Navigating mutually satisfactory relationships is more art than science. The best business relationships evolve over time, taking into consideration mutual needs, abilities and viewpoints. Siemens Global Business Services is committed to providing measurable value services and products to enhance our customers' business and experience while offering more than expected. At the end of the day, people do business with people they know, like and trust.

This is especially true for one of our GBS customers, Siemens SI RSS RAM Finance for “short.” About three years ago, Siemens SI RSS RAM Finance looked at their multi-regional organizations and decided to centralize some operations to help them become more efficient. To achieve their objective, they decided that outsourcing financial functions would be an ideal option for specific projects. After developing this solution, Siemens SI RSS RAM Finance searched for the right company for this project.  

The Beginning of it all

Here’s where Siemens GBS comes in! Siemens SI RSS RAM Finance began their search for an established and reputable vendor. To aid in this vetting process, they developed their own competitiveness program now called “Transformation.” Siemens GBS provided a competitive bid and landed the project due to the work they have historically provided in other areas. Winning the bid was no easy task, however. At the forefront of it all for Siemens GBS was Ameen Sahibzada, Head of Account Management who states,

When asked why GBS was the best option, Director of Finance at Siemens SI RSS RAM Finance, Candice Nicholson, states, “The primary driver was the fact that GBS had experience and knowledge of our Siemens processes in the area of finance. Although the team in India had not previously done the exact type of finance functions that we were sourcing during this project (like order intake or collections), we knew they had a long-standing history of doing similar finance functions for Siemens entities. So we recognized and valued their ability to source talented finance professionals in that region. We also appreciated the fact that GBS already had an understanding of core Siemens processes and tools like SAP and IOL.”

This opportunity went beyond planning and advising on the financial strategy. GBS worked closely with Siemens SI RSS RAM Finance to guide them through the transition from project planning and designing to execution, which included assisting them with the hiring process and implementing facility requirements for the Global Operation Center. Nicholson and Sahibzada worked in tandem to define new processes and automation opportunities. They also developed processes regarding how the team in the Global Operation Center would interact with the existing SI RSS RAM team in the future. When asked about the experience and working so closely with Siemens GBS, Nicholson comments,

For both SI RSS RAM Finance and Siemens GBS, this was a first-time, large-scale project . This proved to be a great opportunity to create something truly impactful. After a year and half of online meetings, chats, hard work and dedication, the Global Operational Center went live in. 

Beyond a Partnership

Both teams, SI RSS RAM Finance and Siemens GBS, were finally able to meet one another in person at the Global Operation Center in Bangalore, India. Much to their delight, it proved to be a great opportunity for the two teams to solidify their connections and discuss process improvements that could elevate the performance even further. One especially poignant part of the visit was the fact that the GBS leadership team planned a townhall to recognize the Indian team members' contribution; presenting awards to some of the top performers.

During the week both groups sat down together in a session to discuss what the GBS team had learned since going live and how they thought certain processes could be changed to improve efficiency. When describing that session, Nicholson stated, “I loved that. The feedback they shared was so much more than I expected. They had great ideas and the fact that they cared enough to challenge our initial specifications and really try to become a true partner, proposing ways that we can get better together, just blew me away. It also showed me how far they had come in understanding our business processes. You can’t re-engineer something that you don’t fully understand. So as a customer, I walked away from that session very comfortable with their ability and our partnership going forward.” 

At Siemens GBS, we strongly value the relationships we build with our customers and strive to make sure that their ambitions are achieved. When asked about the importance of relationships and supporting the customer beyond expectations, Sahibzada commented,

Thank you to all the contributors that helped make this journey a success!

SI RSS RAM Finance

Rashel Ranger , Competitiveness POA Finance Implementation Manager

Emily Murphy , National Controller - Booking & Billing

Chris Parker , National Controller - General Accounting

Dave Garlitz , National Controller – Credit & Collections

Katie Kilnoski , National Operation Center Reporting Analyst

GBS

Christof Fahr , Center Head

Mutalik Raghavendra , Head of O2C India

Satish Kumar , O2C Accounting Manager

Kavitha Doraiswamy , O2C Team Lead

Sunil Nair , O2C Team LeadRitvika Sharma, Project Manager

Jennifer Jochim , O2C Manager

Peggy Ferro , O2C POD

Dee Terrell , O2C AR Operations & Product Manager

Jill Jackson , GBS Finance Head

Raghunathan Rangarajan , Customer Service Manager

Amitkumar Bachhawat , Business Administration Manager

Discover how GBS can partner with you. Contact Ameen Sahibzada ameen.sahibzada@siemens.com