To adapt to the rapidly changing business environment, many companies regularly adjust their ways of work to maximize productivity and effectiveness. DKSH Taiwan Finance Division recently completed a significant transition. In this Leadership Talk, we invite Vivian Lin, Finance Director of DKSH Taiwan to share us how this transformation has made the team more collaborative and competitive to meet market demands.
The core values of DKSH Taiwan Finance and Accounting Department are "APPLES" – representing Accountability, double the Partnership, Leadership, Expertise, and Simplicity. With these core values in mind, this transformation has shifted the finance team's role from traditional risk control and business oversight to becoming a more integral business partner supporting our four business units.
Q: Would you briefly describe the main changes and challenges in this project?
A: The transformation plan began in August 2023, with eight months of preparation. We reassessed job responsibilities and team divisions, optimizing from a one-stop model to a function-oriented specialization. Some processes were shifted to Business Processing Operations (BPO), making workflows more standardized and automated, improving overall efficiency. We faced uncertainties and adaptation hurdles due to these significant changes. Unlike the daily fluctuations faced by frontline colleagues, finance work is usually stable. We enhanced communication and support to ensure everyone understood the necessity of the changes. I appreciate our colleagues' courage and openness in quickly adapting to the new environment.
Q: How have our people transformed during this change? Please share some examples with us.
A: Many colleagues ventured out of their comfort zones, embracing a proactive, business-driven working model to achieve goals with business units. For example, Finance Business Partners working cubicles moved directly to business units, facilitating smoother communication with division heads and integrating more customer service responsibilities. They take active roles in client meeting discussions and collaborated more with external stakeholders. Internally, more colleagues take on the training partner roles, conducting GAPIM and EEC series training for various units, fostering cross-unit collaboration and evolving into true "business partners."
Q: Is there anything you would like to say to the team?
A: This transformation has been a significant challenge and test for the finance department. I am immensely grateful to the fifty finance colleagues for their empathy and incredible courage. Without strong teamwork and shared vision, we couldn't have accomplished this daunting task. We also thank the HR department and other departments for their cooperation in completing this major project.
Q: How has this transformation benefited the organization and business? What are your future aspirations and goals?
A: Through this transformation, DKSH Taiwan Finance and Accounting Department has become more aligned with headquarters and the global financial structure. We aim to stabilize the new organization and establish optimized workflows in the short term. This transformation has increased visibility internally and externally, making the department more efficient and solidifying team structure. We hope this transformation provides new career experiences and professional growth opportunities, further enhancing collaboration and connection with the global financial framework.