Why GBS is Becoming a Frontline Experience Engine
As GBS evolves beyond cost arbitrage alone, customer experience (CX) is becoming a key differentiator for organizations. Once confined to the back office, GBS teams are now expected to operate as capability hubs, blending technology, data, and human judgment to deliver value.
"[…] everyone is trying to pivot from a traditional cost center to a frontline capability center of experience."
The new value model for GBS was a key focus at the 2026 Shared Services & Outsourcing Week in Orlando, where Teleperformance hosted the panel Frontline by Design: How Customer Experience is Rewiring GBS.
Moderated by Himadri Sarkar, Chief Solutions Officer, Americas at Teleperformance, the discussion brought together:
- Carol Diaz Sanchez, VP Finance, Technology and Operations, GBS at Scotia Bank
- George Buening, Associate VP, Accounting Operations, Ascension
- Don Sausa, VP, Country Manager, Cardinal Health
The panelists explored how CX, generative AI, and operating model redesign are reshaping the role of GBS. Below are five key takeaways from the panel, and what they mean for organizations looking to turn GBS into a frontline driver of CX:
1. Cross-functional visibility is essential for customer experience
Improving CX starts with cross‑functional visibility. For example, in the healthcare industry, connecting daily interactions with hospitals, clinicians, and patients, teams gain a holistic view of customer pain points. These insights are often lost when functions operate in silos.
"We can bring all those voices together […], and we're able to bring those customer friction points to a business leader."
This visibility can be cultivated through intelligent analytics. Embedding real-time customer insights into operations helps GBS move beyond static workflows and make more dynamic decisions. This improves workforce planning, queue prioritization, and ensures that critical issues are addressed promptly.
"It may fit your metrics […] but what if that patient needs it now? The stakes are too high."
2. Frontline GBS must balance AI and human judgement
While technology plays an important role in improving visibility, it must be balanced with the human element. For example, leveraging AI to remove high-volume, low complexity tasks means frontline teams can focus on complex, value-adding activities.
"The right blend of high-tech and high-touch."
AI is not replacing GBS; it is elevating its role. However, whilst AI can accelerate decision-making and reduce handoffs, a human-in-the-loop approach is key, especially in regulated or mission-critical industries.
"AI should take out the administrative complexity so people can focus on the experiences that really matter, especially in high‑stakes environments."
3. GBS transformation depends on people, leadership, and alignment
As such, CX-focused GBS transformation starts with people. For example, having C‑level leaders actively engaged helps elevate GBS from a back‑office function to a strategic partner.
"Sometimes, in a large organization, there are still pieces of the organization that don't know the GBS exists or what we do […] Exposure helps us to be part of the solution."
Beyond executive sponsorship, involving directors and middle management in transformation efforts is key. Too often, standardization and automation are implemented to teams rather than with them, creating resistance and slowing adoption.
"GBS is a people business, right? AI is an enabler to make the GBS more human."
4. GBS leaders need to move beyond rigid cost and volume metrics
As GBS teams increasingly focus on the frontline, processes can no longer be measured solely through cost reduction or transaction volumes. Metrics must evolve to reflect outcomes across the end‑to‑end customer journey.
"As GBS has grown and developed, it's gone from measuring volume- measuring efficiency- to measuring behaviour. People do not like the idea of nameless, faceless mailboxes or nameless service portals. You've got to develop metrics that drive customer experience."
Tracking must balance CX, efficiency, quality, and cost, rather than focusing on isolated KPIs. This requires moving away from strict "first‑in, first‑out" models toward true prioritization based on urgency, risk, and customer impact.
"It shouldn't be isolated metrics […] but how the end-to-end process benefits the entire organization."
5. GBS must align business goals with end-customer experience
GBS simultaneously serves two distinct stakeholders: the internal business and external customers.
For external customers, organizations need to move beyond transactional metrics to understand sentiment, behaviour, and experience quality.
"What we're trying to understand is the sentiment […] to give real information to management, to train, to change behaviour, to change the operations and how we are approaching [customers]."
At the same time, GBS must redefine its role with internal teams. Rather than acting as an engine for cost reduction or efficiency gains, GBS leaders should be more active in the decision-making processes and clarify intended outcomes.
By aligning both internal intent and external experience, GBS can move from execution to true value creation.
From Efficiency to Experience: The Future of Frontline GBS
GBS is moving from operator to value creator. As the panel highlighted, success depends on orchestrated intelligence, outcome‑driven metrics, and the right balance between automation and human judgment.
Above all, GBS remains a people business. Organizations that get the right balance will position GBS as a frontline driver of experience.
