Navigating the Early Stages of AI in Global Business Services (GBS) - Challenges and Opportunities

When it comes to AI adoption in Global Business Services (GBS), we see a spectrum of awareness and readiness. According to the AI Awareness and Adoption in GBS Organizations survey, 34% of respondents aim to enhance operational efficiency and achieve cost savings by integrating AI within Global Business Services (GBS), an indication that leaders are exploring how the power of AI can be harnessed within their organisations.

Challenges in adopting AI in Global Business Services (GBS)

As with adoption of any new systems, tools, and technologies, companies will encounter various challenges during the initial phase, but with strong leadership and drive to innovate, the path to success becomes smoother.

Areas of Challenges	Strategic Approaches
Data & Infrastructure	In order to produce insights that users require, a scalable and secure infrastructure is first required to ensure efficient data ingestion and consumption.     In parallel, having clean, consistent, and complete data sets (and ideally uniform across systems) is the key to enabling AI and ML models to perform predictive and prescriptive analytics  Leaders should work closely with all parties within the ecosystem (e.g. Business Unit, IT, Finance) to ensure alignment on the speed with which AI will start showing its true value. The road to overhauling the data and other related infrastructure within an organisation will not be an easy feat. But with a clear end goal and strong commitment, the journey can be fulfilling.
Communication	An adoption plan without clear communication on the implementation timeline, anticipated benefits, and a long-term vision risk falling short of success.  Quantifiable ROI in terms of operational cost savings, productivity should
Governance	AI is still relatively new to many organizations, and in some, the novelty poses some hesitance in adoption due to concerns about risks and regulatory compliance. A strong governance framework will ease the transition and empower employees to engage with AI more confidently  Combining governance with proper training and change management will help employees understand the framework to pave the way for future performance monitoring.
Talent	Talent in advanced technologies like AI is scarce, making it challenging for Global Business Services (GBS) to find and retain the expertise needed for transformation initiatives.  Global Business Services (GBS) must focus on building strong internal training and upskilling programs to elevate current employees' skills, alongside efforts to attract external talent with AI proficiency

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the journey towards adopting AI in Global Business Services (GBS) presents a mixture of challenges and opportunities. By navigating these initial hurdles with a strategic approach, companies can harness build a culture of continuous improvement and realise the full potential of AI.

The AGOS Team is passionate about sharing insights and fostering meaningful conversations. Feel free to reach out to us at contact@agosasia.com or visit our website at www.agosasia.com whenever you're ready to explore new possibilities. Reach out to us whether you have questions, ideas, or simply want to connect. 

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