August Newsletter

Agentic AI is on the rise, but the real advantage comes when it’s paired with the right talent. This month’s insights reveal how leading GBS teams are aligning people and technology to drive meaningful results.

🌟 Spotlight: Agentic AI in GBS: From Promise to Performance 

There’s a clear gap between familiarity and action: just 16% of GBS leaders say they deeply understand Agentic AI, yet nearly half are already moving into deployment. 

SSON Research & Analytics’ latest survey reveals the speed of adoption—and the risk of falling behind. Join us to explore how this next wave of AI is reshaping GBS —and how leading organizations are putting it to work. 

🔍 Webinar: Agentic AI in GBS 

📊 Data Dive: Captive, Outsourced or Hybrid? Here’s the Breakdown 

Our new GBS+ Metrics reveal how today’s top-performing GBS organizations structure their sourcing models: 

• 67% maintain a hybrid but mainly captive model (selective outsourcing) 
• 27% are mainly inhouse (captive model) 
• 7% are mainly outsourced (third party provider/BPO) 

👥 How to Drive an Effective Talent Strategy for Shared Services 

Despite the hype around AI taking over work, performance in Shared Services is still driven by people, not just process or technology. This new report explores the evolving skills landscape and what it takes to build a future-ready workforce - covering Gen Z expectations, digital capabilities, and practical strategies for talent attraction and retention. 

🔍 Explore the full report here.  

🗓️ Shared Services & GBS Digital Summit | September 23–24 

Our premier digital summit brings together 20+ GBS leaders from companies including McDonald’s, BD, Carrier, Iron Mountain, and more to share real-world case studies and practical strategies. Discover how they’re: 

• Embedding Agentic AI at scale 
• Closing the skills gap with next-gen talent 
• Shifting location strategies from low-cost labor to digital talent hubs 

🔍 Register your seat now! 

💡 Pro Insight 

"Clear, service-centric accountability accelerates value creation.”  

— Tony Saldanha, Cofounder Inixia, Previously VP GBS, P&G 

🔍 Read Tony’s Full POV: Service Management as the #1 Differentiator for Global Business Services. Want to go deeper? Enquire here for details on the GBS Certification Program, including the Service Management module.

🧠 The Skills Gaps That Could Stall Your GBS Strategy 

What’s holding GBS teams back? According to our latest insights, problem solving is the #1 capability gap organizations are urgently trying to close —followed closely by digital fluency, data and analytics, and adaptability. 

🔍 Download the slide deck from your Presentation Essentials. 

🗓️ What’s Happening This Month  

• [Live Webinar] Agentic AI in GBS: From Promise to Performance  – August 14th at 11:00 AM EST  
• [GBS Certification Fall Cohort] Only a few seats left — and R&A subscribers enjoy a discount off the Masters Program.
•  [Advisory Focus]: Information Technology & Analytics. Understand how your technology ecosystem stacks up by evaluating adoption trends across GBS, assessing the real impact of RPA, AI, and GenAI, and exploring how advanced analytics - from descriptive to prescriptive—can be better leveraged to drive insight and action. Contact us today to book time with an expert advisor.

Until Next Time!

Naomi Secor

Global Managing Director

SSON Research & Analytics