The issue
Gillette is engaged in the production and marketing of mass consumption products and was acquired early 2005 by Procter & Gamble to become one of the leading consumer goods companies worldwide. The company appointed PwC to provide them assistance in the setting up of a Shared Service Center (SCC) located in Buenos Aires (Argentina) aimed at reducing costs, focusing business units on core activities and streamlining financial and administrative operations in the Latin American region. The center covers general accounting, tax, cash & banks and accounts payable sectors and it renders services to the 17 offices in Latin America, including its most important activities: Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.
Our Approach
A multidisciplinary work team with experience in Shared Service Centers, Process Improvement, Change Management and Project Management was organised to provide the client with a comprehensive solution. The team was led by Jorge Carballeira, Performance Improvement Partner and Alejandro Alemany, Performance Improvement Director from PwC Argentina, as well as tax specialists from PwC Uruguay. The project covered from strategy to effective SSC implementation, including the definition of the migration, analysis and design strategy of the models, project coordination, monitoring and follow-up, contribution with methodologies and best practices. PwC strong relationships, innovation and client-focused approach impressed Gillette in this engagement that combined several service areas.
The outcome
The project lasted 20 months and due to the performance of the initial work team, new work streams in charge of PwC were gradually included throughout the project.
As a result, processes were standardized and centralized improving costs, the control environment and the quality of internal services through a Performance & Service Culture. Following the acquisition by Procter & Gamble, PwC Argentina team has been working on the process of integrating this SSC into Procter & Gamble’s operations in the Latin American region.
