Global Business Services

Setting up, transforming and growing your GBS

Our interdisciplinary team is uniquely positioned to support Global Business Services in their journey to greater efficiency, bringing operational, functional, and technical expertise to both GBS setup and transformation, from strategy through execution.

Check how we can help your organization

The role of Global Business Services (GBS)


Global Business Services (GBS) encompasses various organizational models, including shared services, outsourcing, Centers of Excellence, and hybrid models, all aimed at delivering business value. The GBS Service Catalogue can include operational functions such as Finance, People, Technology, Procurement, Legal, and Tax, as well as customer-facing roles like Customer Experience, Sales, and Marketing.

Central and Eastern Europe are the most preferred regions for GBS investments. This preference is driven by the availability of top-tier talent and a comprehensive investment support system in countries like Poland, Hungary, Romania, and the Czech Republic.

Emerging stronger in Global Business Services


Leveraging the potential offered by Global Business Services (GBS) remains a significant trend in the global market. GBS centers provide numerous benefits, including cost reduction, continuous improvement of service quality and better organization of internal controls. Initially focused on transactional work, GBS now manages more sophisticated and knowledge-based processes reshaping the business model to focus on value propositions, boosting capabilities, and enhancing efficiency.

Leading GBS Centres actively leverage the latest technologies driving enterprise-wide digital transformation. This includes integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA) to improve efficiency and decision-making, shifting GBS from back-office operations to strategic business partners, enabling significant growth.

Understanding Global Business Services Challenges

With the rapid development, Global Business Services (GBS) organizations face a range of challenges in the current business environment, including:

Cost Pressure

Balancing the need to reduce costs while investing in new technologies and process improvements.

Adoption of New Technologies

Keeping up with rapid technological advancements such as automation, AI, and machine learning requires significant investment and expertise.

Skill Gaps and Attrition

Finding and retaining talent with the necessary digital skills and experience in emerging technologies.

Regulatory Compliance

Navigating an increasingly complex regulatory landscape across different regions.

Cybersecurity

Protecting sensitive data across multiple platforms and systems against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

Personalization

Meeting increasing customer expectations for personalized and responsive services.

Our approach

Our approach enables solid foundations and continuous improvement at every stage of GBS development.

The step-by-step iterative approach covers strategy, design and implementation, as well as GBS transformation and reassessment regardless the current stage of the GBS maturity. Starting from the Process Scope Definition and Target Operating Model design, we can lead you to the large-scale business transformations, addressing the possible risks, helping you manage the change and providing project management at the highest level.

Throughout all the phases of your GBS development, it is essential to implement a structured, well-defined project management office (PMO). The PMO’s role is to establish and uphold the methodology and standards, while also monitoring, reporting and coordinating the timely progress on each project stage. It will assist in identifying, assessing and mitigating key project risks by implementing risk management frameworks and processes.

To successfully navigate individuals and the organization through this transition, robust and well-established change management activities are crucial for effectively executing the GBS implementation plan.

Design & Build Strategy & Feasibility Reassess Transform Implement PMO Risk & Change Management

Strategy & Feasibility

Involves assessing the optimal strategic approach for your organization by collecting and validating current time and cost data. This includes evaluating various strategic decisions such as location study, business case preparation support, target operating model definition, organizational structure design and transition approach validation. The feasibility study determines GBS viability by analyzing risks, benefits, and creating a high-level plan to ensure a successful transformation tailored to your business's unique structure and culture.

Where are you in your GBS journey?

Whether you're exploring the potential to implement the Global Business Services model or looking to transform and expand your existing GBS, we have a solution for you.

Leveraging our extensive experience and expertise, we deliver tangible results that meet clients' needs and drive the business forward. We are ready to support and set you up for success with our proven track record and customized approach.

Depending on the GBS maturity, we can help you in Setting up a GBS or Transforming your existing GBS:

Ask about GBS for your organization

Setting up a GBS

Developing a GBS Strategy & defining Business Case

While developing your GBS strategy you will define governance models and reporting lines. The strategy will have to prepare the GBS to swiftly adapt to volatile and uncertain business environment, becoming agile and outcome-based when pricing its services. The Target Operating Model should be complex enough to ensure departing from regional set up and becoming more process based, meaning moving from country to process based organisations with end to end ownership and reporting transferred to GBS.

We can help you with:

  • Target Operating Model Definition
  • Organizational Structure Design
  • Transition Approach Validation
  • Location strategy
  • Business Case Preparation

Selecting GBS Location

While selecting a GBS location you will have to assess and compare different regions, territories or cities most suited to your needs. Understanding the risks and benefits of each location is key in establishing a new GBS Centre. To get such an understanding, we can support you with thoroughly conducted study that is aligned with company strategic objectives. Our Location Assessment provides an actual and current overview of the analysed locations in terms of geopolitical state, market saturation, access to talent, operational costs and others.

We can help you with:

  • Definition of location assessment criteria: parameters and reliable measurements

  • Detailed research & analysis 

  • Cities assessment based on job descriptions and site visits in selected locations

  • Final report summarising the findings as well as considerations for making the final decision

  • Support in final location selection

Building & Designing your GBS

Performing scope analysis and creating recruitment and implementation plan

Scope analysis forms a crucial groundwork for a successful GBS setup. Alongside thorough FTE analysis and roles design, it paves the way for a robust and effective GBS framework. Design and implementation of the key KPIs & SLAs early in the process helps monitor service delivery.

To ensure effective recruitment activities and deliver great candidate experience, plan upfront and launch sourcing as soon as possible. Retention strategy with incentives for key employees is key to prevent early departures. 

In parallel with the above, design and prepare the new GBS facility, define governance  model, gather IT requirements to avoid transition delays, and create an implementation plan aligned with strategic objectives.


We can help you with:

  • Detailed Process Scope Analysis
  • Detailed Organization Structure Design
  • Governance Design
  • KPIs and SLA Framework Definition
  • Recruitment Planning and Hiring Coordination
  • Facility & IT Design and Setup
  • Detailed Implementation Plan Preparation

Implementing your GBS strategy


Implementation of the strategy means moving the scope from the original location to the newly established GBS in order to build high-value capabilities that will boost performance at lower cost.

One of the key success factors for the GBS setup is a structured, proven approach that will enable smooth transition while securing as few disruptions to the business as possible. Proper tools tailored to your organization's needs and a well-defined transition governance are key to navigate through the project phases. The duration of the transition depends on the function, processes and roles in scope and may vary between 16 - 24 weeks.


We can help you with:

  • Project mobilization: planning and preparing

  • Conducting Transition Orientation Trainings

  • Transition management and coordination of:

    • Knowledge Capture 

    • Knowledge Transfer

    • Ramp-up

    • Stabilization

Transforming your GBS

Defining the starting point: Maturity Assessment

The best way to define where to begin the transformation of your GBS is to assess its current maturity. Consider factors such as operations, governance, processes, automation levels, technological advancements, team structure, management styles, and compliance.
Our GBS Maturity Assessment provides essential insights into how your GBS is positioned against other similar GBS organisations across 5 key dimensions: Strategy, Operations, Process & Performance, People and Technology. It helps answer the question of where to improve or expand, enabling further growth and optimization of your GBS. 

The transformation journey may encompass the following elements:

  • Moving from country to process based organisations with end to end ownership and reporting transferred to GBS
  • Transitioning from traditional single-function centers, to multifunctional Hubs
  • Shifting from transactional to value-added services
  • Prioritizing Digital Upskilling to equip employees with necessary skills and capabilities to enhance their proficiency and productivity
  • Adopting common ERP systems and unified Data Model across different functions and business units
  • Leveraging AI and ML in process enhancement through automating tasks, improving decision-making process and delivering new services
  • Focusing on employer branding and value proposition with elements of CSR initiatives and career paths linked with digital upskilling

We can help you with:

  • Maturity assessment in 5 key areas: Strategy, Operations, Processes, People and IT, which enable identifying paths and initiatives to drive the GBS to make it more effective, efficient and quality oriented.
  • The assessment will outline how your GBS is positioned against mature GBS organisations and where to improve its operations. It will also give the information on the employees and customers perception of the current GBS.

Expanding operations

Attracting new scope of operations for your GBS can be driven by multiple factor. The main three are:

  • GBS Maturity: A mature GBS enables the acquisition of more sophisticated and knowledge-intensive processes.

  • Regulatory Changes: Shifts in regulations, such as ESG-related requirements, create opportunities for GBS to adapt and develop new roles that address these legal mandates.

  • Technological Advancements: Implementing cutting-edge technology can enhance GBS capabilities, making it possible to handle complex and data-driven tasks efficiently.

Whenever you consider expanding your GBS operations, it creates an opportunity to redefine the GBS strategy and Target Operating Model. Developing a comprehensive expansion plan and roadmap will ensure a structured approach and help mitigate recruitment and transition risks. By doing so, you can achieve a seamless and successful expansion of your GBS operations. To check how we can help please direct yourself to ‘Setting up a GBS’ section. 

We can also support you through the PwC’s GBS. Learn more about PwC’s GBS Managed Service.

Improving operations

Improving GBS operations means innovation and showcasing the quality and efficiency. It requires identifying opportunities and measuring performance to re-evaluate roles and responsibilities. That can be achieved with the use of advanced technology solutions, standardisation and automation of business processes, as well as with well-motivated and digitally competent team. At this stage you will also have to ensure security by complying with regulatory requirements and protecting the confidentiality of data.

Enhancing the quality of processes will enable you to not only increase the efficiency of your operations, but also may keep your talents at the organization and involve them into more productive and interesting tasks. In this way you will remain relevant from the HQ’s perspective.

We can help you with:

  • Process optimization & improvements

    • Finance and Process Transformation 

    • PERFORM (Operational Excellence – capability & capacity improvement)

    • Improvement of Process Governance

  • Technology Assessment, Development and  Implementation

    • SAP/Cloud/Reporting Dashboard

    • RPA/AI/ BOTs

  • People Management and Development

    • PERFORM (Operational Excellence – capability & capacity improvement)

    • People and Organisation (eg. career paths and pay policy, employees satisfaction assessment, employer branding strategy, well-being initiatives, continuous learning & development programs, feedback culture)

  • Compliance/ Regulatory/ Data 

    • Improvement of Internal Control System

    • Enhancement of Internal Audit function

Find out more about our solutions for your Global Business Services

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PwC is here to work with You

We understand the challenges GBS face and we can help you respond to them bringing our operational, functional, and technical expertise, also in specialized areas such as AI and Robotic Process Automation, Cyber and System Security Enhancement, SAP Implementation and Security. We can take you through changes by providing PMO and Change Management.

We know the Central and Eastern Europe GBS market, which is the top choice for GBS investments, thanks to the availability of highly qualified personnel and robust investment support systems in countries like Poland, Hungary, Romania, and the Czech Republic. 

Our team in Poland has extensive experience 

We are part of global network of GBS practitioners

Let us help you implement the Global Business Services model

Contact us

Adam Jamioł

Adam Jamioł

Partner, PwC Poland

Tel: +48 502 184 720

Piotr Kocot

Piotr Kocot

Partner, PwC Poland

Tel: +48 502 184 797

Aleksandra Stelmach-Gryszka

Aleksandra Stelmach-Gryszka

Partner, PwC Poland

Tel: + 48 519 507 589

Rafał Korczyński

Rafał Korczyński

Director, PwC Poland

Tel: +48 519 504 034

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