The rapid advances in technology during recent years have painted a picture of the future’s self-driving business – one that applies Artificial Intelligence, automation and a refreshed governance system to the once seemingly exclusively human world of operations and management. In order to keep their seat at table in this digital future, GBS and Shared Services Leaders must move from working as a low-cost service provider to securing their position as an internal partner, and then – most importantly – mature into a strategic value-driver.

As GBS and Shared Services Leaders redefine their role as a value-driver, they must lay a foundation for a data-driven organisation, moving their business towards a more autonomous enterprise. This means placing themselves at the heart of this digital transformation by examining how IA, Data and Cloud technology will enable them to refocus on driving better decision-making, more efficient operations and increased enterprise performance through high-value business insights.

This session will address the changing roles and priorities of Shared Services and GBS leaders as we move towards a more autonomous enterprise, moving from process units to strategic drivers generating real business value.

• What is the role of Shared Services and GBS in creating an ‘insight-driven’ organisation and how does that translate in practice?
• Explore strategies for ensuring that the increase in available data corresponds with an increase in available business insights
• Ensure customer experience is at the centre of your vision when planning your model’s journey
• Establish shared services as the next-generation incubator for digital, automation and AI capabilities to position your operating model as the heart of the digital future

For many companies, the past decade’s tumultuous market conditions and rapid advances in technology has meant a focus on leveraging automation, emerging technologies, and agile practices to transform processes. However, for many this has merely resulted in a technological ‘painting over the cracks’, highlighting the limits of the current operating models and human-driven business practices.

An ‘Autonomous Enterprise’ would be able to configure, monitor and maintain itself independently, recognising the urgent needs and anticipating the future of business, all while learning and adapting to market shifts far more efficiently than humans ever could. Through enterprise-wide automation and an integration of operations and processes previously performed and managed by humans, an autonomous enterprise continuously seeks to refine, disseminate, and action data insights in real-time to be successful. Its governance model prioritises agility, customer centricity and actionable insights by ensuring it has both the talent and technological capability to deliver data that will drive success with minimal manual interventions.

As 2023 quickly becomes the ‘Year of Generative AI’, an Autonomous Enterprise is perhaps not too distant on the horizon. Shared Services and GBS leaders will be at the heart of this evolution, laying the foundation by helping to create a truly composable business with next-level digital maturity and data accessibility.

Is a truly Autonomous Enterprise the next big shift for Shared Services and GBS leaders – and if so, how can they lay its foundations?

• Context, Insights and Actions: understanding the three key principles underpinning an Autonomous Enterprise
• In what areas is the gap between the promise and the reality most evident?
• Explore the range of technologies that form the basis of an Autonomous Enterprise
• Understand the future impact of centralising IT systems and organisational data
• Drive resilience along with efficiency by leveraging emerging technologies like (AI), machine learning (ML), and automation to streamline operations and processes.
• Learn where Shared Services and GBS leaders are seeing the greatest movement towards a ‘touchless’ operating model
• What are the operating model characteristics that companies need to consider when applying them to processes and operations enterprise-wide?
• How will the Shared Service and GBS function of the future adapt and react to the changing world of work set out by the future they create?

Cristina Duta

Director of Intelligent Automation
AECOM

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This case study shares the interesting journey of LafargeHolcim to explore how they are overcoming process and talent challenges by developing a Hub-and-Spoke delivery model; whilst also advancing on their digital transformation initiatives to build competitiveness.

• Identifying the strategic driver for building a Hub and Spoke shared services model and understanding how that is benefiting the organisation
• Accelerating digital transformation by adopting Intelligent Automation, Predictive and Cognitive Learning capabilities
• Developing and measuring the outcome of the digital workforce

As the world of work becomes increasingly digitised, this only further accelerates the gradual shift of Shared Services & GBS leaders’ core KPI from Value Protection to Value Creation. Join this leader in exploring how the GBS model can become a key value driver for a business, and exactly how executives can lay a foundation for continuous, ongoing success. This session will address how leaders must reposition the GBS model as a value creation mechanism not just a cost-reduction model.

• How do you build out your technological capabilities and lay a human foundation for success with your operating model?
• Outline and execute your vision for how your operating model can align its goals with the needs of the wider business
• What are the key value drivers of GBS to set up for ongoing success?