Journal
Mapping shared-services allocations that survive scrutiny
Shared services are where cost centre audits quietly fail. A facilities key based on headcount can look tidy in the cost center audit app while floor plans tell another story.
Sample before board week
Pick the three highest-value shared-service keys and test them mid-cycle. Ask operations to confirm drivers. If headcount is the driver, reconcile it to HR extracts — not to a spreadsheet someone updated last Christmas.
Document the disagreement
When finance and facilities disagree on square metres, capture both views and the interim rule. An audit trail that records dissent is stronger than a forced consensus that collapses under follow-up.
Encode the review date
Every key needs a next review date visible beside the hierarchy. Networksysmonitor cohorts treat that date as part of the living map, not a footnote in a policy PDF.