This perspective focuses on why GBS must adopt intelligent automation (IA) to remain relevant and competitive. The integration of IA technologies will empower GBS to deliver transformative outcomes, positioning it as a critical driver of organizational success in an increasingly complex and uncertain world.

Technological advancements, global disruptions and shifting market dynamics are major drivers of today's changing business environment. Global Business Services (GBS) must evolve beyond its traditional role as a cost center and become a strategic enabler of agility, resilience and innovation. Intelligent automation (IA) technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation (RPA) and advanced analytics are pivotal in this transformation.

GBS, traditionally focused on efficiency and cost reduction, will have to prioritize resilience and strategic value creation. This can be achieved by leveraging intelligent automation. Global Business Services powered by IA technologies can drive operational excellence and allow businesses to enhance customer and employee experience and foster innovation.

Understanding the power of intelligent automation in GBS

Automation makes GBS faster, smarter and more valuable. How? Intelligent automation encompasses a suite of technologies like AI, RPA and machine learning (ML) that work together to automate business workflows. It drives significant improvements in efficiency and accuracy. The automation of repetitive, rule-based tasks frees up the workforce to shift focus to strategic and complex initiatives. This shift accelerates processing times, reduces errors, increases cost savings and enhances customer experience.

AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants provide instant, personalized support, while automated processes streamline customer interactions, resulting in faster and more efficient service. This shift changes GBS from just handling transactions to helping organizations plan and stay innovative, which keeps them ahead of the game. Also, generative AI is making automated tasks even better. It can give us better data analysis and improve how we engage with customers.

For GBS, intelligent automation offers three key advantages:

• Operational efficiency and operational effectiveness: Automation simplifies repetitive processes, reduces errors and speeds up the performance of processes while releasing resources to spend on higher-value activities
• Data-driven decision-making: Analytics and AI yield powerful insights that help GBS in making informed decisions and anticipate behaviors in the times ahead
• Enhanced experiences: GBS can enhance the CX by automating routine interactions and personalizing services to boost employee satisfaction and loyalty

GBS: Forging agility and continuity in the crucible of crisis

We saw just what unanticipated disturbances such as pandemics like COVID-19 can do to expose vulnerabilities and threaten even some of the most indomitable organizations. A survey of GBS organizations found that more than 90% of enterprises scaled up a remote-delivery model. They remained productive and offered top-notch customer and employee experience.

Everybody agrees that GBS is more than a cost-effective operating model but a strategic enabler for agility and continuity in crises. It is, by no means, merely shared services. It is a dynamic ecosystem of expertise, technology and process optimization that can, when deployed effectively, provide the cornerstone for resilient operations.

Driving innovation through intelligent automation

Building on the foundation of agility and continuity established through GBS, we must now turn our attention to the next frontier: driving innovation through intelligent automation. In a hyper-competitive landscape, simply automating routine tasks is no longer sufficient. We need to leverage the power of AI, ML and RPA to unlock new levels of efficiency, creativity and strategic advantage.

Intelligent automation is not just about replacing human labor but about augmenting human capabilities. It's about freeing our talent from mundane tasks, allowing them to focus on high-value activities that drive innovation and growth.

Here's how intelligent automation will propel the innovation agenda:

• Hyperautomation: Move beyond siloed automation initiatives and adopt hyper-automation, an approach that combines RPA, AI and process mining to automate complex, end-to-end processes. This enables streamlining workflows, reducing errors and accelerating time-to-market
• AI-powered insights and decision-making: Leverage AI and machine learning to analyze vast amounts of data, identify patterns and generate actionable insights. This empowers teams to make data-driven decisions, anticipate customer needs and develop innovative solutions. AI enhances the ability to predict market trends and future needs
• Cognitive RPA: Deploy cognitive RPA solutions to understand and process unstructured data, such as emails, documents and images. This enables automating knowledge-intensive tasks, such as customer service inquiries, contract analysis and fraud detection
• Citizen development and democratization of automation: Give employees the tools to build their automation. This fosters a culture of innovation and accelerates the adoption of automation across the organization. Provide the governance and guardrails necessary to ensure security and compliance
• Personalized customer experiences: Intelligent automation allows the delivery of personalized customer experiences at scale. AI-powered chatbots, recommendation engines and targeted marketing campaigns engage customers more meaningfully and effectively
• Proactive problem-solving and predictive maintenance: By implementing AI-driven predictive analytics, potential issues can be anticipated before they arise. This leads to proactive problem-solving, reduced downtime and improved operational efficiency

The path forward: Maximizing the impact of intelligent automation

• Invest in AI and RPA talent: Build a team of experts who can develop and deploy cutting-edge automation solutions
• Establish a Center of Excellence for Automation: Establish a resolute team to guide automation initiatives, develop and share best practices and provide education and support
• Prioritize use cases with high ROI: Automate the processes that maximize efficiency, innovation and customer value
• Adopt a culture of experimentation: Encourage teams to experiment with new automation technologies and approaches
• Ensure ethical and responsible AI implementation: Prioritize data privacy, security and transparency in AI initiatives

The future of GBS: Transforming talent, technology and measurement

As GBS solidifies its role as a strategic driver of agility, continuity and innovation, attention must turn to its evolving role. The future of GBS hinges on its ability to adapt, anticipate and proactively address the transformative forces shaping the industry.

Talent transformation: Upskilling and reskilling for the future

This transformation toward intelligent automation calls for proactive investment in upskilling and reskilling talent. This initiative is required to equip the workforce with the competencies needed for the future. This includes:

• Data science and analytics: Developing expertise in data analysis, machine learning and AI to leverage the power of data-driven insights
• Automation engineering: Training employees in RPA, process mining and other automation technologies to design, implement and manage automated solutions
• Digital literacy and change management: Building a vibe where everyone's always learning and giving workers the tech skills they need to do well as everything moves fast
• Human-centered skills: Focusing on thinking smart, fixing problems and working together since these are super important as machines take over routine jobs

Governance and ethical considerations in AI implementation

As AI-powered solutions are deployed, ethical considerations must be prioritized and robust governance frameworks must be established. This includes:

• Data privacy and security: Implementing stringent data protection measures to ensure the responsible collection, storage and use of data
• Algorithmic transparency and explainability: Ensuring that AI algorithms are transparent and explainable, enabling understanding of how decisions are made
• Bias mitigation: Proactively identifying and mitigating potential biases in AI algorithms to ensure fairness and equity
• Ethical AI guidelines: Establishing clear ethical guidelines for developing and deploying AI solutions and fostering a culture of responsible AI innovation

Building a robust technology ecosystem: Cloud, APIs and integrations

For GBS to thrive, we need a tech system that's tightly linked. This means:

• Cloud-first strategy: Using cloud computing to be more adaptable and quicker
• API-driven architecture: Building and using APIs to easily connect different systems and apps
• Platform ecosystems: Engaging in and developing platform ecosystems to leverage innovative technologies and solutions
• Data integration and management: Establishing a unified data platform to enable seamless data sharing and analysis

Measuring success: KPIs for an automated GBS

To make sure we're getting real results from GBS, we need some clear ways to measure it. For example:

• Automation ROI: Did we save money and get faster with automation? Measuring the cost savings and efficiency gains of automation initiatives
• Process efficiency: Tracking key process metrics, such as cycle time, error rates and throughput
• Customer satisfaction: What do customers think? Are they happier because of these changes?
• Talent development: Measuring the effectiveness of upskilling and reskilling programs
• New ideas: How many new automation tools did we create and start using? Tracking the number of new automation solutions developed and deployed

Conclusion

Global Business Services today is thinking about getting things done right and staying ahead of the game. We looked at how GBS is flexible enough to really help when things go wrong. We also talked about how smart automation can change things, freeing people up to come up with great ideas. Plus, we outlined what's super important for GBS going forward.

The journey ahead requires a forward-looking and proactive approach. We must build a continuous learning culture, accept emerging technologies and allow ethical consideration to drive business. The more we do so, the more operational efficiency we can produce, creating new opportunities for growth and innovations.

GBS becomes a catalyst for agility, a driver of innovation and a strategic partner for navigating the complexities of the modern business environment. The future of GBS is not a passive destination but an active construction. Let us commit to building a GBS function that is not only efficient but also visionary.