Company: IBM, Armonk, NY
Company Description: IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. IBM helps its clients capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to its clients.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Achievement Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Training or Coaching Program of the Year - Business Services Industries
 Nomination Title: Accelerating Finance Skills in Consulting
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the nominated achievement since July 1, 2022, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- Briefly describe the nominated organization or individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 198 words used.
In a strategic decision to streamline its business operations IBM Consulting transitioned a variety of its financial support roles into the Quote-to-Cash (Q2C) Operations - a shared services function that supports IBM Sales with end-to-end processes, including order management, billing, and accounts receivable.
It was a deliberate effort to drive synergy and operational efficiency between financial analysts and billing professionals. By placing the Finance Contract Managers (FCMs) at the heart of Q2C, IBM sought to create a seamless flow of expertise, enhancing the integration of financial insights with operational execution.
The FCM role quickly emerged as one of the most critical and complex within the Q2C organization. It demanded not only exceptional analytical and communication skills but also deep business acumen and the ability to act as a trusted advisor to the sales teams. Yet, this vital role also became one of the most challenging to retain. The demands of the position led to a high turnover rate, with FCMs often moving to different roles in pursuit of broader career opportunities.
The journey of integrating FCMs into Q2C symbolizes a quest for operational excellence, and an ongoing challenge to cultivate the exceptional talent that drives IBM Consulting forward.
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below.
- Outline the nominated achievement since July 1 2022 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 248 words used.
Developing homegrown talents did not only address the speed of hiring but also created career growth opportunities for Q2C professionals. Incidentally, there was brewing interest from the Billing and Contract Management teams to advance to FCM roles as they saw the complexity and growth in the role. This laid the groundwork for the FA Bootcamp program.
Accelerating Growth through the FA Bootcamp. The 2024 Q2C US Consulting FA Bootcamp exemplifies a high-impact, strategic initiative, tailor-designed learning model to accelerate talent development within Quote-to-Cash (Q2C) Operations.
It is designed to equip the participants with core Finance and Accounting skills, as well as an extensive understanding of the IBM Consulting business. The Bootcamp participants are nominated by their managers based on their developmental needs and career aspirations. In line with the 3E (Education-Exposure-Experience) up-skilling strategy, they are expected to complete a four-months-long learning roadmap consisting of three different types of enablement:
- Self-paced training,
- Shadowing and hands-on activities with experienced FCMs, and
- Face-to-face coaching and feedback sessions with Consulting Market CFOs.
Today, roughly half (48%) of our FCMs are home-grown Q2C talents. The availability and readiness of an organically grown talent pool allowed Q2C to accelerate backfilling of attrition and eliminate potential skills and resource gaps. Consequently, there is solid and uninterrupted operational support to the IBM Consulting business generating worth approximately $3.1B revenue annually.
The Bootcamp has ignited a customer-focused mindset of our FCM talents, resulting in stronger client relationships and 35% improvement in NPS scores year over year.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
- Explain why the achievement you have highlighted is unique or significant. If possible compare the achievement to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
The FCM Bootcamp has enabled Q2C to drastically reduce risks associated with attrition by redeploying internal pool of talent to more relevant roles in the organization, while saving over $150K and eliminating external hiring costs along with associated time delays. The overall skills and operational support improved without adding new resources or headcount to the team.
Another benefit of training existing Q2C professionals with background in contract management and billing as FCMs is the enhancement of their end-to-end process expertise, allowing them to see the big picture and identify opportunities for career progression. The mindset shifts from being a transactional support to a trusted business advisor.
Leveraging on the process expertise and new skills acquired during the bootcamp, the team of homegrown FCMs was able to create financial dashboards that eliminated manual reporting. These dashboards are now being used by all levels in the organization, including CFOs, for their financial reviews and operations management.
The motivating factors of the 4-months duration FA Bootcamp are the professional growth opportunity in Finance, networking exposure to Market CFOs, and the coveted skills to compete for a wide variety of job roles.
The Finance organization has expressed their appreciation of Q2C’s effort to ensure business continuity and stability through the FA Bootcamp. The CFOs, who are also the internal clients of the Q2C FCMs, have eagerly participated in the program as Mentors/Coaches. It is uncommon for training programs to involve clients in the learning experience, however, their participation provides additional value to the program.
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