KBS Process Manager - AP & AP Helpdesk

Did you know KONE moves over one billion people every day? We employ over 60,000 professionals in over 60 countries worldwide joined together by a shared vision to ‘Deliver the best people flow experience’. As a global leader, we provide elevators, escalators, automatic building doors as well as solutions for maintenance and modernization to add value to buildings throughout their lifecycle. Through more effective People Flow®, we make people’s journeys safe, convenient and reliable, in taller, smarter buildings.
Job Title – KBS Process Manager - AP & AP Helpdesk
Job Location – Chennai, India

KONE Business Services (KBS) is looking for an experienced transformation and process & operations development professional with hands on Source to Pay process experience and a solid business background to support our global vision of becoming more effective business partners and more efficient in the end-to-end process transactions.

The purpose of this position is to drive the End-to-End (E2E) S2P transformation agenda in KBS, defining & driving the KONE Way, priorities and roadmaps with Global Process Owners, Business Lines  and global functions

As a KBS Process Manager, Invoice Processing and AP Helpdesk, you have KBS process ownership of global invoice processing and AP Helpdesk services provided by KBS. This is a process governance, development and transformation role, not a day-to-day operational management role. You provide direction, guidance and oversight to operations leaders to drive consistent service delivery, process quality and effective controls across countries and service delivery locations; responsibility for daily operational execution and people management remains with the respective operations leaders. You will work closely with the upstream processes in purchasing and be an integrated part of the accounts payable process globally. You will report to the Head of KBS Source-to-pay and be part of the global KBS source to pay organization.

As the KBS Process Manager, Invoice Processing and AP Helpdesk you are accountable for:

• Provide global process direction, governance and guidance for invoice processing services provided by KBS, from invoice receipt and validation through matching, coding, approval workflow coordination and posting, enabling operations leaders to deliver timely and accurate processing in line with agreed service levels, policies and local requirements
• Own global invoice processing service performance, standardization and continuous improvement across KBS delivery locations, working with operations leaders, Global Process Owners and country stakeholders to resolve issues and strengthen automation and controls
• Lead and drive global E2E transformation programs and projects for invoice processing and AP Helpdesk, with responsibility for scope, priorities, roadmaps, milestones, cross-functional alignment, risks, change adoption and benefits realization, with particular focus on automation and harmonization

•       Drive further harmonization of the AP Helpdesk services in KONE

•       Ensure we have clear and up-to-date KBS E2E transformation roadmaps aligned

•       Ensure KONE Way is properly defined, documented and tools implemented for KBS operations harmonization purposes

•       Ensure all contributors understand their roles & responsibilities, and the overall KONE WAY process and operating model

•       Ensure we have a clear approach to map deviations in the units vs KONE Way

What will you be doing?

• Working closely with the Global Business Lines, Functions and GPOs, act as their Go To person in KBS for AP Helpdesk and Invoice processing
• Act as the global KBS point of contact for invoice processing, coordinating service delivery, priorities and escalations with regional and local AP operations, purchasing, business stakeholders and relevant service providers
• Lead regular global invoice processing performance reviews, monitor processing accuracy, throughput time, backlog and aging, invoice exceptions and automation rates, and drive corrective actions with agreed owners and timelines
• Guide operations leaders on global workload management, capacity planning and business continuity approaches across invoice processing delivery locations to support volume fluctuations, service levels and period-end processing deadlines, while daily resource allocation and execution remain with operations
• Drive resolution and root cause elimination of invoice processing exceptions, including receipt and validation errors, PO matching discrepancies, missing coding and delayed approvals, in collaboration with purchasing, business approvers and the AP Helpdesk
• Ensure invoice processing controls are consistently applied, including duplicate invoice checks, approval compliance, segregation of duties and audit trail requirements, and coordinate remediation of identified control gaps with the responsible stakeholders
• Lead invoice processing harmonization and automation initiatives, including electronic invoicing, improved invoice capture and touchless processing, and coordinate operational requirements, testing, deployment, documentation and training with GPOs and technology teams
• E2E transformation roadmap development and deployment in KBS
• Help GPOs get KONE Way fixed & documented:
  • Process KPI definitions and reporting in a common tool
  • Define how we drive standardization - documentation of KONE Way Global  Operating Procedures
  • Support Operating Model development considering full process dependencies
• Monitor and drive process compliance, make sure processes are deployed and used as designed
• Drive Lean in S2P process
• Work closely with the respective operations to have an up-to-date view constantly on the operations to be able to identify improvement areas
• work closely with the Business Partner function
• Lead assigned AI, automation and harmonization transformation projects across invoice processing and AP Helpdesk, mobilizing cross-functional teams, driving implementation and change adoption, and tracking measurable benefits in collaboration with operations, GPOs and technology teams

Are you the One?

• Relevant years of international business experience, including hands-on operational experience in accounts payable and proven experience managing or coordinating high-volume AP service delivery across multiple countries and regions in a global shared services or business services environment;
• Practical experience across end-to-end AP operations, including PO and non-PO invoice processing, invoice validation, matching, coding, approval workflows, exception resolution, supplier queries, payment readiness and period-end activities
• Demonstrated experience coordinating AP operations across delivery centers, time zones and local finance organizations, balancing global standardization with country-specific tax, statutory and invoicing requirements
• Proven experience managing AP service levels and operational KPIs, including processing accuracy, throughput time, backlog and aging, on-time processing and automation rates, with a track record of translating performance gaps into measurable improvements
• Hands-on experience in workload and capacity planning, backlog recovery, operational escalations and business continuity, ensuring stable AP delivery during volume peaks, period-end close and organizational or system changes
• Practical experience applying AP internal controls, including duplicate invoice prevention, approval compliance, segregation of duties and audit trails, and supporting audits and remediation of operational control gaps
• Demonstrated experience implementing AP process improvements, service transitions or automation across countries, with practical use of SAP and invoice workflow solutions, electronic invoicing and operational reporting to improve service quality and touchless processing

• Ability to drive for, and manage change
• Ability to influence people and work in a matrix environment
• understanding on how a service is being set-up and managed for helpdesk, including utilization of technology in providing the services to multiple KONE units globally
• Proven track record of understanding processes and linkages between different tools
• Strong attitude towards root cause analysis and problem solving, execution mindset
• Solid collaboration skills
• A desire for continuous learning & improvement
• Good understanding of SAP ERP and related P2P solutions

•       Ability to document and communicate preferred ways of working, and identify deviations in a constructive way

•       Ability to identify priorities and turn ideas/issues into action

•       Process knowledge Accounts payable process is required

•       Engaging operations team members contributing to desired outcomes with purpose

•       Project management skills with desire to make an impact and drive initiatives forward with speed and quality

At KONE, we are focused on creating an innovative and collaborative working culture where we value the contribution of each individual. Employee engagement is a key focus area for us and we encourage participation and the sharing of information and ideas. Sustainability is an integral part of our culture and the daily practice. We follow ethical business practices and we seek to develop a culture of working together where co-workers trust and respect each other and good performance is recognized. In being a great place to work, we are proud to offer a range of experiences and opportunities that will help you to achieve your career and personal goals and enable you to live a healthy and balanced life.

At KONE, we believe in fair and competitive pay that recognizes performance and supports employee engagement. Our approach covers a comprehensive total rewards package, including both financial and non-financial benefits. We are committed to fostering a culture of fairness, respect, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Read more on https://kone.com/global/en/careers.html