SSON Research & Analytics' World's Best Global Business Services 2025

SSON Research & Analytics is pleased to announce the 2025 World's Best GBS Award Application is open for application to GBS organizations. The survey 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 answers online via this surveymonkey form. (If you would like a PDF copy to go through the questions beforehand, you can download that separately here)

This application closes on January 24 2025, with no extensions.

Please note: this submission must be made in the name of a GBS leader. For those GBS that make the World's Best GBS Award shortlist, we will be following up with a 30 minute call with the GBS leader, so it is important that they have signed off on the application, and have verified the content.

By participating in the GBS study, you are consenting to have your organization’s data shared in aggregated format. In the event your organization becomes a finalist or winner of the World's Best GBS Award, you consent to your company’s name being used in promotion of the awards.

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

1.Company Name

2.Name of GBS

3.This application is submitted in the name of your GBS leader. Please ensure the GBS leader has reviewed the answers before submission and that all answers are correct and final.

Name of Leader:

Email Address:

4.Which industry/sector best describes your organization?

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

6.When was your GBS set up?

<3 years

3-5 years

6-10 years

>10 years

I. SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL & STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT

7.What best reflects your service delivery model?

Delivering services to a single country (single function)

Delivering services to a single country (multiple functions)

Delivering services to multiple countries (single function)

Delivering services to multiple countries (multiple functions)

10.Are your GBS services mandated?

Yes

Some are and some are not

11.Is yours a landlord model (functions own the output) or a fully integrated model (GBS owns the output) or both?

Landlord

Fully integrated

Combination of both

12.What best defines your sourcing model?

Mainly inhouse (captive model)

Hybrid but mainly captive (selective outsourcing)

Hybrid but mainly outsourced

Mainly outsourced (third party provider/BPO)

13.Do you have a single GBS leader?

Yes

16.How is your GBS impacting Revenue, Margin, and Cash? For EACH of these core business results please list & explain your top drivers for delivering improvements – and quantify the impact over the last financial year. Define the metric used to calculate this value. Please write 1 paragraph each.

17.Please share specific, measurable impacts GBS has had on financial returns, improvements in customer satisfaction, productivity, market growth, ability to integrate acquisitions, etc. (i.e., traceable performance impact that matters to your board). Please list the actual metrics (including definitions and values) for each of the above listed topics. (It is fine to repeat information from previous answers.)

18.List GBS’s top three strategic achievements of the past five years (please list 3 and outline what was achieved – please write at minimum 1 paragraph on each).

19.What strategic and tactical key indicators do you use in GBS? Please list three, including definitions/descriptions, as well as the values/levels you have achieved.

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

Yes (please explain)

21.What was your biggest achievement in the category covered above (Service Delivery/Strategic Alignment) over the last 12 months/past calendar year. Explain in at least 3 paragraphs the major changes/initiatives and the results/benefits.

II. MODEL'S EVOLUTION IN MATURITY & SCOPE

24.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)

Low

Medium

High

Expert

25.How many captive GBS centers do you have globally?

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

Countries

Cities

27.What proportion of your overall service delivery/operational output (i.e., your overall workload) does your captive GBS make up (compared to outsourcing)?

<20%

20%<40%

40%<80%

>=80%

28.What percentage of GBS staff sit locally/are co-located with the Business Units (but still report to the GBS, with maybe dotted line to business head)? Please comment on this resource decision.

29.How many outsourced GBS centers do you have globally?

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

Countries

Cities

33.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)

Low

Medium

High

Expert

35.If you use Net Promoter Score (NPS) what score are you achieving?
This metric measures the customer’s satisfaction with the GBS. The NPS measures on a scale of 0-10 the extent to which customers would recommend the 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

36.Which metrics other than NPS do you use to measure customer satisfaction / customer view? List the metrics and the measures.

38.What was your biggest achievement in the category covered above (Model Evolution/Scope) over the last 12 months/past calendar year. Explain in at least 3 paragraphs the major changes/initiatives and the results/benefits.

III. ADOPTION & IMPACT OF AUTOMATION

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

None/Low (Automation Scale=0-25%)

Medium (=26-50%)

High (=51-75%)

Expert (>75%)

40.What percentage of your successful automation is OWNED by either your Captive Operations or the BPO (i.e., who drives the innovation/owns the IP)? (mark % captive vs % BPO; if you do not outsource, the option is 100% captive vs 0% BPO. Choose best option)

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

Low (Employees are equipped with essential digital skills i.e. email and instant messaging, word processing, social media for business, web-based research and problem solving. Big gap in advanced digital skills)

Medium (Only some employees are trained and equipped with advanced digital skills.)

High (Most employees are trained and equipped with advanced digital skills for their roles. i.e. UX design, data visualization, coding, programming, web, app development, SEO, SEM, content creation, data analysis. Training still required for some employees)

Expert (All employees are equipped and trained on advanced digital skills for their roles)

43.Which Intelligent Automation projects (not including GenAI - see below) 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. The answer should be detailed and comprehensive (a few paragraphs).

44.This is a continuation of the previous question. Describe the main benefits received from these Intelligent Automation projects (excluding GenAI) 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”.

45.Which Generative Artificial Intelligence projects have you applied to drive digital transformation in your GBS? Please list examples, explain which tools you use, list number of projects completed, and describe the benefits. The answer should be detailed and comprehensive (a few paragraphs).

46.Savings gained in average FTE hours per month for highest performing automated process (over the past 12 months).
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.

47.Average cost savings per year (USD) for highest performing automated process (over the past 12 months).
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.

48.Improvement in error rate (%) for highest performing automated process (over the past 12 months).
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.

49.How does your GBS support digital transformation in your organization? Explain by providing several concrete, tactical examples (e.g., with reference to the tools used in your digital ecosystem (question above) - for example: to strengthen operations, accelerate go to market, improve innovation, etc. Please explain with at least a paragraph for each example.

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

51.What was your biggest achievement in the category covered above (Automation) over the last 12 months/past calendar year. Explain in at least 3 paragraphs the major changes/initiatives and the results/benefits.

IV. RETENTION & SKILLING OF TALENT

52.What is your GBS talent management strategy? Please explain with reference to a) attraction, b) retention, c) development of talent and d) career progression both within GBS as well as integration with enterprise functions. How is this supported and encouraged? Please describe with at least a paragraph on each aspect and prove it with at least one KPI (plus value) for each category.

53.What best defines your GBS?

Yes

GBS is seen as a hub for talent and capability for the enterprise, to get specialized talent/capabilities into the business

Yes

GBS is seen as a destination for enterprise talent

Yes

54.Please comment on your answers above - e.g., offer examples, percentages of FTEs that move from GBS into the rest of the business and/or vice versa, etc.

55.Please describe what you are doing to create an exceptional workplace environment where people would like to work– e.g., flexible work hours/workplaces, cafeteria, childcare (subsidy), gym (subsidy), transportation (subsidy), mentoring, training, legal support, relocation support, community outreach, etc. Please take your time to outline what you are doing to ensure your GBS is a desirable place to work.

56.How do you maintain being an attractive employer for new joiners (i.e., benefits, purpose, flexible work arrangements) while assuring cultural integrity and business performance? Please share specifics on various programs/initiatives, e.g., in office requirements, keeping staff engaged, etc.

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

Low (do not have the majority of the required skills)

Medium (pockets of required skills/capabilities available)

High (most/all required skills/capabilities are available)

Expert (employees independent, self-equipped, do not need much guidance or management)

58.Based on your answer above, what actions are you taking to retain/improve your employees' skills and capabilities?

60.What strategies are you applying to improve/maintain your female leadership representation? Please describe in detail the initiatives, who runs/sponsors this initiative, impacts to date – and how the results are actioned.

61.How do you measure the “softer” elements of your GBS leadership team, for example their ability to drive engagement, retention, development, succession planning, etc.?

62.Do you have budget allocated for training and other Learning & Development activities?

Yes

63.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 1,000 FTEs then normalize to 1,000 (e.g. if you have 500 FTES, then double the amount).

64.Do you have a FTE hours target allocated for training and other Learning & Development activities per employee?

Yes

No, but we provide free voluntary trainings through our internal learning platforms

No, but we provide free trainings through our internal learning platforms, some of which are mandatory

69.What is the main driver behind your involuntary attrition?

Cost driven

Employee Performance driven

Restructuring

Other (please specify)

71.What was your biggest achievement in the category covered above (Talent) over the last 12 months/past calendar year. Explain in at least 3 paragraphs the major changes/initiatives and the results/benefits.

SSON Research & Analytics' World's Best Global Business Services 2025 - Application Form