Poland as the destination for Shared Services Centers

4 .3 Case study – Hewlett-Packard
Poland as the destination for Shared Services Centers 35
The Hewlett-Packard Company (commonly referred to as HP) is one of the largest technology
corporations in the world, specializing in development and manufacturing of computing,
storage, and networking hardware, software and services. In order to consolidate and improve
its world-wide operations, the company has established a network of global business centers
responsible for carrying out support activities (in areas like finance, accounting, HR, customer
support, reporting, supply chain management, etc.) on behalf of other HP units, as well as other
companies. There are currently 10 such centers located in Mexico, Costa Rica, India, China,
Spain, Romania and Poland (Wrocław).
The Wrocław Global Business Center (Global e-Business Operations Spółka z o.o.) was
established on April 15, 2005 and began hiring and training its first managers and employees
to perform accounting and financial services, HR and payroll administration, and processing
of orders and purchases on behalf of HP units as well as external clients. In 2008, the GBC
employed approximately 1,200 accountants, business analysts and other certified specialists.
The specific nature of the center’s operations requires it to employ specialists who can
communicate in all EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) languages. In order to guarantee the
optimal quality of service the typical employee profile requires candidates for the Wrocław GBC
to have graduated from university or other tertiary education institution and to fluently speak
English and a second EMEA language depending on their job position.
Jacek S . Levernes
Managing Director of HP
Global Business Center
The most significant factors that determined the selection of
Wrocław for the Shared Services Center were the availability
of well-educated, goal oriented and flexible staff, as well as
administrative and financial support from the authorities.
Also important was Wrocław’s convenient location on the
European continent and the atmosphere of the city, which
attracts both investors as well as potential employees.
As a result it was possible to employ 1,000 people within
3 years, surpassing the target initially set for the period of
2005-2010 as was assumed in the investment plan”.
The success of the Wrocław Center has meant that HP is currently expanding its operations
in the city by offering new financial, business and marketing services. According to the GBC’s
Managing Director, “the new development plans for the Center assume a potential increase of
employment by an additional 800 people in the period of the next few years”. This will bring the
total workforce to ca. 2,000 and make the Wrocław GBC one of the most efficiently growing
and effectively progressive units in Europe. “The new positions will be characterized by a more
advanced competence profile”.
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