what “good” truly looks like when it comes to Internal Customer Experience. Her examples illustrated the practical steps Kier is taking to build stronger collaboration, improve communication flows, and embed a more customer‑centric mindset across Finance.
Her insights resonated strongly with members, reinforcing the importance of continuous improvement and the value of learning from real-world experience.
The final part of the event focused on the changing expectations placed on Shared Services and the opportunity this presents.
As organisations evolve at pace, the session explored how Shared Services teams can move beyond traditional transactional service delivery and adopt a more proactive, insight-led and value-driven role. Members examined how to reduce friction across the wider Finance journey, how collaboration between teams can be strengthened, and what it takes to deliver a smoother, more intuitive customer experience.
This forward-looking discussion highlighted the potential for Shared Services to operate as a “high-value engine” within Finance, driving better decision making, improving outcomes, and creating a more connected and intelligent operating model.
The event provided a space for honest reflection, shared challenges and fresh perspectives. Members left with:
Thank you to Network Leader Izabella Hockenhull for all your hard work and support ahead and during the event, thank you Natasha for sharing an excellent insight into the journey at Kier and thank you to all members who joined us and contributed to such a rich and open discussion.
We look forward to continuing the conversation when we meet in person on June 9th at member organisation BDO UK in Liverpool.
