How do Shared Services Centers (SSCs) create business value at METRO?
05 February 2026Imagine a place where dozens of people efficiently handle millions of financial data points every day, so that the rest of the organization can calmly focus on what matters most: sales and growth. This is not science fiction. It is our everyday reality at METRO GSC in Szczecin. Here, accounting is not just numbers in spreadsheets, but a strategic business engine that, thanks to automation, innovation, and the expertise of our specialists, drives the entire METRO and MAKRO network across Europe. We want to show you how shared services centers can create real value and how we, as a team, are transforming the traditional role of accounting into that of a true business partner.
SSC – what are shared services centers?
Shared services centers, or SSCs, are like a central kitchen for business processes, except that instead of delicious meals, we deliver consistent, efficient, and scalable financial processes. At METRO GSC in Szczecin, we focus on providing full accounting services for the METRO and MAKRO networks, as well as for other Group entities. This means taking end to end responsibility, from invoices and payments to reporting and intercompany settlements. As a result, our partner units can breathe easier and focus on sales, while we ensure that every euro and every financial decision is fully controlled, secure, and compliant with best practices.
SSC – business value creation
Value creation at METRO GSC is not a slogan. It is our everyday challenge. Thanks to process centralization, we can reduce costs, increase efficiency, and standardize financial data across the entire Group. Standardization and automation enable us to respond quickly to change and implement best practices globally, not just locally. Projects such as the implementation of RPA tools or AI models for processing leasing invoices demonstrate that innovation in accounting is not only possible, but essential. Our work goes far beyond simply ticking tasks off a checklist, because we create solutions that genuinely make life easier for our partners, increase operational speed, and minimize the risk of errors. Every optimization, every automated process, and every new procedure is a step toward higher data quality and greater operational flexibility, which translates directly into tangible business value.
Shared services centers – benefits of process integration
Imagine all repetitive financial and operational processes in a company working like an orchestra, where every musician knows when to come in and the whole performance is cohesive and harmonious. This is how shared services centers operate. Process integration helps reduce chaos, increase efficiency, and bring transparency to areas that were previously dominated by paperwork and countless emails. Through centralization, we gain not only time and cost savings, but above all uniform standards that support better decision making and faster responses to business changes. Moreover, process integration gives our teams room to innovate. Instead of spending time on manual data entry, we can experiment with automation, implement digital tools, and introduce solutions that genuinely improve the quality of work.
METRO GSC – financial services
Our center is more than just a team of accountants. It is a fully fledged business partner that takes responsibility for complete financial processes within the METRO Group. We deliver comprehensive end to end processes in areas such as AR, GA, FA, Payments and Treasury, Transfer Pricing, and Intercompany Invoicing and Reconciliation. In addition, we provide financial reporting to the Group, ensure compliance with procedures and regulations, build global standards, and support the development of our employees’ competencies. Every day, we work in an international environment using SAP S/4HANA and modern automation tools, which make processes faster, more accurate, and more predictable. All of this allows our partners across Europe to fully focus on what they do best, while we gain the space to implement new and ambitious solutions.
How do SSC employees and teams influence the optimization of business processes?
Our teams are a blend of experience, creativity, and passion for finance. It is the people at METRO GSC who have a real impact on process development. They introduce innovations, automate routine tasks, and share ideas that improve everyday work. Ongoing standardization, lean improvements, GEMBA walks, and AI projects enable us to operate faster, more efficiently, and more effectively, while also teaching us how to collaborate in a global environment. In this place, every idea matters, every voice is important, and personal development goes hand in hand with the growth of the entire organization. Thanks to our open culture, we can learn, experiment, and implement changes that have a real impact on business performance. What starts as a single improvement in Szczecin can, within a few days, support the operations of METRO and MAKRO stores across Europe. In this way, our daily work becomes not only a challenge, but also an exciting journey in the world of finance, where every day brings new opportunities and inspiration.
