Just dropped the highlights from our webinar - talent, risk, and location strategy. Here’s the gist.

Global business services and shared services leaders continue to face complex decisions when it comes to location strategy. As organizations seek to balance cost-efficiency with access to high-value talent and operational resilience, SSON Research & Analytics recently hosted a webinar exploring the latest trends shaping global delivery footprints. Drawing on fresh research and market data, the session shed light on both emerging opportunities and the realities of today’s global location landscape.

A Closer Look at Regional Trends

Despite elevated operating costs, North America and Western Europe remain dominant hubs for high-value services, driven by mature infrastructure and strong talent pools. In the Americas, Mexico leads the charge thanks to its proximity to the U.S. and robust capabilities, while Colombia, Chile, and Costa Rica are gaining traction as emerging delivery centers.

In the Middle East, the UAE continues to be a strategic outpost, balancing high costs with regional access. Yet it’s Egypt that stood out in the research—home to more than 200,000 GBS professionals, it’s an underrated market offering deep language capabilities and cost advantages.

Eastern Europe holds steady as a favorite for multilingual and technical service delivery, with Poland, Hungary, and Romania continuing to attract investment.

In Asia Pacific, established giants like India, Malaysia, and the Philippines maintain their edge, while Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan are drawing attention for their potential to deliver services at lower cost and with untapped talent pools.

Navigating Risk and Market Realities

As organizations recalibrate post-COVID, risk assessment has taken center stage. According to the research:

• Economic inflation and rising costs are the top concern, cited by 31% of respondents
• This is followed by technology adoption challenges (25%) and workforce availability (22%)
• Political risk, while lower on the list (16%), has doubled in importance over the past two years

Interestingly, more than half of respondents (58%) feel confident in their current global footprint, believing it provides a hedge against key risks. The remaining 42% are concerned their current locations may be increasing exposure—especially in the face of geopolitical shifts.

On a positive note, labor markets have largely stabilized, and attrition rates are down globally—a welcome shift after several years of turbulence.

Evolving Location Selection Drivers

While cost savings continues to dominate as the top priority—especially for existing delivery centers—location strategies are becoming more nuanced. Organizations are increasingly weighing agility, risk reduction, and regulatory compliance alongside traditional metrics.

The second most critical factor? Access to skilled, multilingual talent—a reflection of the growing importance of both specialized services and enhanced customer experience. There is also more interest in customer proximity and service excellence as differentiators, particularly for organizations with global customer bases.

This research underscores a new era in location strategy—one that moves beyond cost to embrace resilience, value creation, and access to next-generation skills.

👉 To dive deeper into these insights, watch the on-demand webinar hosted by SSON Research & Analytics: https://www.sson-analytics.com/location-strategy/webinars/shared-services-future-locations-the-next-big-shuffle

Are you plugged into SSON Research & Analytics? If not - ask Josh Matthews for a demo now. Thousands of SSO/GBS practitioners rely on it to guide their decisions.

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