Study Data · Part 2 · Indicator Deep-Dive Analysis

Rate the maturity of the customer’s data governance over the data this engagement uses

Indicator C097 · By Phil Hatch · Akholi · October 9, 2026

Indicator Specification

Table 1. Indicator specificationTable
FieldValue
Indicator codeC097
Question as askedRate the maturity of the customer’s data governance over the data this engagement uses.
Failure categoryFinancial institution readiness
Place in the surveyChallenge Deep Dive > 5.1 Customer > Data Readiness
Indicator classRespondent level
Indicator typeRated, POS
Response scale1 to 10, higher is the better outcome
Answering base797 of 850 respondents, across 150 of 150 engagements
Non-answersI do not know 0, I prefer to not answer 0, blank 53
Written responses coded to the indicator172 responses from 155 respondents on 99 engagements (61 primary, 111 secondary)

Summary of Findings

Table 2. Key results: association of the indicator with the four study measuresTable
MeasureFormnr95% CIp
Cancellation rateDescriptive contrast150 engagements−0.56−0.66 to −0.44< 0.001
Customer satisfactionClean estimate94 engagements0.670.54 to 0.77< 0.001
Engagement indicator meanLeave-one-out150 engagements0.760.68 to 0.82< 0.001
Intent to leaveRespondent level, clustered750 respondents−0.60−0.67 to −0.53< 0.001

Ratings of the maturity of the financial institution’s data governance over the data the engagement used (mean 3.6, median 3.0, n = 797 respondents) were associated with all four study measures. Engagements with higher ratings were canceled less often (r = −0.56, 95% CI −0.66 to −0.44, p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). Higher ratings came with higher customer satisfaction on active engagements (r = 0.67, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.77, p < 0.001, n = 94 active engagements). Ratings rose with the engagement indicator mean, computed with this item left out (r = 0.76, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.82, p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). Respondents who gave higher ratings reported lower intent to leave (r = −0.60, cluster bootstrap 95% CI −0.67 to −0.53, p < 0.001, n = 750 respondents). Ratings differed after Holm control by engagement status and lifecycle stage (Welch F 25.22, Holm p < 0.001, omega squared 0.296), by respondent role (Welch F 7.37, Holm p 0.006, omega squared 0.015), and by vendor type (Welch F 5.69, Holm p < 0.001, omega squared 0.028).

The indicator had 172 written responses coded to it, from 155 of 850 respondents on 99 of 150 engagements. Negative responses numbered 152 of the 172 scored responses (88.37%). The strongest negative score, −10, was carried by 106 of the 172 scored responses (61.63%). Secondary responses, written in answer to questions outside the indicator’s own survey section, numbered 111 of the 172 responses (64.53%). Respondents who wrote rated the indicator lower than respondents who did not (mean 3.0, n = 145 respondents, against mean 3.7, n = 652 respondents), a difference whose interval excluded zero.

Distribution of Ratings

Table 3. Distribution of ratings, respondent levelTable
AnswerRespondentsShare of answered (base 797)Cumulative shareEngagements with at least oneShare of 150 engagementsDistressed
116220.33%20.33%6442.67%Yes
29311.67%31.99%6241.33%Yes
314618.32%50.31%8758.00%Yes
412715.93%66.25%8355.33%No
512215.31%81.56%7952.67%No
68010.04%91.59%5536.67%No
7486.02%97.62%3020.00%No
8141.76%99.37%106.67%No
950.63%100.00%53.33%No
1000.00%100.00%00.00%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, total797100.00%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 view1503.71.71.03.67.86040.00%

The study set mean was 3.6 on 797 answering respondents, with a median of 3.0. 401 answers, 50.31% of the 797, were at the distressed end. A distressed engagement mean was recorded in 60 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 = 172 responses)Exhibit
020406080C177 (secondary)C055 (secondary)C208 (secondary)C030 (secondary)8C204 (secondary)10C029 (secondary)1326C202 (secondary)427C114 (primary)391012Written 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. C114 asked: “Add any comments on the customer organization that the ratings in this section do not capture.” C202 asked: “Why did you alter client provided data?” C029 asked: “What are your top 3 challenges that reduce your job satisfaction?” C204 asked: “Comment.” C030 asked: “What are the top 3 things that you love most about your job?” C208 asked: “Why did you alter client processes?” C055 asked: “How does the vendor manipulate performance reports and dashboards?” 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
Primary61615049 of 61 (80.33%)39 of 61 (63.93%)12 of 61 (19.67%)−6.2
Secondary11110270103 of 111 (92.79%)67 of 111 (60.36%)8 of 111 (7.21%)−7.3
All responses17215599152 of 172 (88.37%)106 of 172 (61.63%)20 of 172 (11.63%)−6.9

Of the 172 responses, 61 (35.47%) were primary and 111 (64.53%) were secondary. The secondary responses came from 102 respondents on 70 engagements, in answer to 7 questions outside the indicator’s own survey section (most often C202 with 49 responses, C029 with 39 responses and C204 with 11 responses). Both a primary and a secondary response came from 8 respondents. Among the Part 2 indicators with 30 or more scored responses, the secondary share of the indicator ranked 13 of 71 from the highest. The median secondary share was 18.92% across the 71 indicators.

Negative responses made up 103 of the 111 secondary responses (92.79%), against 49 of the 61 primary responses (80.33%). The difference reached significance at 0.05 (Fisher exact p = 0.023, n = 172 responses). The share of negative responses was larger among secondary responses than among primary responses.

Distribution of Written Sentiment

Figure 2. Distribution of written sentiment (n = 172 scored responses)Exhibit
106 (61.63%)−10 Stronglynegative46 (26.74%)−5 Negative0 (0.00%)0 Neutral20 (11.63%)+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−6.995% CI −7.7 to −6.0, cluster bootstrap by engagement, 10,000 draws, n = 172 responses
Median written score−10.0n = 172 responses
Negative responses152 of 172 (88.37%)95% CI 82.47% to 93.53% of 172 responses, cluster bootstrap by engagement
Strongest negative responses (−10)106 of 172 (61.63%)Statements of totality, constancy or serious harm
Positive responses20 of 172 (11.63%)+5 or +10
Net balance−76.74 percentage pointsShare positive minus share negative, base 172 responses
Respondent-level mean−6.8Mean of each respondent’s own mean written score, n = 155 respondents

Of the 172 scored responses, 152 (88.37%) were negative, 106 (61.63%) carried the strongest negative score and 20 (11.63%) were positive. The responses had a mean written score of −6.9 (95% CI −7.7 to −6.0, n = 172 responses on 99 engagements).

Correspondence Between Ratings and Written Sentiment

Figure 3. Written score against the respondent’s rating of the indicator (n = 162 responses with a rating)Exhibit
12345678910Rating (1 = worst, 10 = best)73810742147211885212444112−10 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 172 scored responses, 10 had no rating and were excluded.

Respondents who rated the indicator 3 or below wrote 104 of the 144 negative responses with a rating. Written score and rating showed a strong positive correlation that reached significance at 0.05 (Spearman rho 0.56, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.67, p < 0.001, n = 162 responses on 94 engagements). Its interval excluded 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%40%12345678910Rating of the indicator (1 = worst, 10 = best)Respondents who wrote and gave a rating (n = 145)Respondents who did not write and gave a rating (n = 652)
Note: Each group sums to 100% of its own respondents with a rating: 145 who wrote about the indicator and 652 who did not.

Respondents who wrote about the indicator rated it 0.7 points lower than respondents who did not (mean 3.0, n = 145 respondents, against mean 3.7, n = 652 respondents, difference 95% CI −1.0 to −0.4, cluster bootstrap by engagement). The interval of the difference excluded zero. Ratings of 3 or below came from 92 of the 145 respondents who wrote and gave a rating (63.45%), against 309 of the 652 respondents who did not write and gave a rating (47.39%). 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 set85079793.76% of 8501503.63.5 to 3.72.0
Outsourcing model
CXM23221391.81% of 232423.73.4 to 3.92.0
ITO24423395.49% of 244403.83.5 to 4.01.9
BPO20919693.78% of 209373.43.2 to 3.71.8
KPO16515593.94% of 165313.53.2 to 3.92.2
Institution type
Asset management13212493.94% of 132243.32.9 to 3.61.9
Wealth management and private banking14013193.57% of 140233.83.4 to 4.11.9
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)10510297.14% of 105193.63.2 to 4.02.0
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)786988.46% of 78143.83.4 to 4.31.8
Commercial and business banking827793.90% of 82133.73.2 to 4.22.1
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)716895.77% of 71133.63.2 to 4.11.9
Credit card and payments issuing737095.89% of 73123.42.9 to 3.92.1
Retail and consumer banking736487.67% of 73123.83.4 to 4.31.9
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)575494.74% of 57113.63.1 to 4.11.7
Private equity and private capital393897.44% of 3993.62.8 to 4.42.4
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions24822891.94% of 248473.63.3 to 3.82.0
Technology engineering and operations20419495.10% of 204354.03.7 to 4.31.9
Client servicing and communications949095.74% of 94163.22.7 to 3.62.0
Trade, settlement and reconciliation807492.50% of 80153.32.9 to 3.71.6
Payments, cards and disputes737095.89% of 73123.83.4 to 4.21.7
Credit, underwriting and suitability575291.23% of 5794.33.7 to 4.82.1
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal514690.20% of 5193.52.8 to 4.12.1
Financial crime and client onboarding4343100.00% of 4372.62.1 to 3.11.7
Class of work
LOB Operational45142694.46% of 451763.53.3 to 3.71.9
Corporate Functional39937192.98% of 399743.73.5 to 3.92.0
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out17516091.43% of 175314.44.1 to 4.71.8
Active, Transition/Cut-Over25023393.20% of 250434.24.0 to 4.51.8
Active, Production1039996.12% of 103204.44.0 to 4.82.0
Canceled32230594.72% of 322562.52.3 to 2.61.5
Respondent role
Individual Contributor66761492.05% of 6671503.53.4 to 3.72.0
Engagement Manager150150100.00% of 1501503.83.4 to 4.12.0
Portfolio Director3131100.00% of 31314.84.1 to 5.51.9
Customer Management Executive222 of 22‡
Vendor type
IT services major31629994.62% of 316593.93.6 to 4.12.0
BPO specialist19818593.43% of 198373.12.8 to 3.41.9
Consulting firm11710690.60% of 117234.13.7 to 4.51.9
Boutique or specialist provider878294.25% of 87173.32.9 to 3.71.8
Pure-play agentic AI firm757194.67% of 75143.73.2 to 4.22.0
Not reported, recovered by engagement575494.74% of 57453.42.9 to 4.02.0
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.
Table 7b. Descriptive statistics by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentMinQ1MedianQ3MaxDistressed nDistressed %
Study set1.02.03.05.09.040150.31%
Outsourcing model
CXM1.02.04.05.08.010649.77%
ITO1.02.04.05.09.010645.49%
BPO1.02.03.05.09.010654.08%
KPO1.02.03.05.09.08353.55%
Institution type
Asset management1.01.03.05.07.07157.26%
Wealth management and private banking1.02.04.05.09.05844.27%
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)1.02.03.05.09.05351.96%
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)1.03.04.05.08.03246.38%
Commercial and business banking1.02.03.05.09.04051.95%
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)1.02.03.55.08.03450.00%
Credit card and payments issuing1.01.03.05.09.04260.00%
Retail and consumer banking1.03.04.05.09.02742.19%
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)1.02.34.04.87.02444.44%
Private equity and private capital1.01.03.05.08.02052.63%
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions1.02.03.05.09.012153.07%
Technology engineering and operations1.03.04.05.09.07840.21%
Client servicing and communications1.01.03.05.08.05460.00%
Trade, settlement and reconciliation1.02.03.05.06.04256.76%
Payments, cards and disputes1.03.04.05.08.02941.43%
Credit, underwriting and suitability1.03.04.06.09.02344.23%
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal1.01.33.55.09.02350.00%
Financial crime and client onboarding1.01.02.04.07.03172.09%
Class of work
LOB Operational1.02.03.05.09.022252.11%
Corporate Functional1.02.04.05.09.017948.25%
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out1.03.04.06.09.05433.75%
Active, Transition/Cut-Over1.03.04.06.09.07733.05%
Active, Production1.03.04.06.09.03636.36%
Canceled1.01.02.03.08.023476.72%
Respondent role
Individual Contributor1.02.03.05.09.032552.93%
Engagement Manager1.02.04.05.09.06845.33%
Portfolio Director1.03.55.06.08.0825.81%
Customer Management Executive‡ n = 2
Vendor type
IT services major1.02.04.05.09.013444.82%
BPO specialist1.01.03.04.09.011763.24%
Consulting firm1.03.04.05.09.04138.68%
Boutique or specialist provider1.02.03.05.07.04554.88%
Pure-play agentic AI firm1.02.04.05.07.03346.48%
Not reported, recovered by engagement1.02.03.05.08.03157.41%
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 model0.473, 78.40.7041.000−0.0120.000 to 0.028
Institution type0.248, 49.50.9801.000−0.0430.000 to 0.000
Process family0.944, 41.60.4521.000−0.0030.000 to 0.062
Class of work0.601, 145.60.4391.000−0.0030.000 to 0.037
Engagement status and lifecycle stage25.223, 58.6< 0.001< 0.0010.2960.202 to 0.392
Respondent role7.372, 75.90.0010.0060.0150.005 to 0.034
Vendor type5.695, 234.9< 0.001< 0.0010.0280.012 to 0.052
Table 8b. Tests of difference between segments, part 2 of 2Table
Segment familyKruskal-Wallis HpDistressed chi-squaredfpCramer’s VLevels left out
Outsourcing model1.520.6793.8230.2820.16None
Institution type2.100.9783.9880.869, simulated0.17a
Process family4.110.3926.7540.152, simulated0.23b
Class of work0.500.4810.0410.8410.02None
Engagement status and lifecycle stage47.64< 0.00138.823< 0.0010.51None
Respondent role13.360.00110.6120.0050.12c
Vendor type28.20< 0.00123.915< 0.0010.17None
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 = 2.

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 25.22, Holm p < 0.001, tested on engagement means). In Descriptive Statistics by Segment, Active, Build-Out had the highest mean, 4.4 (n = 160 respondents), and Canceled the lowest, 2.5 (n = 305 respondents). Respondent role differed after Holm control (Welch F 7.37, Holm p 0.006, tested on respondents). In Descriptive Statistics by Segment, Portfolio Director had the highest mean, 4.8 (n = 31 respondents), and Individual Contributor the lowest, 3.5 (n = 614 respondents). Vendor type differed after Holm control (Welch F 5.69, Holm p < 0.001, tested on respondents). In Descriptive Statistics by Segment, Consulting firm had the highest mean, 4.1 (n = 106 respondents), and BPO specialist the lowest, 3.1 (n = 185 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 = 80)77.50%18.75%Active, Production (n = 18)61.11%27.78%Active, Transition/Cut-Over (n = 48)45.83%31.25%22.92%Active, Build-Out (n = 26)42.31%42.31%15.38%All responses (n = 172)61.63%26.74%−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-Out262318−5.622 of 26 (84.62%)11 of 26 (42.31%)
Active, Transition/Cut-Over484628−5.037 of 48 (77.08%)22 of 48 (45.83%)
Active, Production181610−6.916 of 18 (88.89%)11 of 18 (61.11%)
Canceled807043−8.577 of 80 (96.25%)62 of 80 (77.50%)
Respondent role
Individual Contributor13411982−7.3122 of 134 (91.04%)86 of 134 (64.18%)
Engagement Manager302828−5.724 of 30 (80.00%)16 of 30 (53.33%)
Portfolio Director888‡6 of 84 of 8
Customer Management Executive000No responses
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Scored responses came from 18 engagements in the Active, Build-Out group, 28 engagements in the Active, Transition/Cut-Over group, 10 engagements in the Active, Production group and 43 engagements in the Canceled group. A test of mean written scores across the groups, with each engagement counted once, showed a difference that reached significance at 0.05 (Kruskal-Wallis H 13.00, df 3, p = 0.005, n = 99 engagements). Among the groups with 10 or more responses, the lowest mean written score came from the Canceled group (−8.5, n = 80 responses). The highest came from the Active, Transition/Cut-Over group (−5.0, n = 48 responses).

The role test compared individual contributors and engagement managers, the roles with 30 or more scored responses. A test of mean written scores between the two roles, with each respondent counted once, showed no difference that reached significance at 0.05 (Kruskal-Wallis H 1.55, df 1, p = 0.213, n = 147 respondents). The roles compared had mean written scores of −7.3 for individual contributors (n = 134 responses) and −5.7 for engagement managers (n = 30 responses). Roles under 10 responses are reported as counts only. Among portfolio directors, negative responses numbered 6 of 8.

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 150−0.56−0.66 to −0.44< 0.001< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM421535.71% of 42−0.55−0.73 to −0.29< 0.0010.002
ITO401537.50% of 40−0.49−0.70 to −0.210.0010.016
BPO371437.84% of 37−0.70−0.83 to −0.48< 0.001< 0.001
KPO311238.71% of 31−0.53−0.75 to −0.220.0020.022
Institution type
Asset management241354.17% of 24−0.70†< 0.0010.002
Wealth management and private banking23834.78% of 23−0.54†0.0080.069
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)19947.37% of 19−0.40†0.0880.430
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)14535.71% of 14−0.73†0.0030.033
Commercial and business banking13430.77% of 13−0.30†0.3140.454
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)13323.08% of 13−0.49†0.0860.430
Credit card and payments issuing12541.67% of 12−0.61†0.0350.277
Retail and consumer banking12433.33% of 12−0.56†0.0570.388
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)11327.27% of 11−0.88†< 0.0010.004
Private equity and private capital922 of 9‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions471940.43% of 47−0.54−0.72 to −0.30< 0.0010.001
Technology engineering and operations351028.57% of 35−0.60−0.78 to −0.34< 0.0010.002
Client servicing and communications16956.25% of 16−0.35†0.1820.454
Trade, settlement and reconciliation15853.33% of 15−0.39†0.1510.454
Payments, cards and disputes12216.67% of 12−0.57†0.0550.388
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 76−0.52−0.67 to −0.34< 0.001< 0.001
Corporate Functional742635.14% of 74−0.59−0.72 to −0.42< 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 set0.360.26 to 0.510.8466.67% of 6017.78% of 90< 0.0011.000
Outsourcing model
CXM0.370.19 to 0.710.8361.11% of 1816.67% of 240.0040.972
ITO0.460.27 to 0.790.7972.73% of 1124.14% of 290.0090.916
BPO0.170.06 to 0.500.9275.00% of 169.52% of 21< 0.0010.999
KPO0.410.21 to 0.800.8260.00% of 1518.75% of 160.0290.934
Institution type
Asset management0.22† n = 240.9075.00% of 1233.33% of 120.1000.995
Wealth management and private banking0.38† n = 230.825 of 820.00% of 150.0710.908
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)0.52† n = 190.745 of 733.33% of 120.1700.680
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)0.03† n = 140.934 of 410.00% of 100.0050.979
Commercial and business banking0.65† n = 130.693 of 61 of 70.2660.505
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)0.35† n = 130.833 of 60 of 70.0700.769
Credit card and payments issuing0.33† n = 120.904 of 61 of 60.2420.886
Retail and consumer banking0.28† n = 120.832 of 42 of 80.5470.836
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)0.12† n = 111.003 of 30 of 80.0060.999
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 9
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions0.420.24 to 0.710.8160.87% of 2320.83% of 240.0080.975
Technology engineering and operations0.330.16 to 0.690.876 of 814.81% of 270.0030.986
Client servicing and communications0.63† n = 160.716 of 83 of 80.3150.582
Trade, settlement and reconciliation0.46† n = 150.745 of 63 of 90.1190.638
Payments, cards and disputes0.02† n = 120.952 of 40 of 80.0910.840
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 9
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 7
Class of work
LOB Operational0.390.25 to 0.620.8167.74% of 3120.00% of 45< 0.0010.990
Corporate Functional0.330.20 to 0.550.8665.52% of 2915.56% of 45< 0.0010.999
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.

The study set r was −0.56 (95% CI −0.66 to −0.44, 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 set940.670.54 to 0.77< 0.001< 0.0010.66< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM270.73†< 0.001< 0.0010.76< 0.001
ITO250.53†0.0060.0300.550.005
BPO230.63†0.0010.0100.560.005
KPO190.79†< 0.001< 0.0010.75< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management110.78†0.0050.0300.790.004
Wealth management and private banking150.73†0.0020.0150.77< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)100.68†0.0300.0780.770.010
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)9‡
Commercial and business banking9‡
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)100.61†0.0630.0780.610.059
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 functions280.78†< 0.001< 0.0010.71< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations250.53†0.0060.0300.590.002
Client servicing and communications7‡
Trade, settlement and reconciliation7‡
Payments, cards and disputes100.69†0.0260.0780.520.125
Credit, underwriting and suitability8‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal5‡
Financial crime and client onboarding4‡
Class of work
LOB Operational460.700.52 to 0.83< 0.001< 0.0010.65< 0.001
Corporate Functional480.640.44 to 0.78< 0.001< 0.0010.67< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out310.590.30 to 0.78< 0.0010.0040.560.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over430.730.55 to 0.84< 0.001< 0.0010.71< 0.001
Active, Production200.63†0.0030.0190.660.002
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 set5.163.98 to 6.350.451.0001500.68< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM5.82† n = 270.530.999420.70< 0.001
ITO3.76† n = 250.280.910400.57< 0.001
BPO5.65† n = 230.400.975370.77< 0.001
KPO5.46† n = 190.620.999310.72< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management5.46† n = 110.600.980240.76< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking4.74† n = 150.540.985230.64< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)5.01† n = 100.460.917190.550.015
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)‡ n = 9
Commercial and business banking‡ n = 9
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)5.38† n = 100.370.852130.670.012
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 functions5.59† n = 280.611.000470.70< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations4.26† n = 250.280.906350.70< 0.001
Client servicing and communications‡ n = 7
Trade, settlement and reconciliation‡ n = 7
Payments, cards and disputes6.85† n = 100.480.926120.750.005
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 8
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 5
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 4
Class of work
LOB Operational6.194.29 to 8.090.491.000760.66< 0.001
Corporate Functional4.322.80 to 5.840.420.999740.69< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out4.162.02 to 6.290.350.977310.59< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over6.034.25 to 7.820.531.000430.73< 0.001
Active, Production4.55†0.400.964200.630.003
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 0.67 (95% CI 0.54 to 0.77, Holm p < 0.001, n = 94 engagements). Of the 16 tested segment levels, 13 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 set1500.760.68 to 0.82< 0.001< 0.0010.75< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM420.750.58 to 0.86< 0.001< 0.0010.73< 0.001
ITO400.660.43 to 0.80< 0.001< 0.0010.67< 0.001
BPO370.790.63 to 0.89< 0.001< 0.0010.80< 0.001
KPO310.840.69 to 0.92< 0.001< 0.0010.80< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management240.83†< 0.001< 0.0010.76< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking230.85†< 0.001< 0.0010.83< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)190.70†< 0.0010.0090.79< 0.001
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)140.78†0.0010.0090.80< 0.001
Commercial and business banking130.80†0.0010.0090.660.014
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)130.65†0.0170.0330.640.020
Credit card and payments issuing120.72†0.0090.0260.590.044
Retail and consumer banking120.54†0.0680.0680.540.070
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)110.92†< 0.001< 0.0010.92< 0.001
Private equity and private capital9‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions470.770.62 to 0.86< 0.001< 0.0010.74< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations350.660.42 to 0.81< 0.001< 0.0010.69< 0.001
Client servicing and communications160.69†0.0030.0190.570.022
Trade, settlement and reconciliation150.68†0.0050.0210.710.003
Payments, cards and disputes120.84†< 0.0010.0070.660.019
Credit, underwriting and suitability9‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal9‡
Financial crime and client onboarding7‡
Class of work
LOB Operational760.830.74 to 0.89< 0.001< 0.0010.80< 0.001
Corporate Functional740.700.55 to 0.80< 0.001< 0.0010.70< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out310.570.26 to 0.77< 0.0010.0090.470.008
Active, Transition/Cut-Over430.740.57 to 0.85< 0.001< 0.0010.72< 0.001
Active, Production200.70†< 0.0010.0070.670.001
Canceled560.380.13 to 0.580.0040.0190.310.020
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 set0.760.000.680.58 to 0.770.581.000No
Outsourcing model
CXM0.760.000.710.52 to 0.910.571.000No
ITO0.66−0.010.520.32 to 0.720.430.998No
BPO0.800.000.730.54 to 0.920.631.000No
KPO0.840.000.750.56 to 0.930.711.000No
Institution type
Asset management0.830.000.78† n = 240.681.000No
Wealth management and private banking0.850.000.74† n = 230.731.000No
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)0.71−0.010.51† n = 190.490.987No
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)0.780.000.82† n = 140.610.993No
Commercial and business banking0.800.000.61† n = 130.640.993No
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)0.65−0.010.64† n = 130.420.928No
Credit card and payments issuing0.73−0.010.50† n = 120.520.963No
Retail and consumer banking0.55−0.010.54† n = 120.290.815No
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)0.920.001.06† n = 110.841.000No
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 9
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions0.770.000.690.52 to 0.860.591.000No
Technology engineering and operations0.67−0.010.530.32 to 0.750.430.997No
Client servicing and communications0.69−0.010.66† n = 160.470.973No
Trade, settlement and reconciliation0.690.000.78† n = 150.460.965No
Payments, cards and disputes0.840.000.87† n = 120.710.997No
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 9
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 7
Class of work
LOB Operational0.830.000.790.67 to 0.920.691.000No
Corporate Functional0.70−0.010.580.44 to 0.730.481.000No
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out0.57−0.010.440.19 to 0.680.320.960No
Active, Transition/Cut-Over0.75−0.010.580.42 to 0.750.551.000No
Active, Production0.71−0.010.60† n = 200.490.989No
Canceled0.39−0.020.210.07 to 0.350.140.744No
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

The study set r was 0.76 (95% CI 0.68 to 0.82, Holm p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). Of the 24 tested segment levels, 23 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 set750−0.60−0.65 to −0.56−0.67 to −0.53< 0.001< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM196−0.60−0.68 to −0.50−0.73 to −0.45< 0.001< 0.001
ITO224−0.55−0.64 to −0.46−0.70 to −0.37< 0.001< 0.001
BPO186−0.64−0.72 to −0.55−0.74 to −0.52< 0.001< 0.001
KPO144−0.67−0.75 to −0.57−0.78 to −0.49< 0.001< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management115−0.71−0.79 to −0.61−0.84 to −0.47< 0.001< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking124−0.55−0.66 to −0.41−0.73 to −0.31< 0.001< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)95−0.44−0.59 to −0.26−0.65 to −0.13< 0.001< 0.001
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)64−0.69−0.80 to −0.53−0.84 to −0.46< 0.001< 0.001
Commercial and business banking72−0.53−0.68 to −0.34−0.77 to −0.13< 0.001< 0.001
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)66−0.72−0.82 to −0.58−0.83 to −0.53< 0.001< 0.001
Credit card and payments issuing67−0.64−0.76 to −0.47−0.84 to −0.31< 0.001< 0.001
Retail and consumer banking58−0.48−0.66 to −0.26−0.72 to −0.19< 0.001< 0.001
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)52−0.75−0.85 to −0.60−0.83 to −0.56< 0.001< 0.001
Private equity and private capital37−0.63−0.79 to −0.39§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions208−0.67−0.74 to −0.58−0.76 to −0.54< 0.001< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations186−0.60−0.68 to −0.49−0.73 to −0.43< 0.001< 0.001
Client servicing and communications85−0.45−0.61 to −0.26−0.76 to 0.08< 0.001< 0.001
Trade, settlement and reconciliation69−0.28−0.49 to −0.05−0.50 to 0.020.0180.037
Payments, cards and disputes67−0.69−0.80 to −0.53−0.78 to −0.51< 0.001< 0.001
Credit, underwriting and suitability49−0.66−0.79 to −0.46§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal44−0.71−0.83 to −0.53§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Financial crime and client onboarding42−0.75−0.86 to −0.58§ n = 7< 0.001< 0.001
Class of work
LOB Operational400−0.57−0.63 to −0.50−0.66 to −0.45< 0.001< 0.001
Corporate Functional350−0.65−0.71 to −0.58−0.74 to −0.54< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out152−0.55−0.65 to −0.43−0.68 to −0.41< 0.001< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over221−0.54−0.63 to −0.44−0.64 to −0.43< 0.001< 0.001
Active, Production91−0.45−0.60 to −0.27−0.64 to −0.18< 0.001< 0.001
Canceled286−0.06−0.17 to 0.06−0.19 to 0.080.3310.331
Respondent role
Individual Contributor568−0.62−0.67 to −0.56−0.69 to −0.53< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement Manager150−0.57−0.67 to −0.45−0.66 to −0.47< 0.001< 0.001
Portfolio Director31−0.51−0.73 to −0.19−0.77 to −0.150.0030.010
Customer Management Executive1‡
Vendor type
IT services major287−0.58−0.65 to −0.50−0.70 to −0.44< 0.001< 0.001
BPO specialist171−0.61−0.70 to −0.51−0.72 to −0.46< 0.001< 0.001
Consulting firm98−0.56−0.68 to −0.41−0.73 to −0.30< 0.001< 0.001
Boutique or specialist provider75−0.72−0.82 to −0.60−0.89 to −0.41< 0.001< 0.001
Pure-play agentic AI firm68−0.72−0.82 to −0.58−0.84 to −0.53< 0.001< 0.001
Not reported, recovered by engagement51−0.42−0.62 to −0.16−0.65 to −0.160.0020.009
Note: § Too few engagements for a cluster bootstrap interval. ‡ 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−0.60< 0.00179.30% of 37230.69% of 378150−0.68−0.76 to −0.581.000
Outsourcing model
CXM−0.61< 0.00168.75% of 9622.00% of 10042−0.67−0.81 to −0.460.999
ITO−0.55< 0.00186.27% of 10240.16% of 12240−0.58−0.76 to −0.330.986
BPO−0.64< 0.00180.81% of 9926.44% of 8737−0.75−0.86 to −0.561.000
KPO−0.62< 0.00181.33% of 7531.88% of 6931−0.78−0.89 to −0.591.000
Institution type
Asset management−0.67< 0.00189.23% of 6538.00% of 5024−0.79†1.000
Wealth management and private banking−0.53< 0.00174.07% of 5430.00% of 7023−0.67†0.988
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)−0.41< 0.00184.00% of 5048.89% of 4519−0.46†0.774
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)−0.70< 0.00182.76% of 2925.71% of 3514−0.73†0.981
Commercial and business banking−0.54< 0.00163.89% of 3625.00% of 3613−0.56†0.850
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)−0.70< 0.00181.82% of 3327.27% of 3313−0.84†0.998
Credit card and payments issuing−0.65< 0.00170.00% of 4033.33% of 2712−0.71†0.960
Retail and consumer banking−0.49< 0.00173.91% of 2322.86% of 3512−0.52†0.792
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)−0.74< 0.00182.61% of 2317.24% of 2911−0.92†1.000
Private equity and private capital−0.60< 0.00189.47% of 1927.78% of 189‡‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions−0.65< 0.00184.11% of 10729.70% of 10147−0.71−0.83 to −0.541.000
Technology engineering and operations−0.62< 0.00180.00% of 7528.83% of 11135−0.64−0.80 to −0.390.995
Client servicing and communications−0.340.00178.00% of 5045.71% of 3516−0.56†0.883
Trade, settlement and reconciliation−0.210.08384.62% of 3953.33% of 3015−0.40†0.647
Payments, cards and disputes−0.66< 0.00155.56% of 2715.00% of 4012−0.85†0.998
Credit, underwriting and suitability−0.64< 0.00159.09% of 2225.93% of 279‡‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal−0.68< 0.00190.91% of 2231.82% of 229‡‡
Financial crime and client onboarding−0.76< 0.00183.33% of 3016.67% of 127‡‡
Class of work
LOB Operational−0.54< 0.00178.26% of 20733.16% of 19376−0.66−0.77 to −0.501.000
Corporate Functional−0.66< 0.00180.61% of 16528.11% of 18574−0.70−0.80 to −0.571.000
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out−0.56< 0.00148.98% of 4914.56% of 10331−0.57−0.77 to −0.280.966
Active, Transition/Cut-Over−0.54< 0.00156.34% of 7117.33% of 15043−0.63−0.78 to −0.400.996
Active, Production−0.42< 0.00136.36% of 3313.79% of 5820−0.43†0.732
Canceled−0.070.224100.00% of 219100.00% of 67560.13−0.13 to 0.380.102
Respondent role
Individual Contributor−0.61< 0.00180.41% of 29631.25% of 272150−0.69−0.76 to −0.591.000
Engagement Manager−0.55< 0.00173.53% of 6830.49% of 82150−0.57−0.67 to −0.451.000
Portfolio Director−0.490.006‡ n = 826.09% of 2331−0.51−0.73 to −0.190.910
Customer Management Executive‡ n = 1
Vendor type
IT services major−0.58< 0.00179.84% of 12934.81% of 15859−0.63−0.76 to −0.450.999
BPO specialist−0.58< 0.00179.44% of 10729.69% of 6437−0.71−0.84 to −0.501.000
Consulting firm−0.54< 0.00175.68% of 3732.79% of 6123−0.63†0.974
Boutique or specialist provider−0.69< 0.00182.50% of 4025.71% of 3517−0.76†0.994
Pure-play agentic AI firm−0.69< 0.00180.00% of 3018.42% of 3814−0.82†0.998
Not reported, recovered by engagement−0.47< 0.00175.86% of 2927.27% of 2243−0.46−0.67 to −0.180.881
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

The study set r was −0.60 (95% CI −0.65 to −0.56, Holm p < 0.001, n = 750 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 rate42 of 88 engagements (47.73%)14 of 62 engagements (22.58%)Fisher exact0.002
Customer satisfaction, active engagementsMean 62.98%, n = 46 engagementsMean 65.17%, n = 48 engagementsWelch t−0.910.366
Engagement mean written score and cancellationPoint-biserial rr = −0.34, n = 99 engagements< 0.001
Respondent mean written score and intent to leaveSpearman rhorho = −0.39, n = 142 respondents< 0.001

The cancellation and customer satisfaction contrasts compared engagements with a negative written response against all other engagements. The comparison group comprised 62 other engagements, of which 51 had no scored written response coded to the indicator and 11 had only scored responses that were not negative. The two contrasts therefore did not test written sentiment by themselves. Cancellation was recorded for 42 of the 88 engagements with a negative response (47.73%), against 14 of the 62 other engagements (22.58%). The difference reached significance at 0.05 (Fisher exact p = 0.002). Mean customer satisfaction was 62.98% on the 46 active engagements with a negative response, against 65.17% on the 48 other active engagements. The difference did not reach significance at 0.05 (Welch t −0.91, p = 0.366). 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 reached significance at 0.05 (r = −0.34, p < 0.001, n = 99 engagements). The association of the respondent mean written score with intent to leave reached significance at 0.05 (rho = −0.39, p < 0.001, n = 142 respondents). Of the four outcome comparisons, three reached significance at 0.05: the cancellation contrast, the correlation of the engagement mean written score with cancellation and the correlation of the respondent mean written score with intent to leave. 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 contrastEngagement150−0.56−0.66 to −0.44< 0.001No4
Customer satisfactionClean estimateEngagement940.670.54 to 0.77< 0.001No2
Engagement indicator meanLeave-one-outEngagement1500.760.68 to 0.82< 0.001No1
Intent to leaveRespondent level, clusteredRespondent750−0.60−0.67 to −0.53< 0.001No3
Table 16. Pairwise comparison of associationsTable
Pair comparedDifference in rSteiger zpHolm pReading
Cancellation rate and customer satisfaction−0.12−5.37< 0.001< 0.001Differ
Cancellation rate and engagement indicator mean−0.20−4.70< 0.001< 0.001Differ
Cancellation rate and intent to leave−0.12−3.000.0030.011Differ
Customer satisfaction and engagement indicator mean−0.08−2.730.0060.019Differ
Customer satisfaction and intent to leave0.000.080.9330.933Do not differ
Engagement indicator mean and intent to leave0.082.670.0080.019Differ

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, 5 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 effect3.661 plus (mean cluster size minus 1) times ICC.
Nominal respondent n797Respondents who answered.
Effective n218Nominal 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 797 respondent answers to about 218 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 rate150−0.56|r| < 0.301.000< 0.001No0.960.230.23
Customer satisfaction940.67|r| < 0.30< 0.0011.000No0.840.290.23
Engagement indicator mean1500.76|r| < 0.30< 0.0011.000No0.960.230.23
Intent to leave750, effective 204−0.60|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−0.56−0.57a−0.01Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonCustomer satisfaction0.670.66a−0.01Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonEngagement indicator mean0.760.75a−0.01Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonIntent to leave−0.60−0.60a0.01Yes
Non-answers excluded, then imputed at the engagement meanIntent to leave−0.60−0.61a0.00Yes
Active engagements onlyEngagement indicator mean0.760.680.56 to 0.78−0.08Yes
Active engagements onlyIntent to leave−0.60−0.53−0.59 to −0.460.08Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Cancellation rate−0.56−0.57−0.67 to −0.45−0.01Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Customer satisfaction0.670.680.56 to 0.780.02Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Engagement indicator mean0.760.770.70 to 0.830.01Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Intent to leave−0.60−0.62−0.66 to −0.57−0.01Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countCancellation rate−0.56−0.56a0.00Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countCustomer satisfaction0.670.66a−0.01Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countEngagement indicator mean0.760.75a−0.01Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsCancellation rate−0.56−0.56−0.66 to −0.450.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsCustomer satisfaction0.670.670.55 to 0.760.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsEngagement indicator mean0.760.760.68 to 0.820.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsIntent to leave−0.60−0.60−0.67 to −0.530.00Yes
Thin-base segments removedCancellation rate−0.56−0.57−0.70 to −0.40−0.01Yes
Thin-base segments removedCustomer satisfaction0.670.690.51 to 0.810.02Yes
Thin-base segments removedEngagement indicator mean0.760.730.61 to 0.82−0.03Yes
Thin-base segments removedIntent to leave−0.60−0.64−0.69 to −0.58−0.03Yes
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. This indicator is one of the 100 components, so the engagement indicator mean was recomputed without it, and the correction changed r by 0.00, from 0.76 to 0.76.

Comparison with the Study Norm

Table 20. Comparison with the study normTable
MeasureThis indicator, oriented rStudy median, oriented rDeviationFisher zpHolm p
Cancellation rate0.560.60−0.04−0.730.4650.956
Customer satisfaction0.680.72−0.04−1.000.3190.956
Engagement indicator mean0.760.84−0.08−2.630.0090.035
Intent to leave0.680.71−0.04−0.850.3960.956
Spread of deviations0.04
VerdictDIVERGENT

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 departed from the study’s typical pattern on engagement indicator mean.

Comparison of Written Sentiment with Other Part 2 Indicators

Figure 6. Share of negative written responses, indicators of Part 2 with 30 or more scored responses (n = 71 indicators)Exhibit
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%110%120%C128C159C132C152C105C098C126C148C108C122C116C096C149C112C173C097, 88.37% of172C097C113C139C109C157C101C172C158C095C094C138C187C100C106C127C195C111C186C176C110C143C144C175C102C196C145C103C133C124C125C115C130C189C168C182C164C178C123C141C188C147C179C137C160C120C174C181C104C161C165C183C129C185C136C190C171Median of the 71 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 71 indicators, 80.82%.

The peer set comprised 71 indicators of Part 2 with 30 or more scored responses. The indicator was within the peer set. Its share of negative responses ranked 16 of 71 from the highest. Its mean written score (−6.9, n = 172 responses) ranked 6 of 71 from the most negative. The peer median of the mean written score was −4.7 across the 71 indicators.

Co-Occurring Indicators and Themes

Figure 7. Other indicators and themes coded in the same written responses (n = 172 responses)Exhibit
Theme: Comparison to a prior engagement9 (5.23%)Theme: The scale or question does not fit9 (5.23%)Theme: Respondent proposes a remedy12 (6.98%)C10925 (14.53%)Theme: Occurs every cycle or most days25 (14.53%)C10826 (15.12%)C09631 (18.02%)C19949 (28.49%)Theme: No validation on the financialinstitution’s side50 (29.07%)C09462 (36.05%)
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 172 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. C094: “Rate the quality of the customer’s data across the systems this engagement depends on.” C199: “I have altered client-provided data.” C096: “Rate how well the customer’s data is normalized, with consistent formats and definitions across source systems.” C108: “Rate the customer’s ability to provision the system access and identities that AI agents require.” C109: “Rate how quickly the customer responds when this engagement raises issues that need customer action.” Emotional states coded in the same responses, as counts: resigned 8, tired 7, frustrated 4, calm or fine 3, angry 2 and stressed 2.

The responses coded to the indicator were most often also coded to “Rate the quality of the customer’s data across the systems this engagement depends on” (C094, 62 responses). The second most frequent co-coded indicator was “I have altered client-provided data” (C199, 49 responses). The most frequent theme of the coding rulebook in the same responses was “No validation on the financial institution’s side” (50 responses).

Interpretation of the Data

Distressed answers made up more than half of the study set (401 of 797 answers, 50.31%). Active, Build-Out had the highest mean by lifecycle stage (mean 4.4, n = 160 respondents), and Canceled had the lowest (mean 2.5, n = 305 respondents). Portfolio Director respondents gave the highest ratings by role (mean 4.8, n = 31 respondents), and Individual Contributor respondents gave the lowest (mean 3.5, n = 614 respondents). The associations held under every robustness check run on this item (22 of 22 checks).

The written responses corroborated the rating at respondent level, with a strong positive correlation between written score and rating. Of the 62 responses also coded to C094, 37 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.

Customer Management Executive answers were at anecdote strength (n = 2). Answers clustered within engagements, which reduced the effective number of independent answers (ICC 0.62, 797 answers worth about 218 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 17 responses second-coded under rulebook 0.5, with the coders agreeing on 14 of 17. Agreement on the score rested on 14 responses second-scored under rulebook 0.5, with the scores agreeing in 14 of 14. 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.
Engagement indicator meanThe mean of an engagement’s 100 indicator ratings. The indicator is one of the 100, so the mean is recomputed without it.
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 C097, sha256 219eba0457274d04
Statistics enginecompute_statistics.py, sha256 738319eef764602b
Statistics recordComputed Statistics.json, record C097, sha256 e405f65a43e37a6e
ComputedOctober 8, 2026, 01:38 UTC
TemplateIndicator Statistical Analysis Template, version 1.1 of 2026-10-06
Figures placed by script2,421 of 2,421
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 recordsC097.qa.json, sha256 fe46720055dc6b90. C097.wfacts.json, sha256 bda006ded9ad01fa. Prose C097.json, sha256 0846159efff3c03e

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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