Frequently Asked Questions
Building Capacity with GCO Partners
Whether your organisation needs dedicated professionals embedded within its team or specialist delivery teams to take ownership of defined work, choosing the right operating model comes with important questions.
Here you’ll find answers covering how both models work, performance and quality, engagement structures, compliance, security and more.
Understanding GCO Partners & Our Operating Models
How do I know which operating model is right for my organisation?
The right operating model depends on the capacity challenge your organisation is trying to solve.
GCO Partners Talent-as-a-Service is designed for organisations looking to build medium- to long-term financial capacity through dedicated professionals who become embedded within existing teams, systems and workflows.
GCO Partners Managed Delivery is designed for organisations that need specialist accounting and audit teams to take ownership of defined projects, recurring financial work or additional delivery requirements.
Many organisations can use both models as their needs evolve.
What is Talent-as-a-Service?
Talent-as-a-Service (TaaS) is an operating model that helps organisations build financial capacity without relying solely on traditional hiring.
Rather than supplying external resources, dedicated professionals become embedded members of the client’s team, working within its systems, processes and communication rhythms.
At GCO Partners, the model is built around Source. Integrate. Manage. Professionals are selected for the requirements of the organisation, deliberately integrated into the business and supported through ongoing performance management and professional development
What is Managed Delivery?
Managed Delivery is designed for organisations that need defined accounting or audit work completed without adding the people required to deliver it to their internal teams.
GCO takes responsibility for the agreed scope through specialist delivery teams, led by an experienced Engagement Manager who serves as the client’s primary point of contact.
The model follows Define. Deliver. Review. The work and expected outcomes are defined upfront, delivered through a structured GCO team and internally reviewed at manager level before being returned to the client for final review and sign-off.
Can Talent-as-a-Service and Managed Delivery work together?
Yes. The two models are complementary rather than mutually exclusive.
An organisation may use Talent-as-a-Service to build medium- to long-term capacity within its core team while using Managed Delivery for seasonal peaks, defined projects or work that is more efficiently delivered outside its internal operating structure.
This gives organisations the flexibility to decide not only how much capacity they need, but how that capacity should be delivered.
How does GCO Partners differ from traditional outsourcing?
Traditional outsourcing typically involves transferring a function or defined body of work to an external provider.
GCO offers organisations two distinct ways to build financial capacity. Talent-as-a-Service embeds dedicated professionals directly within client teams, while Managed Delivery allows defined accounting and audit work to be entrusted to specialist GCO delivery teams.
The distinction is not simply where the work happens. It is about choosing the operating model that best fits the work, while maintaining structure, accountability and visibility throughout delivery.
Talent-as-a-Service: How Embedded Teams Work
Who is Talent-as-a-Service best suited for?
Talent-as-a-Service is suited to organisations experiencing growth, increasing delivery pressure or difficulty accessing experienced financial professionals locally.
It is particularly effective for accounting firms, professional services businesses and finance functions that need medium- to long-term capacity while maintaining flexibility, operational control and consistent performance.
How are professionals selected?
Every engagement begins with understanding the organisation’s technical requirements, operating environment and culture.
Professionals are assessed through structured technical evaluations, behavioural interviews and role-specific screening before being matched to a client.
The objective is not simply to identify capable professionals, but to find people with the technical and organisational fit required to contribute successfully over the long term.
How do professionals integrate into our business?
Integration is a fundamental part of Talent-as-a-Service.
Professionals work within the client’s existing systems, workflows, communication platforms and review processes. They participate in team meetings, collaborate with colleagues and become part of day-to-day delivery rather than operating as an external service provider.
GCO supports this through a deliberate, structured integration process from the outset.
How quickly do professionals become productive?
Every organisation is different, but most professionals become fully integrated within approximately two to four weeks.
Structured onboarding, clear expectations and continuous operational support help accelerate integration while maintaining quality throughout the transition.
Who manages performance?
Performance is a shared responsibility between the client organisation and GCO Partners.
The client retains responsibility for work priorities and day-to-day direction, while GCO’s Service Delivery team provides ongoing operational oversight, coaching, regular check-ins and development support.
This creates additional accountability without placing the full performance-management burden on internal leadership.
Why wouldn't we simply build our own remote team?
Many organisations successfully build their own remote teams, particularly where the infrastructure, management capacity and international employment expertise already exist.
The challenge is not simply recruiting remotely. It is building and maintaining the operating environment required for distributed professionals to perform consistently over time.
Talent-as-a-Service provides an established framework covering sourcing, employment, onboarding, integration and ongoing performance support, allowing organisations to build capacity without creating every supporting capability internally.
Managed Delivery: How Defined Work Gets Delivered
What types of work can GCO deliver through Managed Delivery?
Managed Delivery supports defined and recurring work across audit and accounting.
For audit firms, this can include audit working papers, substantive testing, draft financial statements and completion support, with work delivered to sign-off readiness.
Accounting engagements can include full month-end close and general ledger coding, AP ageing reviews and accruals, supplier balance anomaly identification, reporting by supplier, location and ageing, and Quality of Earnings engagements.
The exact scope is defined around the requirements of each engagement.
How does a Managed Delivery engagement work?
Every engagement follows a structured Define. Deliver. Review. process.
Define establishes the scope, deliverables, deadlines, standards and responsibilities before work begins.
Deliver moves the agreed work into a specialist GCO team, where fieldwork is completed, files are prepared and work undergoes internal manager-level review.
Review brings the completed work back to the client at sign-off readiness for final review and approval.
This creates clear ownership throughout the engagement while ensuring the client retains appropriate oversight.
Who manages a Managed Delivery engagement?
Clients work through a dedicated Engagement Manager with professional accounting or audit expertise.
The Engagement Manager acts as the primary point of contact, coordinating the GCO delivery team and providing visibility throughout the engagement.
This allows the client to engage through one accountable relationship rather than having to manage each member of the delivery team individually.
How are Managed Delivery teams structured?
Team structure is determined by the size and complexity of the engagement.
A typical delivery team may include an Engagement Manager, Senior and Junior professional or professionals, allowing work to be allocated at the appropriate level while maintaining experienced oversight.
This structure enables capacity to scale according to the requirements of the work rather than requiring the client to build or manage an equivalent internal team.
How is quality managed before work is delivered?
Quality is built into the delivery process rather than assessed only at the end.
Work completed by the delivery team undergoes internal manager-level review before it is returned to the client. The client then completes the appropriate final review and sign-off according to the nature of the engagement.
This creates multiple levels of oversight while maintaining clear responsibility between GCO and the client.
Where does GCO's responsibility end on a Managed Delivery audit?
GCO performs the agreed audit work and delivers the file to sign-off readiness.
Depending on scope, this can include working papers, substantive testing, draft financial statements, completion support, client liaison and internal manager-level review.
The client retains responsibility for engagement acceptance and onboarding, approval of the audit plan and key judgements, appropriate senior and partner review, the audit opinion and final client communication.
This allows firms to extend audit delivery capacity while retaining the professional oversight and responsibilities that sit with the signing firm.
Does GCO use its own methodology or the client's?
Both approaches are possible.
GCO can deliver through its own methodology aligned with relevant territorial and international standards, or work within a client’s existing methodology, templates and processes where required.
The approach is agreed as part of defining the engagement.
Can Managed Delivery support recurring work as well as individual projects?
Yes.
Managed Delivery can support individual defined engagements, seasonal or peak-period requirements and recurring financial work.
The duration and delivery structure depend on the scope and hours required. Where the requirement is ongoing—such as a recurring accounting function—the engagement can be structured accordingly.
Engagements, Pricing & Flexibility
How does pricing work?
Pricing depends on the operating model and scope required.
Talent-as-a-Service is structured around dedicated embedded professionals and the level of capability required.
Managed Delivery is priced according to the defined work. Audit engagements are scoped according to the size and requirements of the engagement, while recurring Managed Accounting services can operate on a fixed monthly fee.
Pricing is agreed before an engagement begins, giving organisations clarity around the capacity being provided and the associated cost.
Is there a minimum commitment?
It depends on the operating model.
Talent-as-a-Service typically includes an agreed minimum engagement period because successful onboarding and integration require time to create long-term value. The existing model is specifically designed to provide stability while retaining the ability to scale as requirements evolve.
Managed Delivery does not require the same minimum commitment and can be used for an individual defined engagement where appropriate.
Can GCO support both short- and long-term requirements?
Yes.
Talent-as-a-Service is designed primarily for medium- to long-term capacity through professionals embedded within the organisation.
Managed Delivery provides greater flexibility for individual projects, seasonal peaks, recurring work or ongoing defined financial functions.
Together, the two models allow organisations to match the engagement structure to the duration and nature of the capacity requirement.
Can capacity scale up or down as requirements change?
Yes.
Talent-as-a-Service can grow from an individual professional into a larger embedded team as requirements evolve. Many existing clients have followed this approach, with the underlying operating framework remaining consistent as teams expand.
Managed Delivery capacity can similarly adjust according to the volume and scope of work, without requiring the client to directly manage each additional professional involved in delivery.
Can organisations use both operating models at the same time?
Absolutely.
An organisation may use Talent-as-a-Service to provide dedicated capacity for its core finance or audit team while using Managed Delivery for seasonal peaks, specialist projects or smaller engagements that are less efficient to deliver through higher-cost internal resources.
The models can therefore work independently or together as part of a broader capacity strategy.
Quality, Security & Compliance
How does GCO Partners ensure consistent quality?
Quality is built differently into each operating model.
For Talent-as-a-Service, it is supported through structured integration, ongoing Service Delivery, regular performance reviews, continuous development and communication between GCO and the client.
For Managed Delivery, quality is supported through defined scopes, appropriately structured delivery teams and internal manager-level review before work is returned to the client.
In both models, performance is actively supported rather than left to chance.
How is data security managed?
Protecting sensitive client information is fundamental to how GCO operates.
Engagements are supported by disciplined information-security practices designed to safeguard the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data. These include controlled device standards, role-based access permissions, confidentiality agreements, client-specific security protocols and ongoing operational oversight.
Is GCO Partners ISO 27001 certified?
Yes.
GCO Partners is ISO 27001 certified, the internationally recognised standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS).
The certification reflects a systematic, risk-based approach to managing information security and protecting sensitive client data across GCO’s operations.
How does GCO manage employment, payroll and compliance?
For professionals employed through Talent-as-a-Service, GCO manages the relevant employment, payroll and compliance responsibilities, reducing the need for client organisations to navigate local employment requirements themselves.
Where required, GCO can support Employer of Record arrangements, with employment practices aligned to relevant legal and regulatory requirements.
Managed Delivery operates differently: clients engage GCO to deliver an agreed scope of work rather than employing or directly managing individual members of the delivery team.
What happens if an embedded professional isn't the right fit?
For professionals employed through Talent-as-a-Service, GCO manages the relevant employment, payroll and compliance responsibilities, reducing the need for client organisations to navigate local employment requirements themselves.
Where required, GCO can support Employer of Record arrangements, with employment practices aligned to relevant legal and regulatory requirements.
Managed Delivery operates differently: clients engage GCO to deliver an agreed scope of work rather than employing or directly managing individual members of the delivery team.
Why Southern Africa?
Where are GCO's professionals and delivery teams based?
GCO builds financial capability primarily from South Africa and Zimbabwe, with its Johannesburg headquarters providing a collaborative environment for professionals and delivery teams.
Depending on the operating model and client requirements, professionals may work from GCO’s office environment or remotely while remaining supported through GCO’s operational structures.
Why does GCO Partners build financial capability from Southern Africa?
South Africa and Zimbabwe have strong professional-services talent pools, with finance professionals benefiting from internationally recognised qualifications, strong English proficiency and experience supporting global organisations.
For businesses in markets such as the UK and US, Southern Africa also provides useful time-zone alignment, cultural compatibility and access to a mature professional-services ecosystem.
But geography is only part of the equation. GCO combines access to this talent with structured operating models designed to support consistent delivery and long-term performance.
Why choose GCO over traditional offshoring destinations?
Exceptional professionals can be found in many regions around the world.
The more important question is not simply which destination offers the lowest cost, but which operating model provides the right combination of capability, quality, accountability and control.
GCO combines access to African financial professionals with structured integration, performance management and managed delivery. This allows organisations to choose between building embedded capability and entrusting defined work to specialist teams rather than relying on a single traditional offshoring model.
Still Have Questions?
Every organisation has different capacity needs. Whether you’re considering embedded professionals, Managed Delivery or a combination of both, we’ll help you explore the options and identify the operating model that best fits your business.
