SSON Research & Analytics is launching its inaugural World's Best Global Business Services (GBS) Study & Award to identify a truly outstanding GBS - one that reflects the innovative and forward-looking policies enshrined in the model, and delivers clear value-add beyond process efficiencies. 

The study focuses on four key areas:
I.   Service Delivery Model & Strategic Alignment
II.  Model's Evolution in Maturity & Scope
III. Adoption and Impact of Automation
IV. Retention and Skilling of Talent
 
Please complete all questions and submit your application online via this surveymonkey form. If you would like a PDF copy to go through the questions beforehand, please download here. 
 
Please note: this submission must be made in the name of the GBS leader. For those GBS that make the shortlist, we will be following up with a 20-30 minute call with the GBS leader, so it is important that they have signed off on the application, and have verified the content.

You can save your responses by scrolling down and clicking "Next" at the end of the questions. To return to edit/complete your responses, please use the same survey link (Only applicable if you use the same device and web browser. Do not clear your cookies).
ABOUT YOUR GBS

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* 1. Company Name 

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* 2. Name of GBS

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* 3. This application is submitted in the name of your GBS leader. Please ensure the GBS leader has reviewed the answers before submission.

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* 4. Which industry/sector best describes your organization?

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* 5. What best approximates the size of your organization in terms of revenue?

I. SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL & STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT

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* 6. What type of GBS are you?

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* 7. What best defines your sourcing model?

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* 8. Do you have a single GBS leader?

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* 9. Which of these governance elements/bodies/roles does your GBS have? (Select all that apply)

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* 10. How is your GBS impacting Margin, Revenue, and Cash? Please list & explain your top drivers for delivering improvements on these core business results – and quantify the impact over the last financial year.

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* 11. Please share specific, measurable impacts GBS has had on financial returns, improvements in customer satisfaction, productivity, market growth, ability to integrate acquisitions, etc. (traceable performance impact that matters to your board). Please list the actual metric.

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* 12. List GBS’s top strategic achievements of the past five years (max 3).

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* 13. What strategic and tactical key indicators do you use in GBS? List up to 3 indicators, include definitions/descriptions, and list values if available.

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* 14. Does your GBS measure/manage Total Working Capital/Cash? If yes, please explain briefly how, and list values/results.

II. MODEL'S EVOLUTION IN MATURITY & SCOPE

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* 15. What do you perceive to be your overall GBS maturity level?
(This should reflect your overall ‘maturity,’ taking into account sourcing model, scope, automation, strategic alignment & talent; if followed up, you should be able to explain in detail why)

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* 16. How many captive GBS centers do you have globally?

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* 17. Please list locations of these captive GBS centers (Country & City).
If you do not have captive centers, please indicate N/A.

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* 18. How many outsourced GBS centers do you have globally?

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* 19. Please list locations of these outsourced GBS centers (Country & City).
If you do not have outsourced centers, please indicate N/A

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* 20. What is the total number of FTEs in all your captive GBS locations?

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* 21. What is the total number of FTEs in all your outsourced GBS locations?

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* 22. What do you perceive to be your PROCESS maturity level?
(This should reflect overall ‘process maturity,’ taking into account scope, efficiency, automation, cost, experience, and E2E; if followed up, you should be able to explain in detail why)

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* 23. Which of these services/processes/topics do you have in your GBS scope?
For those within scope, to what extent are they automated? (Please select low, medium, high or expert)

  Not in scope Yes, within GBS scope None/Low (Automation Scale=0-25%) Medium (=26-50%) High (=51-75%) Expert (>=75%)
Hire-to-Retire / Reward-to-Retire
Benefits Administration
Time-to-Pay / Payroll
Talent Management (Strategic Workforce Planning, Recruiting and Staffing, Workforce Development, L&D, Onboarding)
Purchase-to-Pay / Procure to Pay
Order-to-Cash / Customer to Cash
Record-to Report / Account to Report
Tax Support / Admin
Plan-to-Result (Strategic Planning, Annual Opex/Capex Budgeting, Forecasting, BPM Reporting, Business Analysis, FP&A)
Indirect Procurement
Direct Procurement
Supply Chain (Planning: SCM, DM, IM, S&OP, Plan Supply, Plan Distribution)
Supply Chain (Manufacturing: M. Strategy, Prod. And Resource Scheduling, Prod. Management, Maintenance Management, QM)
Supply Chain (Delivery, Logistics: Logistics strategy, Inbound/Outbound, Warehousing, Reverse logistics, Trade Compliance)
IT Opportunity-to-Proposal
Information Technology (other IT processes)
Technology related (e.g. RPA, Digitization teams, Intelligent Automation)
Master Data Management
Data Analytics / Business Analytics
R&D
Customer Center (call center) processes (Front-office support)
Real Estate & Facilities Management
Legal
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG)
Health & Safety
Sales
Marketing
Corporate Communications
Industry/sector specific processes
Stock / Shares Management
Engineering Services
Document Management
Shop Floor Planning
Fleet Management
Creative / Design Services
Content Management
Events Management
Labs

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* 24. Net Promoter Score (NPS)
This metric measures the customer’s satisfaction with the GBS. The NPS measures on a scale of 0 to 10 the extent to which customers would recommend their GBS to others.

Customers will then, according to this score, be divided into three categories:
a) 0-6: Detractors
b) 7-8: Passives
c) 9-10: Promoters

NPS= (No. of Promoters - No. of Detractors)/Total No. of respondents x 100

III. ADOPTION & IMPACT OF AUTOMATION

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* 25. What do you perceive to be your overall GBS automation level?

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* 26. What percentage of automation success derives from your captive operations vs your BPO partnerships? (% captive vs % BPO; if you do not outsource, the option is 100% captive vs 0% BPO)

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* 27. What does your GBS digital ecosystem entail? (select all that apply)

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* 28. What is the level of digital skills that you have in your organization?

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* 29. How many RPA bots have you deployed?

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* 30. Which Intelligent Automation projects (i.e. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and other advanced technologies) have you applied to drive digital transformation in your GBS? Please list examples (e.g. “automated reporting”, “chat functionality across 3 functions”…), explain which tools you use, and list number of projects completed

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* 31. This is a continuation of the previous question. Describe the main benefits received from these Intelligent Automation projects (either per project, in general, or in sum, e.g. “saved 3 FTEs through reporting automation”, “chat saves time for users and increased user acceptance”)

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* 32. Savings gained in average FTE hours per month for highest performing automated process
This metric provides a comparison of the best automation technology projects across organizations. It measures the savings gained in average FTE hours per month for the highest performing automated process.

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* 33. Average cost savings per year (USD) for highest performing automated process
This metric provides a comparison of the best automation technology projects across organizations. It measures the average cost savings (per year, or shorter if project ended earlier) for the highest performing automated process (USD, achieved or estimated). The magnitude of the savings is an indication of absolute improvement potentials. If estimates are used they should be very probable.

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* 34. Improvement in error rate (%) for highest performing automated process
This metric provides a comparison of the best automation technology projects across organizations. It measures the percentage improvement in error rate for the highest performing automated process.

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* 35. How does your GBS support digital transformation in your organization? Explain by providing concrete tactical examples.

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* 36. Explain very briefly the relationship between IT and GBS in your organization.

IV. RETENTION & SKILLING OF TALENT

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* 37. What do you perceive to be the overall capabilities/skill level (depth & breadth) of your GBS employees?

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* 38. Do you have budget allocated for training and other L&D activities?

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* 39. If yes, what is the average annual training budget allocated for a 1,000 FTE GBS organization (USD)? If you have more or less than 1000 FTEs then normalize to 1000 (e.g. if you have 500 FTES, the double the amount).

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* 40. Do you have a FTE hours target allocated for training and other L&D activities per employee?

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* 41. If yes, please provide training and L&D activities target per employee in FTE hours/year:

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* 42. For the various initiatives/topics listed below, please select programs/permanent structures that are in place in your GBS

  Team/Role (Specific responsibilities i.e. Chief of Diversity) Ongoing structures/programs Dedicated budgets Technology/Tool supporting the initiative Agreements with external parties supporting the initiative N/A
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Environmental
How a company safeguards the environment, including corporate policies addressing climate change for e.g.
Social
How a company managed relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates
Governance
How a company is led and managed. Deals with a company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights

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* 43. Is GBS seen as a hub for talent and capability for the enterprise? i.e., does the enterprise look to GBS to get specialized talent & capabilities into the business?

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* 44. Annual attrition rate (overall GBS, comprehensive)
This metric refers to the number of employees who externally separate from the GBS on an annual basis. It calculates the overall attrition of the GBS and includes voluntary and involuntary attrition.

Excludes a) internal transfers within the GBS, b) employees who are on military service, pregnancy leave etc.

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* 45. Annual attrition rate (Overall GBS, Involuntary only)
This metric refers to the number of employees who involuntarily separate from the GBS on an annual basis. This metric contributes to the overall attrition of the GBS.

Excludes a) internal transfers within the GBS, b) employees who are on military service, pregnancy leave etc.

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* 46. What is the main driver behind your involuntary attrition?

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* 47. Annual attrition rate (Overall GBS, Voluntary only)
This metric refers to the number of employees who voluntarily separate from the GBS on an annual basis. This metric contributes to the overall attrition of the GBS.

Excludes a) internal transfers within the GBS, b) employees who are on military service, pregnancy leave etc.

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* 48. Percentage of employees with formal training and development plan
This metric indicates successful skill development and retention within the organization. It calculates the percentage of GBS employees who have formal training & development plan in place as compared to the total GBS headcount. All plans are included regardless of the setup process (supported, self-service etc).

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