On this page, you’ll find a curated collection of key takeaways and analyst insights that capture the spirit and substance of this executive roundtable. We invite you to dive in and experience the bold, unfiltered thinking that defines HFS Research.

Highlights from this executive roundtable

HFS Research and IBM Consulting convened senior leaders across operations, business services, technology, and transformation functions to examine the next evolution of enterprise services.

The conversation centered on a simple but powerful idea: the shift from backbone to brain. Participants discussed how traditional operating models, built around functional silos, manual handoffs, and fragmented data, are increasingly limiting organizations’ ability to realize AI value at scale.

Leaders explored how agentic AI, automation, analytics, and Services-as-Software™ are creating opportunities to transform business services from support functions into strategic enablers of growth, innovation, and enterprise intelligence.

What we heard

Several themes emerged throughout the discussion:

  1. The traditional GBS mandate is no longer enough. Participants agreed that cost reduction and standardization remain important, but business services organizations are increasingly expected to drive innovation, intelligence, and business outcomes.
  2. AI is rapidly reshaping business services. Leaders discussed how AI is moving from experimentation to operational impact. Insights from the HFS Take 5 report show that more than 60% of enterprises expect significant AI-driven productivity gains, while 63% prioritize proven AI and automation capabilities when selecting a business services partner.
  3. Operating models have become the primary barrier to AI scale. Functional silos, fragmented data, and disconnected workflows continue to prevent organizations from realizing the full potential of agentic AI, despite growing investment and executive commitment.
  4. Agentic AI requires enterprise-wide orchestration. Participants explored the organizational shifts required to support AI-enabled operations, including cross-functional ownership, interoperable data environments, and continuous workflow orchestration.
  5. The focus is shifting from activities to outcomes. Organizations are increasingly measuring success through business impact rather than transactional efficiency, creating new expectations for both internal teams and external partners.
  6. Business services are becoming strategic growth partners. Participants highlighted the growing role of GBS in analytics, AI services, governance, and enterprise transformation, helping organizations move from operational support to value creation. The discussion reflected broader market momentum highlighted in IBM Institute for Business Value, which found that 55% of organizations are actively developing or deploying an agentic AI operating model, while 75% of executives expect AI to significantly redefine global service delivery models by the end of 2026.

Scenes from the Roundtable

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Executive interviews: Perspectives that push the conversation further

We captured four dynamic interviews that continue the roundtable’s bold conversation. 

Beyond BPO: IBM’s vision for business orchestration

Global Business Services (GBS) leaders are trying to unlock AI value while operating with outdated business models. In this HFS RT OneOffice interview, Saurabh Gupta, President of HFS Research, speaks with Yogendra (Yogi) Goyal, Global Managing Partner, Business Orchestration Services at IBM, about why AI success depends on orchestrating end-to-end workflows rather than automating siloed processes.

How AI is transforming marketing from campaigns to growth

What happens when AI transforms every stage of the marketing lifecycle? In this HFS Research Roundtable interview, Arindam Mukhopadhyay, Senior Advisor at HFS Research, speaks with Amit Sharma, Partner, Business Orchestration Services at IBM Consulting, about how AI is reshaping marketing operations through intelligent automation, hyper-personalization, and business orchestration.

From back office to growth engine: L’Oréal’s GBS vision

What does it take for Global Business Services (GBS) to move beyond its traditional “back-office” reputation? In this HFS RT OneOffice interview, Ashish Chaturvedi, Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, speaks with Rahquel Purcell, Chief Transformation Officer at L’Oréal North America, about why GBS must evolve into a strategic driver of growth, innovation, and business transformation.

Why end-to-end AI orchestration is finance’s next frontier

In this HFS Research Roundtable interview, Tom Klein, Senior Partner, Business Orchestration Services at IBM Consulting, explores how agentic AI is transforming finance operations, from procure-to-pay and order-to-cash to record-to-report. It highlights why organizations must move beyond point solutions to enterprise-wide orchestration that delivers measurable business outcomes.

What’s next?

As organizations accelerate AI adoption, business services leaders face a critical opportunity to redefine how work is executed, governed, and measured across the enterprise. 

HFS is exploring these themes with industry leaders as enterprises evaluate how Agentic Business Services can help unlock greater agility, intelligence, and business value. Let’s connect if you’d like to discuss the insights from this roundtable or your organization’s transformation journey. We’d welcome the conversation. 


This event was produced in collaboration with

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