400 Finance and Shared Services leaders on cross-department collaboration in 2025

They keep the wheels of the business turning. Their work impacts every other team across the organization. And when they collaborate with other departments to get processes like Order-to-Cash or Purchase-to-Pay working, they unlock immense value. 

We’re talking about Finance and Shared Services teams, who are increasingly focused on cross-departmental collaboration, according to our 2025 Process Optimization Report. The Finance and Shared Services Edition reveals leaders see poor collaboration as a warning sign that businesses lack adequate process understanding, and effective collaboration as a positive outcome of process improvement initiatives. Let’s dive into the report findings to show you what we mean. 

Finding #1: Teams must be more cross-functional 

A massive 88% of Finance and Shared Services leaders say their departments need to be more cross-functional than ever. While this isn’t necessarily a new requirement for Shared Services teams, it is a less familiar position for those in Finance. These teams have traditionally operated as stand-alone administrative functions. Becoming more cross-functional will inevitably mean acquiring new skills. So what are they likely to be?  

Finding #2: Collaboration and ‘changemaking’ are much-needed skills 

We asked Finance and Shared Services leaders what skills and qualities they believe are increasingly important for their teams to develop. Almost half (45%) say teams need to improve cross-department collaboration. In a similar vein, 43% say they need to gain broader knowledge of the business as a whole. At the same time, 47% of leaders say teams need to become changemakers, who actively drive innovation, transformation, and improvement. Finance and Shared Services teams operate at the nexus of different departments, and are already an integral part of how the organization works. So, by enabling them to understand and optimize their cross-department impact, enterprises are setting themselves up for success.   

Finding #3: Tensions signal poor process understanding 

When asked to identify the biggest warning signs that an organization doesn’t fully understand how its processes are running, Finance and Shared Services leaders cite silos and tensions between different departments as a top-five indicator. 

This response is indicative of the disconnect that exists within most organizations, where departments speak their own language, systems don’t play well together, and teams lack a shared understanding of how processes work. Other signs that Finance and Shared Services leaders include in the top five are difficulties adopting new tech like AI, increasing operational costs, and employee morale and retention challenges. 

Finding #4: Process visibility will drive improvement

A strong 88% of Finance and Shared Services leaders say they need more visibility into processes than the rest of the business if they’re expected to drive improvement. The report reveals their teams are already adopting a variety of tools and tactics to increase visibility of their business processes. Spoiler alert: 99% say they’ll review existing process models in the next 12 months while 91% expect to be using process mining within the same timeframe. So what do they hope to achieve with better visibility? 

Finding #5: Teamwork is a process improvement outcome 

We asked what types of opportunities Finance and Shared Services leaders are looking to unlock with better process visibility, and ultimately process optimization. Improved productivity is by far the most sought-after outcome of process improvement. It’s included in the top-three expected outcomes by 47%, which shows Finance and Shared Services leaders are keen to use their time wisely, on tasks that will impact overall business objectives. Over a third (34%) include better collaboration with other departments in their top three desired outcomes of process improvement. That's almost as many as include the outcomes you’d typically expect from Finance and Shared Services leaders, like reducing costs, mitigating risks, and growing revenues. 

Insights from the heart of the organization   

Because Finance and Shared Services teams work with and across so many departments, they are ideally placed to drive not just process improvement, but business improvement at large. With the right tools and technologies – like Celonis Process Intelligence – they can help connect teams to each other, develop a common understanding for how the business runs, and make processes work.  

To find out more about how 400 leaders are driving process improvement, take a look at the Finance and Shared Services Edition of our 2025 Process Optimization Report. You’ll find out what macroeconomic challenges are putting pressure on their departments, what tools they’re currently using for process visibility, and how they’re using AI today, as well as how they plan to use it over the coming year. 

You can also dive into these department-specific reports:

• IT 

• Supply Chain

• Process Improvement and Operations

Plus, if you want to find out how 1,620 business leaders across all these departments are pursuing productivity, profitability, and effective AI, you’ll want our main report, Making Processes Work.

Nico Wada

Writer

Nico Wada is a writer at Celonis. She has worked at leading agencies and fast-growing B2B companies across sectors like fintech and alternative data. When not writing, you’ll find her running around Central Park, at a reggae concert, or planning her next trip to Japan.