Study Data · Part 1 · Indicator Deep-Dive Analysis

The engagement is meeting delivery dates successfully

Indicator C049 · By Phil Hatch · Akholi · October 9, 2026

Indicator Specification

Table 1. Indicator specificationTable
FieldValue
Indicator codeC049
Question as askedThe engagement is meeting delivery dates successfully.
Failure categoryNot one of the 100 rated indicators
Place in the surveyEngagement Details > 2.5 Performance and Delivery > Delivery Health
Indicator classRespondent level
Indicator typeRated, POS
Response scale1 to 10, higher is the better outcome
Answering base798 of 850 respondents, across 150 of 150 engagements
Non-answersI do not know 0, I prefer to not answer 0, blank 52
Written responses coded to the indicator57 responses from 54 respondents on 42 engagements (7 primary, 50 secondary)

Summary of Findings

Table 2. Key results: association of the indicator with the four study measuresTable
MeasureFormnr95% CIp
Cancellation rateDescriptive contrast150 engagements−0.60−0.70 to −0.49< 0.001
Customer satisfactionClean estimate94 engagements0.590.44 to 0.71< 0.001
Engagement indicator meanFull150 engagements0.780.71 to 0.84< 0.001
Intent to leaveRespondent level, clustered751 respondents−0.61−0.67 to −0.54< 0.001

Distressed ratings on meeting delivery dates came from a minority of answers (234 of 798 answers, 29.32%) and a minority of engagement means (30 of 150 engagements). Engagements whose respondents rated delivery lower were canceled more often (r = −0.60, 95% CI −0.70 to −0.49, p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). Higher delivery ratings came with higher customer satisfaction on active engagements (r = 0.59, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.71, p < 0.001, n = 94 active engagements). Delivery ratings rose with the engagement indicator mean (r = 0.78, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.84, p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). Respondents who rated delivery lower reported higher intent to leave (r = −0.61, cluster bootstrap 95% CI −0.67 to −0.54, p < 0.001, n = 751 respondents). Ratings differed after Holm control by engagement status and lifecycle stage (Welch F 33.17, Holm p < 0.001, omega squared 0.354), by respondent role (Welch F 15.73, Holm p < 0.001, omega squared 0.028), and by vendor type (Welch F 4.04, Holm p 0.008, omega squared 0.020).

The indicator had 57 written responses coded to it, from 54 of 850 respondents on 42 of 150 engagements. Negative responses numbered 42 of the 57 scored responses (73.68%). The strongest negative score, −10, was carried by 6 of the 57 scored responses (10.53%). Secondary responses, written in answer to questions outside the indicator’s own survey section, numbered 50 of the 57 responses (87.72%). Respondents who wrote rated the indicator lower than respondents who did not (mean 4.3, n = 46 respondents, against mean 4.8, n = 752 respondents), a difference whose interval included zero.

Distribution of Ratings

Table 3. Distribution of ratings, respondent levelTable
AnswerRespondentsShare of answered (base 798)Cumulative shareEngagements with at least oneShare of 150 engagementsDistressed
1567.02%7.02%3825.33%Yes
2749.27%16.29%4630.67%Yes
310413.03%29.32%6644.00%Yes
412916.17%45.49%8254.67%No
513717.17%62.66%8456.00%No
611714.66%77.32%7248.00%No
710012.53%89.85%6543.33%No
8516.39%96.24%2919.33%No
9182.26%98.50%1610.67%No
10121.50%100.00%74.67%No
I do not know0Not in baseNot in base00.00%Not applicable
I prefer to not answer0Not in baseNot in base00.00%Not applicable
Answered, total798100.00%150100.00%
Table 4. Distribution of ratings, engagement levelTable
Engagement level summaryEngagementsMean of engagement meansSDMinMedianMaxEngagements with a distressed meanShare of engagements distressed
Engagement means, goodness view1504.81.81.64.89.33020.00%

The study set mean was 4.8 on 798 answering respondents, with a median of 5.0. 234 answers, 29.32% of the 798, were at the distressed end. A distressed engagement mean was recorded in 30 of 150 engagements.

Coverage and Origin of Written Responses

Figure 1. Written responses coded to the indicator, by the question answered and by written score (n = 57 responses)Exhibit
02581012C177 (secondary)C216 (secondary)C156 (secondary)C030 (secondary)C214 (secondary)3C204 (secondary)C135 (secondary)5C114 (secondary)5C210 (secondary)7C029 (secondary)7C208 (secondary)6C055 (primary)6Written responses−10 Strongly negative−5 Negative0 Neutral+5 Positive+10 Strongly positive
Note: Primary responses were written in answer to a written-answer question in the indicator’s own survey section. Secondary responses were written in answer to a question outside that section and coded to the indicator because their content addressed it. Segments run from −10, strongly negative, in full amber at the left to +10, strongly positive, in the darkest gray at the right. Segments of 3 or more responses are labeled with their count where the drawn segment can hold the label. C055 asked: “How does the vendor manipulate performance reports and dashboards?” C208 asked: “Why did you alter client processes?” C029 asked: “What are your top 3 challenges that reduce your job satisfaction?” C210 asked: “Comment.” C114 asked: “Add any comments on the customer organization that the ratings in this section do not capture.” C135 asked: “Add any comments on your employer that the ratings in this section do not capture.” C204 asked: “Comment.” C214 asked: “Why did you alter AI outputs?” C030 asked: “What are the top 3 things that you love most about your job?” C156 asked: “Add any comments on the joint management of this engagement that the ratings in this section do not capture.” C216 asked: “Comment.” C177 asked: “Add any comments on the agentic AI tools that the ratings in this section do not capture.”
Table 5. Written responses by originTable
OriginResponsesRespondentsEngagementsNegativeStrongest negative (−10)PositiveMean written score
Primary7767 of 71 of 70 of 7‡
Secondary50473735 of 50 (70.00%)5 of 50 (10.00%)15 of 50 (30.00%)−2.5
All responses57544242 of 57 (73.68%)6 of 57 (10.53%)15 of 57 (26.32%)−2.9
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Of the 57 responses, 7 (12.28%) were primary and 50 (87.72%) were secondary. The secondary responses came from 47 respondents on 37 engagements, in answer to 11 questions outside the indicator’s own survey section (most often C208 with 10 responses, C029 with 9 responses and C210 with 8 responses). No respondent wrote both a primary and a secondary response. Among the Part 1 indicators with 30 or more scored responses, the secondary share of the indicator ranked 6 of 6 from the highest. The median secondary share was 100.00% across the 6 indicators.

Negative responses made up 35 of the 50 secondary responses (70.00%), against all 7 primary responses. The difference did not reach significance at 0.05 (Fisher exact p = 0.172, n = 57 responses).

Distribution of Written Sentiment

Figure 2. Distribution of written sentiment (n = 57 scored responses)Exhibit
6 (10.53%)−10 Stronglynegative36 (63.16%)−5 Negative0 (0.00%)0 Neutral15 (26.32%)+5 Positive0 (0.00%)+10 Stronglypositive
Note: Column height is the share of all scored responses. Labels give the count and the share.
Table 6. Summary statistics of written sentimentTable
StatisticValueBasis
Mean written score−2.995% CI −4.4 to −1.3, cluster bootstrap by engagement, 10,000 draws, n = 57 responses
Median written score−5.0n = 57 responses
Negative responses42 of 57 (73.68%)95% CI 59.32% to 85.96% of 57 responses, cluster bootstrap by engagement
Strongest negative responses (−10)6 of 57 (10.53%)Statements of totality, constancy or serious harm
Positive responses15 of 57 (26.32%)+5 or +10
Net balance−47.37 percentage pointsShare positive minus share negative, base 57 responses
Respondent-level mean−2.6Mean of each respondent’s own mean written score, n = 54 respondents

Of the 57 scored responses, 42 (73.68%) were negative, 6 (10.53%) carried the strongest negative score and 15 (26.32%) were positive. The responses had a mean written score of −2.9 (95% CI −4.4 to −1.3, n = 57 responses on 42 engagements).

Correspondence Between Ratings and Written Sentiment

Figure 3. Written score against the respondent’s rating of the indicator (n = 49 responses with a rating)Exhibit
12345678910Rating (1 = worst, 10 = best)2287533221422123−10 Strongly negative−5 Negative0 Neutral+5 Positive+10 Strongly positive
Note: Written score runs from −10 at the left to +10 at the right, and the rating rises from 1 at the bottom to 10 at the top. Marker area is proportional to the number of responses at each combination of written score and rating. Ratings of 3 or below are the distressed range. Of the 57 scored responses, 8 had no rating and were excluded.

Respondents who rated the indicator 3 or below wrote 15 of the 38 negative responses with a rating. Written score and rating showed a negligible positive correlation that did not reach significance at 0.05 (Spearman rho 0.08, 95% CI −0.21 to 0.38, p = 0.583, n = 49 responses on 37 engagements). Its interval included zero. Where a written score diverges from the same respondent’s rating, the rating is the measure of the indicator.

Rating Profile of Respondents Providing Written Responses

Figure 4. Distribution of ratings, respondents who wrote about the indicator and respondents who did notExhibit
0%10%20%30%12345678910Rating of the indicator (1 = worst, 10 = best)Respondents who wrote and gave a rating (n = 46)Respondents who did not write and gave a rating (n = 752)
Note: Each group sums to 100% of its own respondents with a rating: 46 who wrote about the indicator and 752 who did not.

Respondents who wrote about the indicator rated it 0.5 points lower than respondents who did not (mean 4.3, n = 46 respondents, against mean 4.8, n = 752 respondents, difference 95% CI −1.1 to 0.1, cluster bootstrap by engagement). The interval of the difference included zero. Ratings of 3 or below came from 17 of the 46 respondents who wrote and gave a rating (36.96%), against 217 of the 752 respondents who did not write and gave a rating (28.86%). Respondents who wrote formed a self-selected group and not a random sample of the answering base, because written responses were voluntary.

Descriptive Statistics by Segment

Table 7a. Descriptive statistics by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentBaseAnsweredAnswer rateEngagementsMean95% CISD
Study set85079893.88% of 8501504.84.6 to 4.92.1
Outsourcing model
CXM23222396.12% of 232424.94.6 to 5.22.1
ITO24422491.80% of 244404.74.4 to 4.92.0
BPO20919593.30% of 209374.54.2 to 4.82.2
KPO16515694.55% of 165315.14.8 to 5.52.2
Institution type
Asset management13212393.18% of 132244.94.6 to 5.32.1
Wealth management and private banking14013596.43% of 140234.84.4 to 5.22.3
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)1059792.38% of 105194.54.1 to 4.91.9
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)787292.31% of 78144.94.4 to 5.32.1
Commercial and business banking827591.46% of 82135.34.8 to 5.92.4
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)716591.55% of 71134.33.8 to 4.82.0
Credit card and payments issuing737095.89% of 73124.33.8 to 4.92.2
Retail and consumer banking737095.89% of 73124.84.3 to 5.21.9
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)575494.74% of 57114.94.3 to 5.42.0
Private equity and private capital393794.87% of 3994.94.1 to 5.72.3
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions24823795.56% of 248474.84.5 to 5.02.1
Technology engineering and operations20418791.67% of 204355.14.8 to 5.42.0
Client servicing and communications949095.74% of 94164.43.9 to 4.92.3
Trade, settlement and reconciliation807593.75% of 80154.33.9 to 4.71.9
Payments, cards and disputes736690.41% of 73124.84.3 to 5.42.2
Credit, underwriting and suitability575698.25% of 5795.85.2 to 6.52.4
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal514996.08% of 5194.53.9 to 5.22.2
Financial crime and client onboarding433888.37% of 4373.73.0 to 4.42.1
Class of work
LOB Operational45141892.68% of 451764.74.5 to 4.92.3
Corporate Functional39938095.24% of 399744.84.6 to 5.02.0
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out17516192.00% of 175315.65.3 to 5.81.9
Active, Transition/Cut-Over25023694.40% of 250435.65.3 to 5.81.9
Active, Production1039794.17% of 103205.85.4 to 6.22.1
Canceled32230494.41% of 322563.43.2 to 3.61.7
Respondent role
Individual Contributor66762493.55% of 6671504.64.4 to 4.82.1
Engagement Manager150150100.00% of 1501505.24.9 to 5.52.0
Portfolio Director312477.42% of 31246.5†1.8
Customer Management Executive200 of 20‡
Vendor type
IT services major31630195.25% of 316594.94.7 to 5.12.0
BPO specialist19818794.44% of 198374.34.0 to 4.62.1
Consulting firm11710690.60% of 117235.34.8 to 5.72.5
Boutique or specialist provider878294.25% of 87175.14.6 to 5.62.1
Pure-play agentic AI firm756890.67% of 75144.84.4 to 5.31.9
Not reported, recovered by engagement575494.74% of 57444.33.8 to 4.92.0
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.
Table 7b. Descriptive statistics by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentMinQ1MedianQ3MaxDistressed nDistressed %
Study set1.03.05.06.010.023429.32%
Outsourcing model
CXM1.03.05.06.010.05926.46%
ITO1.03.05.06.010.07131.70%
BPO1.03.05.06.010.06633.85%
KPO1.04.05.07.010.03824.36%
Institution type
Asset management1.04.05.06.010.03024.39%
Wealth management and private banking1.03.05.07.010.04231.11%
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)1.03.05.06.08.02929.90%
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)1.03.85.06.09.01825.00%
Commercial and business banking1.03.06.07.010.02128.00%
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)1.03.04.06.09.02640.00%
Credit card and payments issuing1.02.04.06.010.02637.14%
Retail and consumer banking1.03.35.06.08.01825.71%
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)1.03.35.06.010.01425.93%
Private equity and private capital1.03.04.07.010.01027.03%
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions1.03.05.06.010.06527.43%
Technology engineering and operations1.04.05.06.510.04524.06%
Client servicing and communications1.03.04.06.010.03336.67%
Trade, settlement and reconciliation1.03.04.06.07.02533.33%
Payments, cards and disputes1.03.05.07.09.01928.79%
Credit, underwriting and suitability2.04.06.07.310.01017.86%
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal1.03.05.05.010.01836.73%
Financial crime and client onboarding1.02.03.55.08.01950.00%
Class of work
LOB Operational1.03.05.06.810.013732.78%
Corporate Functional1.03.05.06.010.09725.53%
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out1.04.06.07.010.02414.91%
Active, Transition/Cut-Over1.04.06.07.010.03615.25%
Active, Production1.04.06.07.010.01111.34%
Canceled1.02.03.05.09.016353.62%
Respondent role
Individual Contributor1.03.05.06.010.020332.53%
Engagement Manager1.04.05.06.010.03120.67%
Portfolio Director4.05.07.07.010.000.00%
Customer Management Executive‡ n = 0
Vendor type
IT services major1.03.05.06.010.08026.58%
BPO specialist1.03.04.06.010.07137.97%
Consulting firm1.03.05.07.010.02826.42%
Boutique or specialist provider1.04.05.06.010.01417.07%
Pure-play agentic AI firm1.03.05.06.09.02130.88%
Not reported, recovered by engagement1.03.04.05.89.02037.04%
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Figures are respondent level. Means are on the goodness view. A level under 30 prints no interval and a level under 10 prints counts only.

Tests of Difference Between Segments

Table 8a. Tests of difference between segments, part 1 of 2Table
Segment familyWelch FdfpHolm pOmega squared90% CI
Outsourcing model0.863, 78.50.4671.000−0.0010.000 to 0.052
Institution type0.338, 49.50.9521.000−0.0360.000 to 0.009
Process family0.884, 38.30.4861.000−0.0030.000 to 0.063
Class of work0.151, 144.30.6961.000−0.0060.000 to 0.025
Engagement status and lifecycle stage33.173, 57.5< 0.001< 0.0010.3540.258 to 0.446
Respondent role15.732, 60.4< 0.001< 0.0010.0280.013 to 0.051
Vendor type4.045, 231.80.0020.0080.0200.007 to 0.042
Table 8b. Tests of difference between segments, part 2 of 2Table
Segment familyKruskal-Wallis HpDistressed chi-squaredfpCramer’s VLevels left out
Outsourcing model2.440.4864.1830.2430.17None
Institution type2.320.9709.0980.339, simulated0.25a
Process family4.000.4063.0540.562, simulated0.16b
Class of work0.660.4161.3110.2530.09None
Engagement status and lifecycle stage57.29< 0.00129.213< 0.001, simulated0.44None
Respondent role23.78< 0.00118.482< 0.0010.15c
Vendor type19.180.00215.8450.0070.14None
Note: a Private equity and private capital, n = 9. b Credit, underwriting and suitability, n = 9, Regulatory, audit, tax and legal, n = 9, Financial crime and client onboarding, n = 7. c Customer Management Executive, n = 0.

Engagement families were tested on engagement means, and respondent role and vendor type were tested on respondents. A distressed p marked exact is a Fisher exact test for a two by two table, and one marked simulated is a Monte Carlo test run until its p is stable to the third decimal, both used where an expected count is under 5. Engagement status and lifecycle stage differed after Holm control (Welch F 33.17, Holm p < 0.001, tested on engagement means). In Descriptive Statistics by Segment, Active, Production had the highest mean, 5.8 (n = 97 respondents), and Canceled the lowest, 3.4 (n = 304 respondents). Respondent role differed after Holm control (Welch F 15.73, Holm p < 0.001, tested on respondents). In Descriptive Statistics by Segment, Portfolio Director had the highest mean, 6.5 (n = 24 respondents), and Individual Contributor the lowest, 4.6 (n = 624 respondents). Vendor type differed after Holm control (Welch F 4.04, Holm p 0.008, tested on respondents). In Descriptive Statistics by Segment, Consulting firm had the highest mean, 5.3 (n = 106 respondents), and BPO specialist the lowest, 4.3 (n = 187 respondents). No difference held after Holm control for outsourcing model, institution type, process family and class of work.

Written Sentiment by Segment

Figure 5. Written sentiment by engagement status and lifecycle stage, share of each group’s responsesExhibit
0%25%50%75%100%Canceled (n = 30)16.67%60.00%23.33%Active, Production (n = 9)7 of 92 of 9Active, Transition/Cut-Over (n = 12)66.67%25.00%Active, Build-Out (n = 6)3 of 63 of 6All responses (n = 57)63.16%26.32%−10 Strongly negative−5 Negative0 Neutral+5 Positive+10 Strongly positive
Note: Segments run from −10, strongly negative, in full amber at the left to +10, strongly positive, in the darkest gray at the right. Each bar is 100% of its group’s responses. Segments of 12% or more are labeled, as a share on groups of 10 responses or more and as a count on smaller groups.
Table 9. Written sentiment by segmentTable
SegmentResponsesRespondentsEngagementsMean written scoreNegativeStrongest negative (−10)
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out665‡3 of 60 of 6
Active, Transition/Cut-Over12129−2.99 of 12 (75.00%)1 of 12 (8.33%)
Active, Production998‡7 of 90 of 9
Canceled302720−3.523 of 30 (76.67%)5 of 30 (16.67%)
Respondent role
Individual Contributor424036−2.629 of 42 (69.05%)6 of 42 (14.29%)
Engagement Manager141313−3.612 of 14 (85.71%)0 of 14 (0.00%)
Portfolio Director111‡1 of 10 of 1
Customer Management Executive000No responses
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Scored responses came from 5 engagements in the Active, Build-Out group, 9 engagements in the Active, Transition/Cut-Over group, 8 engagements in the Active, Production group and 20 engagements in the Canceled group. A test of mean written scores across the groups, with each engagement counted once, showed no difference that reached significance at 0.05 (Kruskal-Wallis H 0.63, df 3, p = 0.890, n = 42 engagements). Groups under 10 responses are reported as counts only. Negative responses numbered 3 of 6 in the Active, Build-Out group and 7 of 9 in the Active, Production group.

Across respondent roles, no test was run, because fewer than two roles reached 30 scored responses. Roles under 10 responses are reported as counts only. Among portfolio directors, negative responses numbered 1 of 1.

Association with Cancellation Rate

The share of engagements canceled on the study date, measured at engagement level (base 150 engagements, 56 canceled). The association is a descriptive contrast, inflated because canceled engagements were rated after cancellation, and is not predictive.

Table 10a. Association with cancellation rate by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentEngagementsCanceledCancellation ratePoint-biserial r95% CIpHolm p
Study set1505637.33% of 150−0.60−0.70 to −0.49< 0.001< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM421535.71% of 42−0.62−0.78 to −0.38< 0.001< 0.001
ITO401537.50% of 40−0.60−0.77 to −0.35< 0.001< 0.001
BPO371437.84% of 37−0.64−0.80 to −0.39< 0.001< 0.001
KPO311238.71% of 31−0.59−0.78 to −0.30< 0.0010.005
Institution type
Asset management241354.17% of 24−0.63†< 0.0010.010
Wealth management and private banking23834.78% of 23−0.84†< 0.001< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)19947.37% of 19−0.75†< 0.0010.003
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)14535.71% of 14−0.46†0.0950.286
Commercial and business banking13430.77% of 13−0.45†0.1200.286
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)13323.08% of 13−0.33†0.2640.286
Credit card and payments issuing12541.67% of 12−0.65†0.0220.152
Retail and consumer banking12433.33% of 12−0.66†0.0190.148
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)11327.27% of 11−0.59†0.0560.282
Private equity and private capital922 of 9‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions471940.43% of 47−0.65−0.79 to −0.44< 0.001< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations351028.57% of 35−0.68−0.83 to −0.45< 0.001< 0.001
Client servicing and communications16956.25% of 16−0.66†0.0060.051
Trade, settlement and reconciliation15853.33% of 15−0.55†0.0320.195
Payments, cards and disputes12216.67% of 12−0.55†0.0640.282
Credit, underwriting and suitability911 of 9‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal944 of 9‡
Financial crime and client onboarding733 of 7‡
Class of work
LOB Operational763039.47% of 76−0.56−0.70 to −0.38< 0.001< 0.001
Corporate Functional742635.14% of 74−0.67−0.78 to −0.52< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out3100.00% of 31Not computable, no variation in cancellation
Active, Transition/Cut-Over4300.00% of 43Not computable, no variation in cancellation
Active, Production2000.00% of 20Not computable, no variation in cancellation
Canceled5656100.00% of 56Not computable, no variation in cancellation
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.
Table 10b. Association with cancellation rate by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentOdds ratio per point95% CIAUCRate, distressed engagementsRate, other engagementsFisher pTOST p
Study set0.320.23 to 0.470.8780.00% of 3026.67% of 120< 0.0011.000
Outsourcing model
CXM0.250.11 to 0.600.905 of 627.78% of 360.0160.995
ITO0.310.15 to 0.640.877 of 925.81% of 310.0080.990
BPO0.350.18 to 0.670.8772.73% of 1123.08% of 260.0080.995
KPO0.280.10 to 0.790.854 of 429.63% of 270.0160.975
Institution type
Asset management0.27† n = 240.863 of 347.62% of 210.2230.976
Wealth management and private banking0.02† n = 230.997 of 76.25% of 16< 0.0011.000
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)0.05† n = 190.923 of 337.50% of 160.0870.996
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)0.53† n = 140.802 of 327.27% of 110.5050.738
Commercial and business banking0.53† n = 130.751 of 227.27% of 111.0000.714
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)0.60† n = 130.702 of 41 of 90.2030.548
Credit card and payments issuing0.23† n = 120.893 of 42 of 80.2220.920
Retail and consumer banking0.07† n = 120.941 of 127.27% of 110.3330.929
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)0.00† n = 110.96a27.27% of 110.850
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 9
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions0.250.11 to 0.540.896 of 732.50% of 400.0130.999
Technology engineering and operations0.190.07 to 0.550.925 of 617.24% of 290.0040.999
Client servicing and communications0.19† n = 160.864 of 441.67% of 120.0880.957
Trade, settlement and reconciliation0.43† n = 150.834 of 540.00% of 100.2820.861
Payments, cards and disputes0.14† n = 120.952 of 30 of 90.0450.823
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 9
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 7
Class of work
LOB Operational0.410.26 to 0.630.8377.78% of 1827.59% of 58< 0.0010.997
Corporate Functional0.230.12 to 0.440.9083.33% of 1225.81% of 62< 0.0011.000
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-OutNot computable, no variation in cancellation
Active, Transition/Cut-OverNot computable, no variation in cancellation
Active, ProductionNot computable, no variation in cancellation
CanceledNot computable, no variation in cancellation
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported. a None in this row.

The study set r was −0.60 (95% CI −0.70 to −0.49, Holm p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). Of the 20 tested segment levels, 11 held after Holm control.

Association with Customer Satisfaction

The satisfaction score recorded against each engagement on a 100-point scale. The primary estimate uses the 94 active engagements. A descriptive contrast uses all 150 engagements.

Table 11a. Association with customer satisfaction by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentActive engagementsClean r95% CIpHolm pSpearman rhop
Study set940.590.44 to 0.71< 0.001< 0.0010.60< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM270.63†< 0.0010.0060.540.003
ITO250.54†0.0050.0430.580.002
BPO230.71†< 0.0010.0020.66< 0.001
KPO190.66†0.0020.0210.71< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management110.73†0.0110.0440.760.007
Wealth management and private banking150.66†0.0070.0440.630.012
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)100.04†0.9210.921−0.210.567
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)9‡
Commercial and business banking9‡
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)100.91†< 0.0010.0030.91< 0.001
Credit card and payments issuing7‡
Retail and consumer banking8‡
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)8‡
Private equity and private capital7‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions280.51†0.0060.0430.540.003
Technology engineering and operations250.43†0.0330.0650.490.013
Client servicing and communications7‡
Trade, settlement and reconciliation7‡
Payments, cards and disputes100.78†0.0080.0440.800.006
Credit, underwriting and suitability8‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal5‡
Financial crime and client onboarding4‡
Class of work
LOB Operational460.700.51 to 0.82< 0.001< 0.0010.69< 0.001
Corporate Functional480.400.14 to 0.620.0040.0390.410.004
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out310.460.12 to 0.700.0100.0440.430.015
Active, Transition/Cut-Over430.640.41 to 0.79< 0.001< 0.0010.67< 0.001
Active, Production200.65†0.0020.0210.600.005
Canceled0a
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported. a No clean estimate, canceled engagements fall outside the active population.
Table 11b. Association with customer satisfaction by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentSlope, points per rating point95% CIR squaredTOST pAll engagementsDescriptive rp
Study set4.313.09 to 5.530.351.0001500.71< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM5.18† n = 270.390.981420.74< 0.001
ITO3.69† n = 250.290.916400.69< 0.001
BPO4.28† n = 230.500.994370.74< 0.001
KPO5.19† n = 190.440.975310.72< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management3.97† n = 110.530.958240.69< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking4.81† n = 150.440.953230.90< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)0.62† n = 100.000.235190.73< 0.001
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)‡ n = 9
Commercial and business banking‡ n = 9
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)7.13† n = 100.830.999130.680.011
Credit card and payments issuing‡ n = 7
Retail and consumer banking‡ n = 8
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)‡ n = 8
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 7
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions4.56† n = 280.260.897470.74< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations3.68† n = 250.180.757350.75< 0.001
Client servicing and communications‡ n = 7
Trade, settlement and reconciliation‡ n = 7
Payments, cards and disputes4.79† n = 100.600.973120.770.003
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 8
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 5
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 4
Class of work
LOB Operational4.793.29 to 6.290.481.000760.70< 0.001
Corporate Functional3.281.08 to 5.480.160.789740.72< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out2.950.77 to 5.140.210.834310.460.010
Active, Transition/Cut-Over5.083.13 to 7.020.400.997430.64< 0.001
Active, Production4.32†0.420.970200.650.002
Canceledno clean estimate, canceled engagements fall outside the active population
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

The study set r was 0.59 (95% CI 0.44 to 0.71, Holm p < 0.001, n = 94 engagements). Of the 16 tested segment levels, 14 held after Holm control.

Association with the Engagement Indicator Mean

The mean of an engagement’s 100 indicator ratings, measured at engagement level (base 150 engagements). Where this indicator is one of the 100, the mean is recomputed without it.

Table 12a. Association with the engagement indicator mean by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentEngagementsLeave-one-out r95% CIpHolm pSpearman rhop
Study set1500.780.71 to 0.84< 0.001< 0.0010.78< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM420.740.57 to 0.85< 0.001< 0.0010.74< 0.001
ITO400.760.59 to 0.87< 0.001< 0.0010.75< 0.001
BPO370.840.70 to 0.91< 0.001< 0.0010.83< 0.001
KPO310.840.69 to 0.92< 0.001< 0.0010.85< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management240.86†< 0.001< 0.0010.77< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking230.85†< 0.001< 0.0010.81< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)190.67†0.0020.0080.620.005
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)140.78†0.0010.0070.84< 0.001
Commercial and business banking130.86†< 0.0010.0020.83< 0.001
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)130.80†< 0.0010.0070.730.005
Credit card and payments issuing120.66†0.0190.0380.690.014
Retail and consumer banking120.62†0.0320.0380.640.025
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)110.88†< 0.0010.0030.92< 0.001
Private equity and private capital9‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions470.720.54 to 0.83< 0.001< 0.0010.77< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations350.760.58 to 0.87< 0.001< 0.0010.76< 0.001
Client servicing and communications160.85†< 0.001< 0.0010.80< 0.001
Trade, settlement and reconciliation150.81†< 0.0010.0020.86< 0.001
Payments, cards and disputes120.79†0.0020.0100.730.007
Credit, underwriting and suitability9‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal9‡
Financial crime and client onboarding7‡
Class of work
LOB Operational760.840.75 to 0.89< 0.001< 0.0010.80< 0.001
Corporate Functional740.720.59 to 0.81< 0.001< 0.0010.73< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out310.510.19 to 0.730.0030.0100.460.010
Active, Transition/Cut-Over430.720.53 to 0.84< 0.001< 0.0010.71< 0.001
Active, Production200.73†< 0.0010.0030.660.001
Canceled560.480.25 to 0.66< 0.0010.0020.49< 0.001
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.
Table 12b. Association with the engagement indicator mean by segment, part 2 of 2Table
Segmentr with indicator includedChange in rSlope95% CIR squaredTOST pEquivalent
Study setNot a component0.640.56 to 0.730.611.000No
Outsourcing model
CXMNot a component0.690.49 to 0.890.551.000No
ITONot a component0.590.42 to 0.750.581.000No
BPONot a component0.580.45 to 0.710.701.000No
KPONot a component0.740.56 to 0.920.701.000No
Institution type
Asset managementNot a component0.75† n = 240.731.000No
Wealth management and private bankingNot a component0.62† n = 230.731.000No
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)Not a component0.51† n = 190.450.978No
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)Not a component0.66† n = 140.610.993No
Commercial and business bankingNot a component0.61† n = 130.740.999No
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)Not a component0.72† n = 130.640.994No
Credit card and payments issuingNot a component0.45† n = 120.440.929No
Retail and consumer bankingNot a component0.73† n = 120.380.894No
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)Not a component0.79† n = 110.780.999No
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 9
Process family
Corporate and back-office functionsNot a component0.680.48 to 0.870.511.000No
Technology engineering and operationsNot a component0.620.43 to 0.810.581.000No
Client servicing and communicationsNot a component0.70† n = 160.721.000No
Trade, settlement and reconciliationNot a component0.69† n = 150.660.998No
Payments, cards and disputesNot a component0.51† n = 120.620.988No
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 9
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 7
Class of work
LOB OperationalNot a component0.640.54 to 0.740.701.000No
Corporate FunctionalNot a component0.650.50 to 0.790.521.000No
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-OutNot a component0.360.13 to 0.600.260.914No
Active, Transition/Cut-OverNot a component0.540.38 to 0.710.511.000No
Active, ProductionNot a component0.58† n = 200.530.994No
CanceledNot a component0.270.14 to 0.410.230.944No
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

The study set r was 0.78 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.84, Holm p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). Of the 24 tested segment levels, 24 held after Holm control.

Association with Intent to Leave

The respondent’s stated likelihood of leaving the current job within 12 months, rated 1 to 10 (C019). Measured at respondent level on up to 798 respondents, with the engagement-level form reported alongside.

Table 13a. Association with intent to leave by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentRespondentsr95% CICluster bootstrap 95% CIpHolm p
Study set751−0.61−0.65 to −0.56−0.67 to −0.54< 0.001< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM207−0.60−0.68 to −0.51−0.71 to −0.47< 0.001< 0.001
ITO217−0.58−0.66 to −0.48−0.71 to −0.42< 0.001< 0.001
BPO182−0.68−0.76 to −0.60−0.77 to −0.56< 0.001< 0.001
KPO145−0.58−0.68 to −0.46−0.73 to −0.40< 0.001< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management114−0.65−0.74 to −0.53−0.78 to −0.39< 0.001< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking128−0.71−0.79 to −0.61−0.80 to −0.59< 0.001< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)92−0.57−0.69 to −0.41−0.71 to −0.39< 0.001< 0.001
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)65−0.60−0.74 to −0.42−0.77 to −0.35< 0.001< 0.001
Commercial and business banking69−0.56−0.71 to −0.38−0.73 to −0.25< 0.001< 0.001
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)64−0.73−0.83 to −0.60−0.87 to −0.48< 0.001< 0.001
Credit card and payments issuing67−0.55−0.70 to −0.36−0.72 to −0.34< 0.001< 0.001
Retail and consumer banking64−0.56−0.71 to −0.36−0.75 to −0.35< 0.001< 0.001
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)52−0.66−0.79 to −0.48−0.79 to −0.46< 0.001< 0.001
Private equity and private capital36−0.53−0.73 to −0.24§ n = 9< 0.0010.004
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions215−0.60−0.68 to −0.51−0.70 to −0.50< 0.001< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations181−0.57−0.66 to −0.46−0.72 to −0.38< 0.001< 0.001
Client servicing and communications85−0.64−0.75 to −0.49−0.81 to −0.24< 0.001< 0.001
Trade, settlement and reconciliation71−0.57−0.71 to −0.39−0.77 to −0.22< 0.001< 0.001
Payments, cards and disputes63−0.81−0.88 to −0.70−0.89 to −0.65< 0.001< 0.001
Credit, underwriting and suitability52−0.62−0.76 to −0.42§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal47−0.68−0.81 to −0.48§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Financial crime and client onboarding37−0.45−0.68 to −0.15§ n = 70.0050.015
Class of work
LOB Operational395−0.63−0.69 to −0.57−0.71 to −0.53< 0.001< 0.001
Corporate Functional356−0.59−0.65 to −0.51−0.67 to −0.50< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out152−0.45−0.57 to −0.31−0.61 to −0.27< 0.001< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over224−0.48−0.58 to −0.38−0.63 to −0.30< 0.001< 0.001
Active, Production91−0.62−0.73 to −0.47−0.82 to −0.28< 0.001< 0.001
Canceled284−0.08−0.19 to 0.04−0.21 to 0.050.1780.178
Respondent role
Individual Contributor577−0.63−0.67 to −0.57−0.69 to −0.55< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement Manager150−0.58−0.68 to −0.46−0.66 to −0.49< 0.001< 0.001
Portfolio Director24−0.47††0.0210.042
Customer Management Executive0‡
Vendor type
IT services major289−0.60−0.67 to −0.52−0.70 to −0.48< 0.001< 0.001
BPO specialist172−0.58−0.67 to −0.47−0.70 to −0.42< 0.001< 0.001
Consulting firm100−0.62−0.73 to −0.49−0.78 to −0.42< 0.001< 0.001
Boutique or specialist provider74−0.64−0.75 to −0.48−0.81 to −0.33< 0.001< 0.001
Pure-play agentic AI firm65−0.77−0.85 to −0.65−0.87 to −0.63< 0.001< 0.001
Not reported, recovered by engagement51−0.52−0.70 to −0.29−0.70 to −0.30< 0.001< 0.001
Note: § Too few engagements for a cluster bootstrap interval. † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.
Table 13b. Association with intent to leave by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentSpearman rhopShare at 7 or above, distressedShare at 7 or above, otherEngagementsEngagement level r95% CITOST p
Study set−0.61< 0.00188.53% of 21840.15% of 533150−0.69−0.77 to −0.601.000
Outsourcing model
CXM−0.60< 0.00175.47% of 5333.77% of 15442−0.70−0.83 to −0.501.000
ITO−0.59< 0.00194.37% of 7143.84% of 14640−0.64−0.79 to −0.400.996
BPO−0.68< 0.00191.67% of 6037.70% of 12237−0.79−0.89 to −0.631.000
KPO−0.59< 0.00191.18% of 3446.85% of 11131−0.64−0.81 to −0.370.991
Institution type
Asset management−0.62< 0.001100.00% of 2654.55% of 8824−0.72†0.996
Wealth management and private banking−0.72< 0.00192.68% of 4126.44% of 8723−0.81†1.000
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)−0.57< 0.001100.00% of 2750.77% of 6519−0.74†0.995
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)−0.60< 0.00175.00% of 1642.86% of 4914−0.65†0.940
Commercial and business banking−0.56< 0.00177.78% of 1839.22% of 5113−0.70†0.963
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)−0.72< 0.00180.77% of 2631.58% of 3813−0.77†0.988
Credit card and payments issuing−0.58< 0.00179.17% of 2444.19% of 4312−0.62†0.890
Retail and consumer banking−0.59< 0.00181.25% of 1631.25% of 4812−0.64†0.911
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)−0.65< 0.00192.86% of 1426.32% of 3811−0.83†0.993
Private equity and private capital−0.510.001100.00% of 1050.00% of 269‡‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions−0.62< 0.00187.50% of 5644.65% of 15947−0.68−0.81 to −0.491.000
Technology engineering and operations−0.59< 0.00191.11% of 4534.56% of 13635−0.61−0.79 to −0.350.989
Client servicing and communications−0.51< 0.00186.67% of 3050.91% of 5516−0.78†0.996
Trade, settlement and reconciliation−0.55< 0.001100.00% of 2352.08% of 4815−0.67†0.958
Payments, cards and disputes−0.80< 0.00178.95% of 1913.64% of 4412−0.90†1.000
Credit, underwriting and suitability−0.64< 0.001‡37.21% of 439‡‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal−0.67< 0.001100.00% of 1743.33% of 309‡‡
Financial crime and client onboarding−0.440.00684.21% of 1944.44% of 187‡‡
Class of work
LOB Operational−0.61< 0.00189.15% of 12939.10% of 26676−0.72−0.81 to −0.591.000
Corporate Functional−0.61< 0.00187.64% of 8941.20% of 26774−0.66−0.78 to −0.511.000
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out−0.48< 0.00154.55% of 2222.31% of 13031−0.43−0.68 to −0.090.791
Active, Transition/Cut-Over−0.46< 0.00165.71% of 3520.63% of 18943−0.48−0.68 to −0.210.911
Active, Production−0.58< 0.00172.73% of 1115.00% of 8020−0.63†0.963
Canceled−0.060.288100.00% of 150100.00% of 13456−0.01−0.27 to 0.250.015
Respondent role
Individual Contributor−0.63< 0.00189.84% of 18739.49% of 390150−0.69−0.77 to −0.601.000
Engagement Manager−0.59< 0.00180.65% of 3142.02% of 119150−0.58−0.68 to −0.461.000
Portfolio Director−0.420.040‡ n = 041.67% of 2424−0.47†0.818
Customer Management Executive‡ n = 0
Vendor type
IT services major−0.61< 0.00188.46% of 7841.23% of 21159−0.66−0.78 to −0.481.000
BPO specialist−0.56< 0.00185.71% of 6343.12% of 10937−0.70−0.83 to −0.480.999
Consulting firm−0.64< 0.00192.31% of 2632.43% of 7423−0.65†0.983
Boutique or specialist provider−0.58< 0.00192.31% of 1345.90% of 6117−0.75†0.994
Pure-play agentic AI firm−0.74< 0.001100.00% of 1928.26% of 4614−0.92†1.000
Not reported, recovered by engagement−0.52< 0.00178.95% of 1946.88% of 3242−0.53−0.72 to −0.270.958
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

The study set r was −0.61 (95% CI −0.65 to −0.56, Holm p < 0.001, n = 751 respondents). Of the 37 tested segment levels, 36 held after Holm control.

Association of Written Sentiment with the Study Measures

Table 14. Written sentiment and the study measuresTable
ComparisonWith a negative responseWithout a negative responseTestStatisticp
Cancellation rate14 of 30 engagements (46.67%)42 of 120 engagements (35.00%)Fisher exact0.292
Customer satisfaction, active engagementsMean 63.63%, n = 16 engagementsMean 64.19%, n = 78 engagementsWelch t−0.150.881
Engagement mean written score and cancellationPoint-biserial rr = −0.04, n = 42 engagements0.784
Respondent mean written score and intent to leaveSpearman rhorho = −0.12, n = 50 respondents0.390

The cancellation and customer satisfaction contrasts compared engagements with a negative written response against all other engagements. The comparison group comprised 120 other engagements, of which 108 had no scored written response coded to the indicator and 12 had only scored responses that were not negative. The two contrasts therefore did not test written sentiment by themselves. Cancellation was recorded for 14 of the 30 engagements with a negative response (46.67%), against 42 of the 120 other engagements (35.00%). The difference did not reach significance at 0.05 (Fisher exact p = 0.292). Mean customer satisfaction was 63.63% on the 16 active engagements with a negative response, against 64.19% on the 78 other active engagements. The difference did not reach significance at 0.05 (Welch t −0.15, p = 0.881). The association of written sentiment itself with the study measures was tested by two correlations. The association of the engagement mean written score with cancellation did not reach significance at 0.05 (r = −0.04, p = 0.784, n = 42 engagements). The association of the respondent mean written score with intent to leave did not reach significance at 0.05 (rho = −0.12, p = 0.390, n = 50 respondents). None of the four outcome comparisons reached significance at 0.05. Both comparisons with cancellation were descriptive, because responses on canceled engagements were written after cancellation.

Comparison of Associations Across the Four Measures

Table 15. Associations across the four measuresTable
MeasureFormUnitnr95% CIpEquivalent to zeroRank among the four
Cancellation rateDescriptive contrastEngagement150−0.60−0.70 to −0.49< 0.001No3
Customer satisfactionClean estimateEngagement940.590.44 to 0.71< 0.001No4
Engagement indicator meanFullEngagement1500.780.71 to 0.84< 0.001No1
Intent to leaveRespondent level, clusteredRespondent751−0.61−0.67 to −0.54< 0.001No2
Table 16. Pairwise comparison of associationsTable
Pair comparedDifference in rSteiger zpHolm pReading
Cancellation rate and customer satisfaction−0.10−4.87< 0.001< 0.001Differ
Cancellation rate and engagement indicator mean−0.18−4.37< 0.001< 0.001Differ
Cancellation rate and intent to leave−0.08−2.030.0420.085Do not differ
Customer satisfaction and engagement indicator mean−0.07−2.590.0100.029Differ
Customer satisfaction and intent to leave0.031.020.3090.309Do not differ
Engagement indicator mean and intent to leave0.103.30< 0.0010.004Differ

Pairs were compared on the engagement level form of every measure, each turned so that a higher value was the better outcome, on the 150 engagements where the indicator and all four measures existed. Of the 6 pairs, 4 differed after Holm control.

Clustering and Effective Sample Size

Table 17. Clustering and effective sample sizeTable
StatisticValueReading
Clusters (engagements)150Engagements with at least one answer.
Mean respondents per engagement5.3Answers per engagement with at least one answer.
ICC(1)0.62Share of variance between engagements.
Design effect3.681 plus (mean cluster size minus 1) times ICC.
Nominal respondent n798Respondents who answered.
Effective n217Nominal n divided by the design effect.
Cluster bootstrap appliedYesApplied to every respondent level CI where the ICC is 0.05 or above.

Clustering reduced the 798 respondent answers to about 217 independent answers. Respondent level intervals therefore used the cluster bootstrap, and respondent level tests on intent to leave used cluster-robust errors.

Equivalence Tests of Null Results

Table 18. Equivalence tests of null resultsTable
MeasurenrEquivalence boundTOST p, lowerTOST p, upperEquivalent to zeroAchieved powerMDE at power 0.80Detection floor for this n
Cancellation rate150−0.60|r| < 0.301.000< 0.001No0.960.230.23
Customer satisfaction940.59|r| < 0.30< 0.0011.000No0.840.290.23
Engagement indicator mean1500.78|r| < 0.30< 0.0011.000No0.960.230.23
Intent to leave751, effective 203−0.61|r| < 0.301.000< 0.001No0.990.200.23

No measure showed a tested null. No result was inconclusive. The detection floor column is the study floor at 150 engagements. Intent to leave was tested on its effective n.

Robustness Checks

Table 19. Robustness checksTable
CheckMeasurePrimary rCheck r95% CIChangeConclusion holds
Rank correlation in place of PearsonCancellation rate−0.60−0.62a−0.01Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonCustomer satisfaction0.590.60a0.00Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonEngagement indicator mean0.780.78a0.00Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonIntent to leave−0.61−0.61a0.00Yes
Non-answers excluded, then imputed at the engagement meanIntent to leave−0.61−0.61a0.00Yes
Active engagements onlyEngagement indicator mean0.780.660.53 to 0.76−0.12Yes
Active engagements onlyIntent to leave−0.61−0.50−0.57 to −0.430.11Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Cancellation rate−0.60−0.62−0.71 to −0.51−0.02Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Customer satisfaction0.590.630.49 to 0.740.04Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Engagement indicator mean0.780.790.72 to 0.840.01Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Intent to leave−0.61−0.62−0.66 to −0.58−0.01Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countCancellation rate−0.60−0.60a0.01Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countCustomer satisfaction0.590.61a0.02Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countEngagement indicator mean0.780.78a0.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsCancellation rate−0.60−0.61−0.69 to −0.510.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsCustomer satisfaction0.590.590.44 to 0.710.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsEngagement indicator mean0.780.780.72 to 0.830.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsIntent to leave−0.61−0.61−0.67 to −0.540.00Yes
Thin-base segments removedCancellation rate−0.60−0.66−0.77 to −0.52−0.06Yes
Thin-base segments removedCustomer satisfaction0.590.480.24 to 0.66−0.11Yes
Thin-base segments removedEngagement indicator mean0.780.730.61 to 0.82−0.05Yes
Thin-base segments removedIntent to leave−0.61−0.59−0.65 to −0.520.02Yes
Note: a No interval for this check.

Each change was computed before rounding, so it can differ by 0.01 from the difference of the two printed values.

Every check held. A check holds when its test lands on the same side of 0.05 as the primary test and, where the primary test is below 0.05, its r keeps the primary sign. Thin-base rule: engagements in any level under 30 engagements of outsourcing model or process family removed. Institution type is not used, because every one of its levels is under 30.

Measure Independence and Part-Whole Correction

Each of the four measures was computed from data this indicator does not contain, so each result is a finding rather than an arithmetic consequence.

Comparison with the Study Norm

Table 20. Comparison with the study normTable
MeasureThis indicator, oriented rStudy median, oriented rDeviationFisher zpHolm p
Cancellation rate0.600.600.010.130.8941.000
Customer satisfaction0.710.72−0.01−0.260.7911.000
Engagement indicator mean0.780.84−0.05−1.930.0530.212
Intent to leave0.680.71−0.03−0.690.4881.000
Spread of deviations0.06
VerdictTYPICAL

Each deviation was computed before rounding, so it can differ by 0.01 from the difference of the two printed values.

The comparison ran on 150 engagements. The indicator followed the study’s typical pattern on every measure.

Comparison of Written Sentiment with Indicators of the Four Parts

Figure 6. Share of negative written responses, indicators of the four Parts with 30 or more scored responses (n = 101 indicators)Exhibit
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%110%120%C044C052C053C128C209C205C203C199C211C159C132C152C105C098C126C148C108C122C116C021C096C149C112C173C097C113C139C201C109C157C101C172C158C213C095C094C138C187C100C106C127C195C111C186C176C110C143C144C175C207C102C196C145C103C133C124C125C020C115C130C189C168C182C164C049, 73.68% of 57C049C178C123C141C188C147C179C137C160C120C040C018C174C181C104C161C165C183C092C129C185C136C017C190C012C035C212C036C171C071ENG:Use CaseC200C080C206C014C069C084Median of the 101 indicators (dashed line)
Note: Each column is one indicator, ordered from the highest share of negative responses. The indicator is shown in amber. The dashed line marks the median share across the 101 indicators, 79.55%.

The peer set comprised 101 indicators of the four Parts with 30 or more scored responses. The indicator was within the peer set. Its share of negative responses ranked 65 of 101 from the highest. Its mean written score (−2.9, n = 57 responses) ranked 77 of 101 from the most negative. The peer median of the mean written score was −4.6 across the 101 indicators.

Co-Occurring Indicators and Themes

Figure 7. Other indicators and themes coded in the same written responses (n = 57 responses)Exhibit
Theme: Occurs every cycle or most days3 (5.26%)Theme: Stated periodic rate3 (5.26%)Theme: Financial institution was not told3 (5.26%)Theme: Human rework absorbs the failure5 (8.77%)Theme: Raised it, nothing came back5 (8.77%)C1086 (10.53%)C2116 (10.53%)C0527 (12.28%)C0537 (12.28%)Theme: Told vendor-side management9 (15.79%)C10910 (17.54%)C20516 (28.07%)
Note: Gray bars are other indicators coded in the same responses. Amber bars are themes of the coding rulebook, which carry no score. Shares are of the 57 responses coded to the indicator. Every co-coded indicator and every theme at or above the fifth-highest count of its kind is shown, ties included. C205: “I have altered client processes.” C109: “Rate how quickly the customer responds when this engagement raises issues that need customer action.” C052: “The dashboard and performance reports given to the customer are accurate.” C053: “The vendor manipulates the dashboard and performance reports given to the customer.” C108: “Rate the customer’s ability to provision the system access and identities that AI agents require.” C211: “I have altered AI outputs.” Emotional states coded in the same responses, as counts: frustrated 2, tired 1, resigned 1 and calm or fine 1.

The responses coded to the indicator were most often also coded to “I have altered client processes” (C205, 16 responses). The second most frequent co-coded indicator was “Rate how quickly the customer responds when this engagement raises issues that need customer action” (C109, 10 responses). The most frequent theme of the coding rulebook in the same responses was “Told vendor-side management” (9 responses).

Interpretation of the Data

Canceled engagements had the lowest delivery ratings (mean 3.4, n = 304 respondents), and Active, Production had the highest (mean 5.8, n = 97 respondents). Portfolio Director respondents rated delivery highest (mean 6.5, n = 24 respondents), and Individual Contributor respondents rated it lowest (mean 4.6, n = 624 respondents). Consulting firm respondents rated delivery higher (mean 5.3, n = 106 respondents) than BPO specialist respondents (mean 4.3, n = 187 respondents). The associations with the four study measures held under every robustness check run on this item (22 of 22 checks).

The correlation between written score and rating did not reach significance at 0.05, so the written responses gave no verdict on the rating. All 16 responses also coded to C205 were secondary responses to the indicator. Written responses were voluntary. They recorded what the respondents who wrote reported, and how common it was is measured by the ratings.

Limitations

The evidence is reported experience: what the delivery team said about its own engagement, gathered in one cross-section. The figures showed associations, not causes. Indicators about the financial institution were reported at second hand by vendor staff. Cancellation is a descriptive contrast, because canceled engagements were rated after they ended.

Tests across respondent role and vendor type were run at respondent level and treated respondents as independent. The section Clustering and Effective Sample Size states whether, and by how much, clustering within engagements reduced the information in respondent level figures.

No Customer Management Executive respondent answered this item (n = 0). Answers clustered within engagements, which reduced the effective number of independent answers (ICC 0.62, 798 answers worth about 217 independent answers).

Shares of written sentiment were shares of responses, not of the study set of respondents. The written score took five fixed values, so its mean and median were coarse. Responses clustered within engagements. Intervals for written sentiment used a bootstrap by engagement. Coding was performed by AI coders under a fixed rulebook. Agreement on whether a response was coded to the indicator rested on 10 responses second-coded under rulebook 0.5, with the coders agreeing on 8 of 10. Agreement on the score rested on 8 responses second-scored under rulebook 0.5, with the scores agreeing in 8 of 8. These bases of second-coded responses are too small for an indicator-level alpha.

Definitions

Table 21. DefinitionsTable
TermDefinition
Response scaleRatings run from 1 to 10. Where a high rating is the worse outcome, the analysis uses the goodness view, 11 minus the raw rating.
DistressedA rating of 3 or below on the goodness view. At engagement level, an engagement mean of 3 or below.
Answering baseRespondents who gave a rating from 1 to 10.
Non-answers“I do not know” and “I prefer to not answer” are counted separately and are excluded from the mean.
Indicator classRespondent level: a value recorded for each respondent and computed across the respondents who answered.
Failure categoryOne of the five failure categories of the Study Taxonomy, section 3. Only the 100 rated indicators carry one, and the indicator is not among them.
Engagement indicator meanThe mean of an engagement’s 100 indicator ratings.
Written responseA coded written answer about the respondent’s own engagement. Non-answers and answers about another engagement are excluded.
Primary and secondaryPrimary responses were written in answer to a written-answer question in the indicator’s own survey section. Secondary responses were written in answer to a question outside that section and coded to the indicator because their content addressed it.
Written sentiment scaleFive fixed values of the coding rulebook: −10, −5, 0, +5, +10. The sign is the direction and the magnitude is the strength.
CodingResponses were coded under rulebook 0.5. Scores were added under rulebook 0.6 to every mark and every quote, with the score rulings of rulebook section 21. AI coders worked under a fixed rulebook. A sample of records was second-coded. Score agreement across all indicators was Krippendorff’s alpha 0.969 on the 0.5 scores and 0.930 on the scores added in 0.6.

Sources and Provenance

Table 22. Sources and provenanceTable
ItemValue
Study dataStudy Data.xlsx, Data sheet, column C049, sha256 219eba0457274d04
Statistics enginecompute_statistics.py, sha256 738319eef764602b
Statistics recordComputed Statistics.json, record C049, sha256 e405f65a43e37a6e
ComputedOctober 8, 2026, 01:38 UTC
TemplateIndicator Statistical Analysis Template, version 1.1 of 2026-10-06
Figures placed by script2,363 of 2,363
Study metadataStudy Meta.md, sections 10.4 and 10.4.1, coder agreement across all indicators
Coded written responsesQuotes Master.jsonl, sha256 27da38085e2b13fd. Quote Coding Rulebook, version 0.6 with section 21
Written-response computationqa_stats.py, sha256 74a61f3a96169da9. wfacts.py, sha256 b85fae20adf812a1. prose_gen.py, sha256 c277d2c752f8d88f. build_indicator.py, sha256 da3473bd56a4a7b9
Written-response recordsC049.qa.json, sha256 4cb31b9d93c68f1a. C049.wfacts.json, sha256 2a96567bee02f184. Prose C049.json, sha256 afebf906d0c9a656

Continue the report

Executive summary →
Overview

Executive Summary

Four findings from 150 engagements

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Introduction

Introduction

Scope, evidence, and how the report is organized

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Part 1

Engagement Outcomes

Poor results on every measure, and what separates them

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Part 2

The Five Failure Categories

Where failure concentrates, category by category

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Part 3

Governance, Oversight, and Control

Controls that existed in name only

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Part 4

The Delivery Workforce

Early in their careers, dissatisfied, and many intending to leave

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Part 5

Manual Alteration

How the delivery team altered the work to sustain it

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Part 6

Executive Action Plan

Seven immediate actions and a first-year plan

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Appendices

Appendices

Definitions, indicator inventory, method, and disclosures

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Data

Study Data

Deep-dive analyses of the study indicators, published in stages

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