• Office 609, 6th Floor, Al Moosa Tower 1, Trade Centre 1, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
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SSC Design & Transformation in UAE | Virtual Accountants

Design and transform your Shared Services Centre with SSC advisory in Dubai, UAE. Operating model and roadmap support for finance, HR and back‑office.

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SSC Design & Transformation – Shared Services Advisory in UAE

Many organisations launch a Shared Services Centre (SSC) with good intentions: centralise support work, cut cost, improve control. But without a clear design and transformation plan, shared services can stall – or worse, become just another layer of complexity.

Our SSC Design & Transformation service helps you plan, build and evolve a Shared Services Centre that actually works in practice. From strategy and business case through operating model, roadmap and change management, we support you at every stage – backed by senior‑level SSC experience and deep finance, HR and back‑office expertise.

Well‑designed shared services models are proven to improve customer experience, cost control, scalability and data transparency when implemented properly. 

We combine Big 4 experience, deep UAE regulatory knowledge and a virtual delivery model tailored to SMEs, family groups and fast‑growing businesses.

Shared Services Without a Clear SSC Design
When Your SSC or Support Functions Don’t Quite Work

You might recognise some of these symptoms:

  • You’ve centralised some work, but roles and responsibilities are still unclear
  • Each country or entity negotiated its own way of using shared services
  • Service quality is inconsistent, and business users complain about “the centre”
  • Savings and benefits promised at the start are hard to see or measure
  • Transformation projects drag on because there’s no structured roadmap

Research and practitioner experience show that many shared services initiatives under‑deliver when organisations skip structured design and focus only on quick consolidation. 

Risks of an SSC Without Proper Transformation

Without a deliberate SSC design and transformation approach, organisations risk:

  • Simply moving the same fragmented processes into a new location
  • Creating an “us vs them” divide between business units and the SSC
  • Failing to standardise processes and internal controls
  • Missing up to half of the potential benefits that come from standardisation and process re‑engineering, not just consolidation. 

In short: an SSC is not just a place – it’s a design decision and an operating model. That’s where we come in.

Our Solution: SSC Design & Transformation Advisory in Dubai, UAE
What We Mean by SSC Design & Transformation

Our SSC Design & Transformation service helps you:

  • Decide if, when and how to build or expand a Shared Services Centre
  • Define the scope, structure and operating model of your SSC
  • Create a realistic roadmap for migration and transformation
  • Support change management so staff and stakeholders adopt the model

We work with you whether you are:

  • Setting up a new SSC from scratch, or
  • Transforming existing support functions or a basic SSC into a more mature, value‑adding shared services or GBS‑style model. 

Where SSC Design Fits in Your Wider Shared Services Strategy

Our advisory work sits above and across your functional towers:

  • Finance & Accounting SSC
  • HR & Payroll SSC
  • Procurement & Vendor SSC
  • Tax & Compliance SSC
  • Process, SOPs & Controls SSC

Instead of each area evolving in isolation, SSC Design & Transformation ensures they all line up under one coherent shared services strategy and delivery model. 

What Our SSC Design & Transformation Services Cover
SSC Strategy, Vision & Business Case

Clarifying Why You Want Shared Services

We start by answering some critical questions:

  • What problems are you really trying to solve (cost, quality, control, scalability)?
  • Which functions (finance, HR, procurement, tax, others) belong in scope – and which don’t?
  • How will an SSC support your wider business strategy and growth plans?

We then help you build a pragmatic SSC business case, using industry benchmarks and your internal data where possible, to quantify potential savings and service improvements. 

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SSC Operating Model & Scope Design

Designing How Your Shared Services Will Work

A strong SSC design starts with a clear service delivery model. We help you define:

  • Which activities are centralised, local or hybrid
  • The structure of the SSC (towers, teams, centres of expertise)
  • Service catalogue and service levels for internal customers
  • Role definitions: what stays with business units vs. what moves to SSC

Leading shared services programmes typically use tiered service delivery models (e.g., self‑service, transactional SSC, centres of excellence) to balance efficiency with expertise. 

SSC Performance, Governance & Continuous Improvement

SLAs, KPIs & Customer Experience

A well‑run SSC behaves like a professional internal service provider. We support you to:

  • Define service level agreements (SLAs) with business units
  • Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for quality, timeliness, cost and experience
  • Set up feedback channels and improvement mechanisms

Shared services leaders consistently highlight performance management and customer focus as critical to SSC success. 

Governance & Continuous SSC Transformation

We also help design SSC governance structures:

  • Steering committees and decision‑making forums
  • Roles of process owners, service owners and functional leaders
  • Continuous improvement and automation pipelines

Experience shows that a significant share of value from shared services comes after go‑live, through standardisation, process re‑design and ongoing transformation, not just initial consolidation. 

Benefits of SSC Design & Transformation
Clear Strategy, Measurable Results

A structured approach to SSC design and transformation helps you:

  • Establish a clear vision for shared services that everyone recognises
  • Build a realistic, data‑driven business case
  • Track benefits through KPIs and regular reporting rather than relying on vague promises

Lower Cost, Higher Quality & Agility

By designing the SSC properly:

  • You consolidate work where it makes sense and leave exceptions where they belong
  • Standardised processes and automation opportunities become clearer
  • You gain an operating model that is easier to scale as the business grows or enters new markets 

Stronger Governance, Risk & Compliance

With defined processes, RACI and governance:

  • Roles and decision rights become transparent
  • Internal and external audits become easier to manage

Regulatory and policy requirements can be built into SSC processes and controls from day one 

Why Virtual Accountants LLC for SSC Design & Transformation? H2 – Real SSC Leadership Experience, Not Just Theory

One of our senior colleagues has held leadership roles inside large Shared Services Centres, driving SSC design and transformation in practice – not just from a slide deck. That experience shapes how we:

  • Design operating models that work with real‑world constraints
  • Balance centralisation with local needs and regulatory realities
  • Manage stakeholder expectations and change

Deep Finance, Tax & Back‑Office Expertise

Virtual Accountants LLC is a UAE‑based firm represented by Chartered and Certified Accountants with Big 4 backgrounds, focused on finance, tax and back‑office support for SMEs, family groups and growing organisations.

That means our SSC designs pay special attention to:

  • Finance, accounting and reporting requirements
  • VAT, Corporate Tax and compliance workflows
  • Integration with Finance & Accounting SSC, HR & Payroll SSC, Procurement & Vendor SSC and Tax & Compliance SSC

Built for UAE SMEs, Groups & Regional Hubs

We focus on organisations that:

  • Are based in Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE, often with regional operations
  • Have outgrown informal support structures and want a more professional model
  • Need practical, phased transformation – not a huge global programme they can’t sustain

Our approach is always right‑sized, tailored to your scale, budget and ambitions.

How Our SSC Design & Transformation Engagement Works
Step 1: Assess & Align

Where Are You Today?

We begin by:

  • Reviewing your current support functions and any existing SSCs
  • Understanding pain points from both management and end‑users
  • Gauging your readiness for shared services or further SSC transformation

We then align on high‑level objectives and prioritise what matters most (cost, control, quality, speed, scalability).

Step 2: Design & Roadmap

Shaping Your SSC Model

Next, we:

  • Define your SSC strategy, scope and operating model
  • Recommend location and sourcing options
  • Draft a phased transformation roadmap with milestones, resource plans and risks
  • Outline governance, SLAs and KPI frameworks

You get a clear, documented SSC design and transformation plan you can execute – with us or internally.

Step 3: Guide, Support & Optimise

From Plan to Reality

Depending on your needs, we can:

  • Provide hands‑on support through pilot and rollout phases
  • Work with your leaders as an SSC transformation advisor
  • Help refine processes, SOPs and controls as you scale
  • Periodically review performance and update your SSC roadmap

Because we also offer managed SSC delivery (finance, HR, procurement, tax), we can either help you build your own SSC or act as your operating partner for some or all towers. 

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Trusted Expertise in UAE Regulatory Compliance

We’re always on the same page with Government Agencies, working together to get the job done!

Accounting Software We Use

We’re always on the same page with Government Agencies, working together to get the job done!

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Proven Results Shared by Our Clients

FAQs

SSC Design & Transformation in UAE
What’s the difference between SSC, GBS and outsourcing?
  • An SSC (Shared Services Centre) is a captive internal unit serving multiple business units.
  • GBS (Global Business Services) is a broader, more integrated model that often combines SSCs, outsourcing and centres of excellence. 
  • Outsourcing typically involves third‑party providers delivering specific services under contract.

Our SSC Design & Transformation service can support you whether you aim for a classic SSC or a stepping stone towards a more GBS‑like model.

When is the right time to set up or redesign an SSC?

Common triggers include:

  • Rapid growth or expansion across multiple entities/countries
  • Persistent issues with cost, quality or control in support functions
  • Upcoming changes in systems, regulations or ownership
  • Desire to professionalise operations before or after investment

If you’re asking “Is our current setup still fit for purpose?”, it’s usually time to at least explore SSC design options.

Do we have to centralise everything at once?

No. In fact, most successful SSC transformations are phased:

  • Start with one or two high‑volume, standardisable areas (e.g. AP, payroll)
  • Prove the model, refine the design
  • Gradually add functions, entities or geographies as confidence grows 
Do you only design SSCs, or can you also run them?

We can do either or both:

  • Design‑only advisory, if you want to operate the SSC with your own team
  • Hybrid models, where we design and then co‑run or manage specific SSC towers (e.g. finance or tax shared services)

Our goal is to find the mix that works best for your organisation.

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Our Locations

Office - Dubai

Office 609, 6th Floor, Al Moosa Tower 1, Trade Centre 1, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE

Office - Sharjah

Sharjah Media City (Shams), Al Messaned, Al Bataeh,   Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.