ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) has launched its Global Business Services (GBS) qualifications. It is a suite of three qualifications dedicated to finance and accounting in shared services and GBS.
The qualification for the shared services sector is designed at three levels:
Certificate in Global Business Services : Includes an independently-assessed online course and covers all the basic knowledge and skills required by global shared services employees.
Diploma in Global Business Services : Includes the five modules of the above certificate and ACCA syllabus-related financial and accounting management knowledge. This Diploma boosts employees' financial expertise so that they can succeed in more challenging roles.
Advanced Diploma in Global Business Services : Places a greater focus on advanced financial management, management accounting and performance management, improving employees' high-end professional skills.
“GBS is more than just meeting efficiencies. It represents a fundamental shift in how businesses think about and manage shared services and outsourcing. Potentially, GBS places a new premium on the value that the retained finance function can actually produce by freeing it to perform higher-level tasks,” said Sajid Khan, Head of International Development for ACCA in a statement.