Functional architectures and shared services that lock in scale, control, and cost discipline.
Functional & Shared Services Operating Models
Functional & Shared Services Operating Models: Infrastructure For Execution At Scale
Handle designs and restructures functional and shared services operating models for groups, conglomerates, and family enterprises operating in and through the UAE. Law, capital, and operating design move as one mandate; consolidating support functions, fixing accountability, and securing governance-grade transparency.
We structure how finance, HR, technology, legal, procurement, and other enterprise functions are owned, funded, and controlled. The result is simple: one operating spine for multi-entity portfolios, with cost visibility, risk containment, and decision rights defined in enforceable structures.
Our Functional & Shared Services Operating Models Services: Built For Institutional Scale
Handle architects and executes functional and shared services models that withstand board scrutiny, lender diligence, and regulatory review. We move from diagnostic to design to implementation with defined authorities, service levels, and capital visibility across every function.
Enterprise Operating Model Design
Group-wide functional blueprints with clear decision rights, spans of control, and escalation paths.
Shared Services & Centers of Excellence
Design and stand-up of shared service hubs with SLAs, chargebacks, and governance embedded.
Carve-Outs, Integrations & Post-Merger Alignment
Align functions post-transaction; rationalize overlap, consolidate platforms, and stabilize operations.
Governance, Policies & Performance Architecture
Board-grade policies, KPIs, and review cycles that lock functional performance into governance rhythms.
Why Work With a Functional & Shared Services Operating Models Expert
Functional fragmentation erodes control, inflates cost, and weakens governance. Handle re-engineers functional and shared services models so that decision rights, cost allocation, and risk ownership are explicit, enforceable, and traceable across entities and jurisdictions.
Our mandate is structural: design the operating spine that investors, regulators, lenders, and boards can rely on. Law frames the structure, capital funds it, operating design executes it.
- Proven execution across complex groups, family enterprises, and cross-border portfolios
- Integration of legal entity structure with operating model design
- Chargeback, SLA, and performance frameworks suited to institutional capital
- Alignment with UAE regulatory and free zone expectations where relevant
- Integration with M&A, carve-out, and consolidation strategies
- Outcome clarity: cost visibility, governance stability, and execution control
Better Ask Handle
Why Choose Us to Handle Your Functional & Shared Services Operating Models
High-stakes operating decisions demand more than process mapping; they demand structural control. Handle designs functional and shared services architectures that link operating reality to legal accountability and capital expectations.
We operate at board level, with one integrated view across group structure, governance, and execution capacity.
EnquireStructural Integration With Law & Capital
Operating models aligned with legal entities, shareholder arrangements, and lender covenants from day one.
Board-Ready Frameworks And Documentation
Models, charters, and SLAs documented to withstand board, auditor, and regulator interrogation.
Execution Inside The Institution
We work within your organisation, aligning leadership, functions, and platforms to a single design.
Built For Scale, Transition, And Exit
Architectures that carry through growth, succession, IPO, or strategic sale without rework.
Anchored in the Region’s Most Strategic Hubs
We work across the UAE’s leading financial centers, free zones, regulatory authorities, and courts; giving our clients certainty in both capital and law.
When your business turns legal, capital turns critical, and legacy turns strategic… #BetterAskHandle
What’s Included in Our Functional & Shared Services Operating Models Services
Handle delivers end-to-end design and implementation of functional and shared services operating models across complex corporate and family enterprise structures. Every component is engineered for accountability, cost traceability, and governance alignment.
We move from diagnostic to implementation with defined milestones, authorities, and performance measures, locking functional execution into a clear institutional architecture.
- Current-state diagnostic of functions, cost flows, and decision rights
- Target operating model for core and support functions across all entities
- Shared service and center-of-excellence design, including scope, SLAs, and chargeback models
- Org design: structures, role definitions, RACI, and escalation matrices
- Governance frameworks: committees, reporting cycles, and decision protocols
- Implementation roadmap, sequencing, and change-over governance aligned with capital and legal structure
“Before offering your business for M&A, you must raise it with discipline. Strengthen governance, restore financial clarity, and sharpen strategy. A parented business attracts investors with confidence, not discounts.”
Mohamed abu El-MakaremManaging Partner & Chairman
“Good litigation is disciplined project management. Clear filings, clean evidence, and a hearing plan that your board understands. That is how outcomes travel from courtroom to cash.”
Hamda Al FalasiPartner, Law & Arbitration
The Powerhouse of Law & Capital⚬
The Powerhouse of Law & Capital⚬
The Powerhouse of Law & Capital⚬
The Powerhouse of Law & Capital⚬
The Powerhouse of Law & Capital⚬
#BetterAskHandle⚬
#BetterAskHandle⚬
#BetterAskHandle⚬
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Frequently Asked Functional & Shared Services Operating Models Questions
Handle structures functional and shared services operating models for groups, family enterprises, and institutional investors operating in or through the UAE; built for governance clarity, capital discipline, and execution control.
How do functional & shared services operating models affect governance and board oversight?
Governance effectiveness depends on how functions are structured, not just who sits on the board. A clear operating model defines who owns decisions, who controls spend, and how performance is measured across entities. We design models so that boards see clean reporting lines, auditable cost allocations, and explicit accountability. This gives directors confidence that strategy, law, and operations are aligned.
What is the business case for moving to a shared services model in a UAE-based group?
For diversified groups, shared services convert fragmented, duplicative functions into one controlled platform. The case is built around cost transparency, standardisation, and risk reduction, not just headcount savings. In the UAE, this structure also aligns better with bank, investor, and regulator expectations for internal control. We quantify the impact, then design a model that sustains those gains under scrutiny.
How do you ensure shared services do not weaken accountability in operating companies?
Accountability is designed into the model, not assumed. We define service charters, SLAs, and escalation paths that bind shared services to measurable outcomes for each business. Decision rights and approvals remain explicit at entity and group levels. The result is centralised efficiency with preserved P&L and governance ownership.
How do these operating models interact with legal entity restructuring or holding company design?
They are inseparable. We align functional and shared services designs with your holding structures, SPVs, JVs, and regulated entities. Service flows, intercompany agreements, and chargebacks are constructed to respect tax, regulatory, and lender constraints. This creates a coherent framework that auditors and regulators can follow without friction.
Can you design operating models suitable for post-merger integration or carve-outs?
Yes; this is where structural discipline is most critical. We map functional overlap, decide on consolidation or separation, and define the shared or standalone services each entity will run on. Transitional service requirements, SLAs, and timelines are made explicit and enforceable. This stabilises operations while ownership and capital structures are shifting.
How do you approach cost allocation and chargeback mechanisms in shared services?
We start from governance and fairness, then design mechanisms that can be executed and audited. Allocation drivers are chosen to reflect actual consumption and strategic priorities, not internal politics. Chargeback models are codified in policies and, where needed, intercompany agreements. This delivers transparency to management, boards, and external stakeholders.
What role does technology play in your operating model designs?
Technology is treated as infrastructure, not a standalone project. We define the operating architecture first, then specify platform requirements, integration points, and data flows that support it. This avoids technology-led designs that fail governance tests. The outcome is a tech stack that reinforces, rather than undermines, control and standardisation.
How do you handle resistance from functions or business units during transition?
We treat resistance as a design variable, not a surprise. Stakeholder maps, decision protocols, and phased implementation plans are built to contain disruption while maintaining control. Critical roles, risks, and dependencies are identified early and governed through structured steering forums. This keeps execution aligned with board-approved design, even under internal pressure.
Are your operating model designs suitable for family businesses planning succession or partial exits?
They are built for exactly those inflection points. A disciplined functional and shared services model separates personal influence from institutional capability, which buyers and successors both require. It clarifies how value is generated, supported, and governed across the group. That structure strengthens valuations, negotiation leverage, and continuity.
How long does it typically take to design and implement a new functional and shared services model?
Timelines depend on group complexity, regulatory footprint, and technology dependencies. We define a structured roadmap with clear phases: diagnostic, design, validation, and implementation. Each phase has decision gates and deliverables visible to leadership and boards. The mandate is not speed alone, but controlled transition with no loss of operational integrity.
Our Insights.
Partner-led perspectives on law, capital, and strategy, shaped by live mandates and boardroom realities.
Insights
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