GBS as the Engine for Digital Transformation

This survey analyzes the extent to which GBS have leveraged automation, and how they are supporting enterprise digital transformation. It should take no more than 15 minutes and you will receive a copy of the final report.

As a thanks for supporting this research you will be offered a free SSON Analytics Data Report featuring "Workforce Strategies and GBS" (valued at US$500) at the end of the survey.

Question Title

* 1. Do you operate Global Business Services (GBS)? [choose one answer]

Yes

Not yet but planning to, within the next 3 years

Question Title

* 2. Which of the following characteristics apply to your GBS? [choose all that apply]

Global Process Owners (GPOs) organization in place

One or more processes cover end-to-end value chain

Optimizing end-to-end processes globally

Multi-tower (multi-Function) organization

Scope extension towards non-transactional, value-add activities

Operates as strategic entity in wider enterprise context

Global geographic footprint

Key role in enterprise digitization strategy

Talent incubator for the organization

Adopting new “digital services” is a key strategy / objective

Customer-focused

Globally integrated business services and solutions

Supported by consolidated, integrated and innovative digital technologies

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 3. How 'disrupted' is the industry you are operating in? [rate from least to highly disrupted]

not at all disrupted

moderately disrupted

highly disrupted

not at all disrupted

moderately disrupted

highly disrupted

Question Title

* 4. Which current trends are causing the most disruption for your enterprise? [choose all that apply]

Pandemic / health concerns

Digitization

Cost pressure

Currency fluctuations

Economic growth / retrenching in certain regions or countries

Supply chain disruption (e.g. COVID-19 virus)

Global Warming / Sustainability

Geo-political instability

Competition from alternative, innovative start-ups

Protectionism / Trade war

Brexit

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 5. What are your ENTERPRISE's top strategic priorities? [choose top 5 answers]

Cutting operating costs

Investing more in emerging technology (e.g., RPA, AI, Machine Learning)

Optimizing processes / functions to exploit automation opportunities

Redesigning / re-engineering core business processes

Optimizing global service delivery channels (e.g., digital GBS)

Recruiting / retaining global talent

Expanding / delivering new products & services into the market; increasing / improving R&D

Expanding global markets / sales

Improving global governance / reducing global risk

Extension of product and service lines

Optimizing global supply chains

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 6. What are your GBS’s current core strengths? [choose top 5 answers]

Talent

Process ownership

Technology / automation

Change management

Center of Expertise (CoE)

Customer Service / meeting SLAs

Customer Experience

Cost efficiency

Governance & control

Risk management

End-to-end process management

Continuous improvement

Data analytics

Scaling automation / advancing new cognitive / AI solutions

Global presence

Digitization

Innovation

Leadership

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 7. Over the next 3 years, what are your top objectives and priorities within GBS? (choose top 3 choices)

E2E process governance

Functional scope extension / move to value-add activities

Geographical expansion

Digitization of GBS operations / Investing in emerging technologies

Mandate for company-wide digital transformation

Improving talent base

Reducing operational cost

Supporting mergers & acquisitions

Adopting a more 'virtual' services delivery model

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 8. What are your GBS’ priorities to drive future value-add for customers? [choose top 3 answers]

Improved customer-centricity / personalization / experience

Upskilled talent (knowledge, data, automation)

Improved operational data analytics

Improved business data analytics/ big data hub

Leveraging a Center of Expertise

Improved integration across silos and systems (e.g. GPOs)

Implementing / scaling automation, AI & cognitive solutions

Expansion to more business units / geographies

Other

Question Title

* 9. To what extent is GBS involved in ENTERPRISE digital transformation? [choose one answer]

GBS is the driver of enterprise transformation programs: initiates and executes

GBS is consistently supporting transformation programs that are initiated elsewhere

GBS is sometimes involved in supporting transformation programs that are initiated elsewhere

GBS is currently not involved in supporting transformation programs

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 10. What would help GBS gain the mandate for ENTERPRISE digital transformation? [choose one answer]

Ownership of Intelligent Automation budget / strategy

Ownership of enterprise people skills and capabilities

Ownership of enterprise data hub

Ownership of Center of Expertise (CoE)

A seat on the business transformation board / enterprise board

Strong GPO organization / control over E2E process chains

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 11. From an ENTERPRISE digital transformation perspective, how effective would it be if GBS became a centralized technology hub / IT ecosystem manager / data owner? [choose one answer]

Yes, highly effective

Yes, somewhat effective

No, not significant

Please comment, why:

Question Title

* 12. What has GBS achieved to date in terms of ENTERPRISE digital transformation?

Question Title

* 13. Is your GBS ‘digitized’? Please indicate which of the following apply: [choose top 5 answers]

GBS is shifting towards process automation as a priority

Technology is creating new service opportunities

Technology is creating new intimacy with customers and supply chain partners

Technology is driving new innovations that could not be achieved conventionally

Technology is supporting / enabling the monetization of data

E2E workflow applications streamline the process & redistribute accountabilities between customers and GBS

Process Mining captures SLA / OLA misses

Technology provides deep data insights (e.g., customer profitability, cashflows)

New policies / procedures/ reengineered processes, based on large volumes of historic data

GBS is developing a digital ecosystem based on innovative start-up technologies

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 14. What is preventing / slowing GBS from becoming more digitized? [choose top 3 answers]

Skills gaps

Digitization not considered a priority yet / no leadership support

Technology gap (e.g., budget issues)

Limited success in automation implementation / scaling (i.e., facing hurdles)

Limited access to data / data strategy / formatting data

Slow progress in implementing cognitive solutions (ML, AI)

Slow to integrate technology / systems across silos

Processes not sufficiently standardized

Fragmented ERP landscape

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 15. What issues within your GBS organization would you expect technology to solve? [choose top 3 answers]

Resource / workforce shortage

Operational performance issues

Lack of process standardization

High operational cost

Poor data quality

Gaps in analytical insights

Low organizational agility / resilience

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 16. Which emerging technologies have you implemented in GBS? [choose all that apply]

Robotic Process Automation

Artificial Intelligence / Expert Systems

Machine Learning

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Voice-to Text / Text-to-Voice

Language Translation Tools

Chatbots

Machine Vision / OCR

Process Mining / Process Discovery

Advanced Analytics

Cloud Computing

Internet of Things

Blockchain

Please comment...

Question Title

* 17. What has been the ‘starting point’ for technology in support of GBS digitization? [choose one answer]

Accounts Payable / Purchase-to-Pay process automation

Machine Vision/ OCR for data formatting

HR process automation and analytics

Process Mining / Process Discovery

Natural Language Processing for customer service

Chatbots for customer experience

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 18. What has been the most successful technology driving GBS digitization to date? Why? [please share results]

Question Title

* 19. Will the impact of COVID-19 and any subsequent downturn accelerate the adoption of automation technologies?

Yes

Question Title

* 20. What defines your ‘workforce’ strategy? [choose top 3 answers]

Retain and retrain for higher-level / value-add skills

Adopt process automation to reduce reliance on human labor (reduce transactional staff)

Adopt ML / Cognitive-type solutions to drive more value from skilled labor

Apply Future of Work principles (e.g., gig workers)

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 21. What defines your ‘process’ strategy? [choose top 3 answers]

Supported by GPO model / governance

Managed end-to-end

Expanding scope of processes serviced

Functionally aligned

Adopt digitization (e.g., for touchless, fully-automated processes)

Manage process efficiency via KPIs / continuous improvement

Develop Center of Expertise model as process overlay

Leverage value-add process steps for business insights

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 22. What defines your ‘technology’ strategy? [choose top 3 answers]

Shifting towards a cloud environment

Moving towards a digital ecosystem by optimizing a mix of ERP, best of breed & new technologies

Leveraging one ERP instance as a standard for all business units

Focusing on ERP consolidation

Connecting ERPs and other systems with middleware

Contracting with third parties for needed system capability (e.g., Blockchain, AI, etc.)

Encouraging the business to experiment with emerging technologies / start-ups

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 23. To what extent is digitization shifting your GBS operating model? [choose the best fit]

Radically reducing manual / transactional staff and increase in skilled staff

Optimizing and reducing highly paper-based processes

Migration to cloud and cloud solutions

Reengineering processes

Rethinking location strategy

Tending towards a knowledge-based model

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 24. What consideration drives your location strategy? [choose the single best option]

Seeking specific skills – building out regional / local centers

Cost / wage inflation driving re-location into lower cost areas

Still mainly GBS centers in core regions with high standardization

Emphasis on hub and spoke – spokes providing customization

Shift to ‘virtual’ and digitized GBS (location becomes less important)

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 25. What role does outsourcing play? [choose one answer]

We do not outsource

We mainly outsource

We are hybrid – outsource across a broad range of operations

We are hybrid – outsource for limited and specific scope

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 26. Is your outsourcing strategy successful, overall?

Yes

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 27. How might the increased digitization of GBS impact your outsourcing strategy? [choose best fit answer option]

We will increase outsourcing as we reduce inhouse services / leverage external specialist resources

We will reduce outsourcing as digital / automated services can take on much of this work

We are focused on developing an inhouse technical ecosystem that will do away with the need to outsource completely

No change / we have not yet considered the impact

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 28. Do you currently operate / work with a Center of Excellence (CoE)?

Yes

Not yet but planned within the next 3 years

Please list how many CoEs? [and feel free to comment on what differentiates them]

Question Title

* 29. Where does this CoE sit? (choose all that apply, if you have >1 CoE)

in GBS

in IT

in Corporate Center / Business Transformation team

in the business

in the Function

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 30. What impact do you believe COVID-19 will have on your company’s global service delivery operations? (choose top 3 answers)

No long-term impact; we will deal with the current implications and then revert to business as usual

We will retain our model but move some work back onshore

We will retain our model but move more work to nearshore locations (i.e., shift away from offshore reliance on Asia)

We will more aggressively design and implement Future of Work concepts

We will rethink our outsourcing strategy and outsource MORE

We will rethink our outsourcing strategy and outsource LESS

We will rethink what is transactional work and what should remain with the business

We will accelerate our automation initiatives to reduce our dependency on physical locations / humans

We will rethink our global service delivery model

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 31. What impact do you believe COVID-19 will have on global business services delivery models? [choose one answer]

No change

GBS as a business services model will become more important

GBS model will retrench and certain work will move back to the business / be centralized

GBS models will need to become increasingly digitized

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 32. How is digitization impacting GBS skill requirements? [choose best option]

No change so far

Existing skill profiles are still key, some additional profiles are required

Dramatic skill profile changes – we are addressing

Dramatic skill profile changes – we are not yet addressing

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 33. If you are experiencing skill gaps, in what areas particularly? [choose top 5 answers]

Process expertise

Business know-how / customer centricity

Technical expertise

Automation (RPA/ ML / AI)

Languages

Communication

Relationship management

Data analytics

Leadership

Collaboration

Solution focus

Systems integration

Project management

Reporting (e.g., Tableau)

Innovation / problem solving

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 34. What is your current role in the GBS organization? [choose one]

Executive Management

Middle Management / Director

Manager / Advisor

Staff

Question Title

* 35. What industry does your company operate in? [drop down list]

Question Title

* 36. In which regions does your company operate? [check all that apply]

Central and Eastern Europe

Western Europe

North America

Asia

Australia and New Zealand

Latin America/Caribbean

Middle East & Africa

Question Title

* 37. How many GBS centers do you run globally?

1-3

4-5

Question Title

* 38. Where are these centers based? [check all that apply]

Central and Eastern Europe

Western Europe

North America

Asia

Australia and New Zealand

Latin America/Caribbean

Middle East & Africa

Question Title

* 39. What is your current functional scope of work? [choose all that apply]

Finance/Accounting

Procurement

Sales & Marketing

Facility Management

Customer Care

Master Data

Legal

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 40. What is your current E2E scope of work? [choose all that apply]

P2P

OtC

RtR

HtR

Other (please specify)