Omnicom achieves CICMQ accreditation

OMNICOM Media Group (OMG) has achieved CICMQ accreditation after it had started the process once but had to restart it following major changes within the business. OMG completed the Workshop Approach in April 2017, but shortly after it went through a fundamental change – systems were upgraded and certain activities outsourced to India resulting in all but three people in credit and billing – Gary Tobin, Billing/Collection Co-ordinator, Stephen Wilson, Credit Manager, and Hardy Bates, Order to Cash Process Lead – leaving the organisation.

Overall there has been a 60 percent reduction in staff which has been reduced further within transaction processing. It was agreed with the Director of the Shared Service Centre, David Hughes, that OMG would start the process again, completing both the Discovery phase and a full CICMQ Assessment in order to achieve accreditation. “Despite the timing we were very keen to attain the accreditation to demonstrate that our new processes, methods and procedures met CICMQ standards, and we also saw it as a validation of what we have done in transforming the business.”

CICMQ Assessor, Pam Thomas said in her report: ‘It has been a long process for OMG to get to this point. It is also recognised that the journey isn’t over as there are some recommendations within the report, but these are limited. ‘There is great reporting through the ERO57 tool which continues to be upgraded. Policies and processes are all new since 2015 and training has become more important due to the offshoring. Additionally, all of the team are now CICM Members and the two new members of staff are now keen to develop further, using their skills to help manage the operation remotely through the offshore centre’.