June Newsletter

Editor's Note
 
The conversation around GBS continues to evolve. Efficiency remains important, but it is no longer enough on its own. Across our research, benchmarks, and conversations with business services executives, leading organizations are being measured on a broader set of outcomes including growth, margin improvement, working capital performance, and enterprise impact. 

The challenge is that expectations are rising at the same time that operating environments are becoming more complex. Location strategies are shifting. Process ownership remains fragmented. AI adoption is accelerating. The question is no longer whether change is happening, but how organizations can position themselves to create measurable value from it. 

Where Organizations Are Placing Their Bets  

Location strategy remains one of the most consequential decisions organizations make, influencing talent access, scalability, cost structures, and long-term resilience. 

Our Annual Location Survey is live and explores the factors driving location decisions across the market, providing year-over-year comparisons and insight into how organizations are adapting to changing conditions. 
 
Take the Location Survey

The Ownership Gap 

One of the biggest barriers to transformation is not technology, but accountability. SSON Research & Analytics data shows that 82% of organizations report that their reporting structure supports GBS influence on strategic decisions, highlighting the growing expectation that GBS play a larger role in enterprise transformation. 

As GBS organizations take on greater responsibility for enterprise outcomes, many are still operating in environments where ownership of the underlying processes remains fragmented. Our latest report, How GBS Can Win a Transformation It Doesn't Fully Control, examines how organizations are addressing this challenge through stronger process ownership, governance, cultural alignment, and the effective application of AI. 

Download the Report 

How Leading GBS Organizations Are Breaking Away

The latest World's Best GBS research reveals a growing divide between top-performing organizations and the rest of the market.
 
While many GBS organizations continue to focus primarily on cost reduction and service delivery, the highest-ranked performers are expanding their influence into areas traditionally owned by the business. They are more likely to be involved in growth initiatives, margin improvement, working capital optimization, and enterprise decision-making.

The result is a broader mandate, greater influence over enterprise priorities, and a seat at the decision-making table.
 
Subscribers can explore the complete findings through the World's Best GBS Visual Analytics Workbook, covering service delivery, operating model evolution, automation, enabling factors, and talent management.
 
View the Visual Analytics Workbook 

From Service Delivery to Enterprise Impact  

One organization bringing this shift to life is Welspun GBS, a finalist in this year's World's Best GBS study. 

By embedding digital capability directly into enterprise operations, Welspun has generated approximately USD 9 million in enterprise value while processing more than 6.7 million transactions at 99.98% accuracy. Their experience demonstrates how GBS can become a direct contributor to enterprise performance rather than simply a support function.
  
Welspun will be featured alongside leaders from Aptiv, Philip Morris, Ingram Micro, Swissport, Coty, Johnson & Johnson, and others at the upcoming GBS Digital Summit.
 
Grounded in SSON Research & Analytics benchmarks and market data, the event explores the evolution of AI, operating models, process transformation, talent strategy, orchestration, and enterprise value creation.
 
Register for the GBS Digital Summit 

Measure What Matters 

Understanding how top performers operate is valuable. Understanding where you stand against them is even more powerful.
 
The GBS Value Check has been updated with the latest 2026 World's Best GBS benchmarks, providing a fast way to compare your organization against leading practices and identify opportunities for improvement. 

Take the GBS Value Check 

What Does a Modern GBS Organization Look Like?

Our new guide reflects the most common structures observed across mature GBS organizations, providing a practical view of how roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines evolve as organizations scale.
  
View the GBS Organization Structure  

Celebrating 10 Years of the Top 20 Most Admired SSOs in the World

Applications are now open for the 2026 Top 20 Most Admired SSO/GBS Benchmarking Study.
 
Now in its tenth year, the study recognizes organizations that consistently deliver exceptional performance across core operational and functional benchmarks while serving as reference points for the broader industry. Participants receive valuable benchmarking insight while helping define what excellence looks like across the global SSO and GBS community.
 
Learn More About Participating

How Are We Doing?

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Whether you use our research, data tools, benchmarks, advisory services, or events, your feedback helps shape what we develop next.

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Until next time, 

Naomi Secor 
Global Managing Director 
SSON Research & Analytics