CDI Holdings · Case Study Library
Mission-Directed Work Teams® · Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
BHP Billiton
Building a World-Class Payment Services Centre
Kuala Lumpur Shared Service Centre (KLSSC) · Payment Services & HR Shared Services · 100,000+ Employees & Contractors · 25+ Countries Served
Zero
Ad-hoc payment runs
(from 270 per week)
(from 270 per week)
24h
Invoice processing
(from 4 days)
(from 4 days)
71%
Support requests
reduced
reduced
285K
HR transactions
managed centrally
managed centrally
Client Context
MDW Beyond the Factory Floor
BHP Billiton established the Kuala Lumpur Shared Service Centre (KLSSC) to consolidate four separate shared services locations into a single hub — delivering Payment Services and HR functions to business units across more than 25 countries. With over 100,000 employees and contractors globally, the scale and complexity of the task was significant.
The KLSSC case demonstrates that MDW's principles are not limited to the plant floor. Process discipline, team ownership, structured routines, and the elimination of reactive ad-hoc work apply as directly to a shared services centre as to any manufacturing operation.
The KLSSC case demonstrates that MDW's principles are not limited to the plant floor. Process discipline, team ownership, structured routines, and the elimination of reactive ad-hoc work apply as directly to a shared services centre as to any manufacturing operation.
The Challenge
Fragmented Processes, Global Complexity
Four separate shared services locations meant four different ways of doing the same work. Payment runs were ad hoc, invoice processing was slow, and 285,000 HR transactions across 24 tax regions required navigation of complex legislative requirements. Support requests were running at over 2,600 per month — a symptom of unclear interfaces and low process confidence, not high service demand.
The goal was not simply to centralise — it was to standardise, automate, and embed the discipline of daily structured operations.
The goal was not simply to centralise — it was to standardise, automate, and embed the discipline of daily structured operations.
The Approach
Process Discipline and Daily Rhythm in a White-Collar Environment
1
Process Standardisation & CentralisationPayment Services activities — invoice processing, disbursements, purchasing, expense card processing, and support — centralised into a unified process. HR Services, including payroll and statutory returns, aligned across all business units within legal constraints.
2
Automation and Scheduled Daily OperationsManual, fragmented payment processes replaced with an automated, daily scheduled payment run system. System-wide scheduling eliminated the reactive ad-hoc culture entirely — 270 unscheduled payment runs per week reduced to zero through structured operational rhythm.
3
Customer-Centric Service DesignSupport interfaces simplified and self-service capabilities built — reducing support requests by over 70%. Applying MDW's customer-supplier thinking to internal services: clear service-level agreements, standard KPIs, and defined escalation paths enforced consistent quality across regions.
4
Global Compliance Within Unified Process285,000 annual HR transactions across 24 tax regions managed through a single centre — achieving compliance in each jurisdiction while maintaining the process consistency that a fragmented multi-location model had made impossible.
Before & After MDW
A Measurable Transformation
| Indicator | Before | After MDW |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled payment runs | Twice per week | Daily |
| Ad-hoc payment runs | 270 per week | Zero |
| Invoice processing time | 4 days | 24 hours |
| Support requests | 2,600 per month | 750 per month |
| Process structure | Separated per company | Unified within legal bounds |
Core Challenges
Consolidating four separate shared services locations into a single KL-based centre.
Delivering consistent service across all BHPB business units with widely varying processes.
Eliminating ad hoc payment runs (270 per week) and 4-day invoice processing cycles.
Managing 285,000 HR transactions across 24 tax regions with full legislative compliance.
Unifying service processes globally while meeting country-specific legal requirements.
“
Through process discipline and a commitment to structured daily operations, BHP Billiton’s Kuala Lumpur Shared Service Centre became a global benchmark in operational excellence — proving that MDW principles deliver in a white-collar environment as powerfully as on the plant floor.
CDI Case Study · BHP Billiton KLSSC
Key Insight
The KLSSC case expands the scope of what Mission-Directed Work Teams® can achieve. Operational excellence is not a manufacturing concept — it is a discipline of structured ownership, daily rhythm, and customer-focused process design that applies wherever work is done. When reactive, ad-hoc operations are replaced by scheduled, accountable routines, the results are measurable in any environment.
