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Global Capability Centers (GCCs) are diversifying their suite of offerings by adding new-age services to their service portfolio.


In brief

  • GCCs prioritize new-age services in business, knowledge, and technology-driven enablers.
  • GCCs expand by integrating niche end-to-end activities in the value chain.

Global Capability Centers (GCCs) have experienced significant evolution over three decades, driven by technological progress and the growing demand for digital skills. They have transformed from technical back-office functions to embracing a solution-oriented mindset, placing a strong emphasis on operational excellence and innovation. Today, GCCs play a crucial role in driving global business growth by adeptly facilitating technologies, upskilling the workforce, and leading business process transformations.

To expand their suite of offerings, GCCs incorporate new-age services into their portfolios. We explore these new-age services across business, knowledge, and enablers, encompassing AI, and Data and Analytics. 

New-age services delivered from GCCs

Procurement

Organizations are enhancing operational efficiency by shifting focus from tactical to strategic procurement through their GCCs. Procurement GCCs bring the advantage of a centralized sourcing perspective, tackling advanced tasks like strategic sourcing, spot buying, and comprehensive supplier management. This enables strategic advancement in the procurement process.

Sales enablement

Sales enablement focused GCCs streamline communication between different sales stages, facilitate collaboration, and ensure alignment between sales strategies and business goals. They have evolved beyond providing sales reporting to pipeline management, channel segmentation insights, and intelligent deal desk activities, thus driving revenue growth.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG)

Organizations, with the aid of GCCs, are integrating sustainability into operational strategies to attract investors and become eco-friendly. GCCs facilitate monitoring ESG standards, encourage environmentally conscious processes, and guide employees toward socially responsible behavior. This includes sustainability services, such as awareness initiatives, carbon footprint reduction, and circular economy mapping.

Project and portfolio management (PPM)

Organizations facing governance issues and planning challenges are utilizing Project portfolio management (PPM) focused GCCs for immediate benefits and long-term growth. PPM GCCs streamline processes, provide integrated systems for operations visibility, offer real-time portfolio insights, and facilitate data-driven project selection and business performance management.

Marketing and communications

Global organizations are leveraging marketing focused GCCs to enhance marketing effectiveness, customer experience, and business growth. Through collaborative efforts with global marketing firms in India, these GCCs are achieving their marketing objectives and offering services, including digital marketing, market research, brand management, public relations, and corporate communications.

Legal

Organizations are adopting legal-focused GCCs to globally manage varied legal functions, enhance cost efficiency, and improve the integration of services. The utilization of technology enhances accuracy and productivity across the legal and compliance value chain, supporting a diverse range of services, from regulatory research to contract management and compliance dashboarding.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

GCCs lead the integration of AI in organizations, providing innovative solutions and streamlined processes. Their AI abilities facilitate rapid data analysis and future predictions, enhancing efficiency across functions. These capacities, augmented by automation, predictive modeling, and natural language processing, allow GCCs to unlock transformative opportunities.

Data and Analytics (D&A)

Sectors such as retail, automobile, and life sciences now view Data and Analytics as a core function and use data-driven approaches to optimize decision-making. Data and Analytics GCCs, harnessing technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning(ML) and big data analytics, analyze datasets for actionable insights, guiding business strategies, thus, transforming into innovation hubs.

For an in-depth view of new age GCC services across the spectrum of established, advanced and emerging categories, and for holistic insights, please download the full PDF below.

Maheswaran R, Director business consulting has contributed to the article.

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Summary

Global entities are leveraging their Global Capability Centers (GCCs) to attain comprehensive functional coverage, cultivate specialized capabilities, and drive organization-wide transformation. As GCCs mature, their focus extends beyond simple cost-saving functions, evolving into centers of excellence, innovation, and strategic partnerships. This evolution is made possible by a rich pool of skilled talent, agile service delivery, the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, and the maturity of the GCC ecosystem. These factors collectively propel these organizations towards exponential growth.

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