Study Data · Part 2 · Indicator Deep-Dive Analysis

Rate the customer organization’s readiness to absorb the changes to daily work that agentic AI introduces

Indicator C107 · By Phil Hatch · Akholi · October 9, 2026

Indicator Specification

Table 1. Indicator specificationTable
FieldValue
Indicator codeC107
Question as askedRate the customer organization’s readiness to absorb the changes to daily work that agentic AI introduces.
Failure categoryFinancial institution readiness
Place in the surveyChallenge Deep Dive > 5.1 Customer > People and Skills
Indicator classRespondent level
Indicator typeRated, POS
Response scale1 to 10, higher is the better outcome
Answering base794 of 850 respondents, across 150 of 150 engagements
Non-answersI do not know 0, I prefer to not answer 0, blank 56
Written responses coded to the indicator26 responses from 25 respondents on 23 engagements (18 primary, 8 secondary)

Summary of Findings

Table 2. Key results: association of the indicator with the four study measuresTable
MeasureFormnr95% CIp
Cancellation rateDescriptive contrast150 engagements−0.59−0.69 to −0.48< 0.001
Customer satisfactionClean estimate94 engagements0.730.61 to 0.81< 0.001
Engagement indicator meanLeave-one-out150 engagements0.830.78 to 0.88< 0.001
Intent to leaveRespondent level, clustered746 respondents−0.60−0.66 to −0.53< 0.001

Ratings of the financial institution’s readiness to absorb the changes to daily work that agentic AI introduced (mean 3.5, median 4.0, n = 794 respondents) were associated with all four study measures. Engagements with higher ratings were canceled less often (r = −0.59, 95% CI −0.69 to −0.48, p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). Higher ratings came with higher customer satisfaction on active engagements (r = 0.73, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.81, p < 0.001, n = 94 active engagements). Ratings rose with the engagement indicator mean, computed with this item left out (r = 0.83, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.88, p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). Respondents who gave higher ratings reported lower intent to leave (r = −0.60, cluster bootstrap 95% CI −0.66 to −0.53, p < 0.001, n = 746 respondents). Ratings differed after Holm control by engagement status and lifecycle stage (Welch F 31.78, Holm p < 0.001, omega squared 0.338) and by respondent role (Welch F 13.65, Holm p < 0.001, omega squared 0.027).

The indicator had 26 written responses coded to it, from 25 of 850 respondents on 23 of 150 engagements. Negative responses numbered 16 of the 26 scored responses (61.54%). The strongest negative score, −10, was carried by 3 of the 26 scored responses (11.54%). Secondary responses, written in answer to questions outside the indicator’s own survey section, numbered 8 of the 26 responses (30.77%). Respondents who wrote rated the indicator higher than respondents who did not (mean 3.7, n = 24 respondents, against mean 3.5, n = 770 respondents), a difference reported with no interval, because fewer than 30 respondents who wrote gave a rating.

Distribution of Ratings

Table 3. Distribution of ratings, respondent levelTable
AnswerRespondentsShare of answered (base 794)Cumulative shareEngagements with at least oneShare of 150 engagementsDistressed
116721.03%21.03%7348.67%Yes
29211.59%32.62%5939.33%Yes
313717.25%49.87%8657.33%Yes
415119.02%68.89%8556.67%No
512916.25%85.14%7348.67%No
6627.81%92.95%4328.67%No
7415.16%98.11%2617.33%No
8121.51%99.62%96.00%No
930.38%100.00%32.00%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, total794100.00%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 view1503.61.61.03.57.76543.33%

The study set mean was 3.5 on 794 answering respondents, with a median of 4.0. 396 answers, 49.87% of the 794, were at the distressed end. A distressed engagement mean was recorded in 65 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 = 26 responses)Exhibit
05101520C135 (secondary)C030 (secondary)C055 (secondary)C029 (secondary)4C114 (primary)368Written 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.” C029 asked: “What are your top 3 challenges that reduce your job satisfaction?” C055 asked: “How does the vendor manipulate performance reports and dashboards?” C030 asked: “What are the top 3 things that you love most about your job?” C135 asked: “Add any comments on your employer that the ratings in this section do not capture.”
Table 5. Written responses by originTable
OriginResponsesRespondentsEngagementsNegativeStrongest negative (−10)PositiveMean written score
Primary1818189 of 18 (50.00%)3 of 18 (16.67%)9 of 18 (50.00%)−0.6
Secondary8867 of 80 of 81 of 8‡
All responses26252316 of 26 (61.54%)3 of 26 (11.54%)10 of 26 (38.46%)−1.5
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Of the 26 responses, 18 (69.23%) were primary and 8 (30.77%) were secondary. The secondary responses came from 8 respondents on 6 engagements, in answer to 4 questions outside the indicator’s own survey section (C029 with 4 responses, C055 with 2 responses, C030 with 1 response and C135 with 1 response). One respondent wrote both a primary and a secondary response.

Negative responses made up 7 of the 8 secondary responses, against 9 of the 18 primary responses (50.00%). The difference did not reach significance at 0.05 (Fisher exact p = 0.099, n = 26 responses).

Distribution of Written Sentiment

Figure 2. Distribution of written sentiment (n = 26 scored responses)Exhibit
3 (11.54%)−10 Stronglynegative13 (50.00%)−5 Negative0 (0.00%)0 Neutral9 (34.62%)+5 Positive1 (3.85%)+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−1.5† n = 26
Median written score−5.0n = 26 responses
Negative responses16 of 26 (61.54%)† n = 26
Strongest negative responses (−10)3 of 26 (11.54%)Statements of totality, constancy or serious harm
Positive responses10 of 26 (38.46%)+5 or +10
Net balance−23.08 percentage pointsShare positive minus share negative, base 26 responses
Respondent-level mean−1.6Mean of each respondent’s own mean written score, n = 25 respondents
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported.

Of the 26 scored responses, 16 (61.54%) were negative, 3 (11.54%) carried the strongest negative score and 10 (38.46%) were positive. The responses had a mean written score of −1.5 (n = 26 responses on 23 engagements). The base of scored responses was under 30, so no interval was reported for the mean.

Correspondence Between Ratings and Written Sentiment

Figure 3. Written score against the respondent’s rating of the indicator (n = 25 responses with a rating)Exhibit
12345678910Rating (1 = worst, 10 = best)111121162122211−10 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. One of the 26 scored responses had no rating and was excluded.

Respondents who rated the indicator 3 or below wrote 12 of the 16 negative responses with a rating. Written score and rating showed a strong positive correlation that reached significance at 0.05 (Spearman rho 0.52, p = 0.007, n = 25 responses on 22 engagements). The base of responses with a rating was under 30, so no interval was reported for the correlation. 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 = 24)Respondents who did not write and gave a rating (n = 770)
Note: Each group sums to 100% of its own respondents with a rating: 24 who wrote about the indicator and 770 who did not.

Respondents who wrote about the indicator rated it 0.2 points higher than respondents who did not (mean 3.7, n = 24 respondents, against mean 3.5, n = 770 respondents). The base of respondents who wrote was under 30, so no interval was reported for the difference. Ratings of 3 or below came from 13 of the 24 respondents who wrote and gave a rating (54.17%), against 383 of the 770 respondents who did not write and gave a rating (49.74%). 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 set85079493.41% of 8501503.53.4 to 3.61.9
Outsourcing model
CXM23222094.83% of 232423.93.6 to 4.22.1
ITO24423194.67% of 244403.53.3 to 3.71.8
BPO20919894.74% of 209373.33.0 to 3.51.6
KPO16514587.88% of 165313.43.0 to 3.72.0
Institution type
Asset management13212493.94% of 132243.43.1 to 3.71.9
Wealth management and private banking14013294.29% of 140233.43.1 to 3.71.8
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)1059792.38% of 105193.12.8 to 3.51.7
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)787292.31% of 78144.13.6 to 4.72.2
Commercial and business banking827692.68% of 82133.93.4 to 4.32.0
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)716794.37% of 71133.83.3 to 4.32.0
Credit card and payments issuing736893.15% of 73122.92.5 to 3.31.5
Retail and consumer banking737095.89% of 73123.73.3 to 4.11.8
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)575392.98% of 57113.63.1 to 4.01.7
Private equity and private capital393589.74% of 3993.62.9 to 4.42.2
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions24822891.94% of 248473.43.2 to 3.71.9
Technology engineering and operations20419796.57% of 204353.63.3 to 3.91.9
Client servicing and communications948893.62% of 94163.73.2 to 4.22.2
Trade, settlement and reconciliation807593.75% of 80153.32.9 to 3.61.6
Payments, cards and disputes736893.15% of 73123.43.0 to 3.81.6
Credit, underwriting and suitability575189.47% of 5794.23.6 to 4.82.1
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal514690.20% of 5193.73.1 to 4.31.9
Financial crime and client onboarding434195.35% of 4373.02.4 to 3.51.8
Class of work
LOB Operational45141992.90% of 451763.53.3 to 3.71.9
Corporate Functional39937593.98% of 399743.53.3 to 3.71.8
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out17516594.29% of 175314.24.0 to 4.51.6
Active, Transition/Cut-Over25022790.80% of 250434.34.0 to 4.51.9
Active, Production1039794.17% of 103204.23.8 to 4.51.7
Canceled32230594.72% of 322562.32.2 to 2.51.5
Respondent role
Individual Contributor66761191.60% of 6671493.43.2 to 3.51.9
Engagement Manager150150100.00% of 1501503.83.5 to 4.11.8
Portfolio Director3131100.00% of 31314.94.3 to 5.51.7
Customer Management Executive222 of 22‡
Vendor type
IT services major31629693.67% of 316593.63.4 to 3.91.9
BPO specialist19818693.94% of 198373.33.0 to 3.51.8
Consulting firm11710589.74% of 117233.63.2 to 4.01.9
Boutique or specialist provider878496.55% of 87173.43.0 to 3.92.1
Pure-play agentic AI firm757296.00% of 75143.83.3 to 4.21.8
Not reported, recovered by engagement575189.47% of 57443.32.8 to 3.81.9
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.
Table 7b. Descriptive statistics by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentMinQ1MedianQ3MaxDistressed nDistressed %
Study set1.02.04.05.09.039649.87%
Outsourcing model
CXM1.02.04.05.09.09844.55%
ITO1.02.04.05.08.011348.92%
BPO1.02.03.05.07.011055.56%
KPO1.01.03.05.08.07551.72%
Institution type
Asset management1.02.03.05.09.06451.61%
Wealth management and private banking1.02.03.05.08.06851.52%
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)1.01.03.04.08.05253.61%
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)1.02.84.06.09.03041.67%
Commercial and business banking1.02.04.05.08.03748.68%
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)1.02.04.05.09.03044.78%
Credit card and payments issuing1.01.03.04.07.04464.71%
Retail and consumer banking1.02.04.05.07.02738.57%
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)1.03.03.05.07.02852.83%
Private equity and private capital1.01.04.05.08.01645.71%
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions1.02.03.05.09.011650.88%
Technology engineering and operations1.02.04.05.08.09246.70%
Client servicing and communications1.02.03.05.39.04551.14%
Trade, settlement and reconciliation1.02.03.04.07.03952.00%
Payments, cards and disputes1.03.03.04.37.03754.41%
Credit, underwriting and suitability1.02.54.06.08.02039.22%
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal1.02.04.05.07.02145.65%
Financial crime and client onboarding1.01.03.05.06.02663.41%
Class of work
LOB Operational1.02.03.05.09.021551.31%
Corporate Functional1.02.04.05.09.018148.27%
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out1.03.04.05.08.05130.91%
Active, Transition/Cut-Over1.03.04.05.09.08035.24%
Active, Production1.03.04.05.09.03232.99%
Canceled1.01.02.03.08.023376.39%
Respondent role
Individual Contributor1.02.03.05.09.032352.86%
Engagement Manager1.02.34.05.09.06543.33%
Portfolio Director1.04.05.06.08.0722.58%
Customer Management Executive‡ n = 2
Vendor type
IT services major1.02.04.05.09.013746.28%
BPO specialist1.02.03.05.07.010757.53%
Consulting firm1.02.04.05.08.05249.52%
Boutique or specialist provider1.01.04.05.09.04148.81%
Pure-play agentic AI firm1.02.04.05.08.02940.28%
Not reported, recovered by engagement1.02.03.04.58.03058.82%
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 model1.003, 78.60.3961.0000.0000.000 to 0.054
Institution type0.878, 49.60.5481.000−0.0160.000 to 0.048
Process family0.234, 39.80.9171.000−0.0240.000 to 0.012
Class of work0.021, 148.00.8851.000−0.0070.000 to 0.011
Engagement status and lifecycle stage31.783, 59.1< 0.001< 0.0010.3380.242 to 0.431
Respondent role13.652, 76.9< 0.001< 0.0010.0270.012 to 0.050
Vendor type1.325, 229.80.2551.0000.0020.000 to 0.015
Table 8b. Tests of difference between segments, part 2 of 2Table
Segment familyKruskal-Wallis HpDistressed chi-squaredfpCramer’s VLevels left out
Outsourcing model1.960.5811.4230.7000.10None
Institution type5.090.7485.9080.672, simulated0.20a
Process family0.610.9622.3940.6640.14b
Class of work0.040.8390.0010.9820.00None
Engagement status and lifecycle stage57.88< 0.00145.813< 0.0010.55None
Respondent role23.70< 0.00113.992< 0.0010.13c
Vendor type6.550.25610.2150.0690.11None
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 31.78, Holm p < 0.001, tested on engagement means). In Descriptive Statistics by Segment, Active, Transition/Cut-Over had the highest mean, 4.3 (n = 227 respondents), and Canceled the lowest, 2.3 (n = 305 respondents). Respondent role differed after Holm control (Welch F 13.65, Holm p < 0.001, tested on respondents). In Descriptive Statistics by Segment, Portfolio Director had the highest mean, 4.9 (n = 31 respondents), and Individual Contributor the lowest, 3.4 (n = 611 respondents). No difference held after Holm control for outsourcing model, institution type, process family, class of work and vendor type.

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 = 8)2 of 84 of 81 of 81 of 8Active, Production (n = 3)3 of 3Active, Transition/Cut-Over (n = 9)4 of 94 of 9Active, Build-Out (n = 6)2 of 64 of 6All responses (n = 26)50.00%34.62%−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-Out666‡2 of 60 of 6
Active, Transition/Cut-Over999‡5 of 91 of 9
Active, Production331‡3 of 30 of 3
Canceled877‡6 of 82 of 8
Respondent role
Individual Contributor151514−4.012 of 15 (80.00%)3 of 15 (20.00%)
Engagement Manager988‡3 of 90 of 9
Portfolio Director222‡1 of 20 of 2
Customer Management Executive000No responses
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Scored responses came from 6 engagements in the Active, Build-Out group, 9 engagements in the Active, Transition/Cut-Over group, 1 engagement in the Active, Production group and 7 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 2.47, df 2, p = 0.291, n = 22 engagements). The test compared the Active, Build-Out group, the Active, Transition/Cut-Over group and the Canceled group. It left out the Active, Production group, which held fewer than two engagements. Groups under 10 responses are reported as counts only. Negative responses numbered 2 of 6 in the Active, Build-Out group, 5 of 9 in the Active, Transition/Cut-Over group, 3 of 3 in the Active, Production group and 6 of 8 in the Canceled 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 engagement managers, negative responses numbered 3 of 9. Among portfolio directors, negative responses numbered 1 of 2.

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 150−0.59−0.69 to −0.48< 0.001< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM421535.71% of 42−0.60−0.77 to −0.37< 0.001< 0.001
ITO401537.50% of 40−0.50−0.70 to −0.220.0010.012
BPO371437.84% of 37−0.71−0.84 to −0.50< 0.001< 0.001
KPO311238.71% of 31−0.62−0.80 to −0.34< 0.0010.003
Institution type
Asset management241354.17% of 24−0.75†< 0.001< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking23834.78% of 23−0.60†0.0020.023
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)19947.37% of 19−0.48†0.0390.237
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)14535.71% of 14−0.70†0.0050.048
Commercial and business banking13430.77% of 13−0.53†0.0630.255
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)13323.08% of 13−0.50†0.0820.255
Credit card and payments issuing12541.67% of 12−0.53†0.0750.255
Retail and consumer banking12433.33% of 12−0.85†< 0.0010.005
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)11327.27% of 11−0.60†0.0510.255
Private equity and private capital922 of 9‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions471940.43% of 47−0.66−0.79 to −0.46< 0.001< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations351028.57% of 35−0.61−0.79 to −0.35< 0.0010.001
Client servicing and communications16956.25% of 16−0.58†0.0190.152
Trade, settlement and reconciliation15853.33% of 15−0.43†0.1110.255
Payments, cards and disputes12216.67% of 12−0.64†0.0240.168
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 76−0.50−0.65 to −0.31< 0.001< 0.001
Corporate Functional742635.14% of 74−0.69−0.79 to −0.55< 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 set0.260.17 to 0.410.8767.69% of 6514.12% of 85< 0.0011.000
Outsourcing model
CXM0.270.12 to 0.620.8861.11% of 1816.67% of 240.0040.993
ITO0.370.18 to 0.750.8166.67% of 1520.00% of 250.0060.926
BPO0.150.05 to 0.460.9375.00% of 169.52% of 21< 0.0011.000
KPO0.250.09 to 0.710.8868.75% of 166.67% of 15< 0.0010.985
Institution type
Asset management0.13† n = 240.9484.62% of 1318.18% of 110.0030.999
Wealth management and private banking0.27† n = 230.905 of 820.00% of 150.0710.959
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)0.39† n = 190.797 of 920.00% of 100.0230.797
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)0.30† n = 140.934 of 51 of 90.0230.968
Commercial and business banking0.24† n = 130.833 of 41 of 90.0520.810
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)0.10† n = 130.882 of 51 of 80.5100.776
Credit card and payments issuing0.20† n = 120.834 of 81 of 40.5760.802
Retail and consumer banking0.18† n = 120.984 of 50 of 70.0100.998
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)0.15† n = 110.923 of 50 of 60.0610.861
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 9
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions0.210.08 to 0.510.8970.83% of 248.70% of 23< 0.0010.999
Technology engineering and operations0.120.03 to 0.500.9266.67% of 128.70% of 23< 0.0010.989
Client servicing and communications0.43† n = 160.875 of 74 of 90.3580.897
Trade, settlement and reconciliation0.47† n = 150.725 of 63 of 90.1190.697
Payments, cards and disputes0.13† n = 121.002 of 50 of 70.1520.914
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 9
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 7
Class of work
LOB Operational0.390.24 to 0.630.8163.64% of 3320.93% of 43< 0.0010.982
Corporate Functional0.120.04 to 0.320.9471.88% of 327.14% of 42< 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.

The study set r was −0.59 (95% CI −0.69 to −0.48, Holm p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). Of the 20 tested segment levels, 12 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 set940.730.61 to 0.81< 0.001< 0.0010.72< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM270.80†< 0.001< 0.0010.76< 0.001
ITO250.75†< 0.001< 0.0010.80< 0.001
BPO230.69†< 0.0010.0020.69< 0.001
KPO190.77†< 0.0010.0010.75< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management110.79†0.0040.0140.690.018
Wealth management and private banking150.58†0.0220.0440.610.017
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)100.54†0.1090.1090.600.065
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)9‡
Commercial and business banking9‡
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)100.89†< 0.0010.0030.840.003
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 functions280.76†< 0.001< 0.0010.77< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations250.78†< 0.001< 0.0010.78< 0.001
Client servicing and communications7‡
Trade, settlement and reconciliation7‡
Payments, cards and disputes100.80†0.0050.0160.680.030
Credit, underwriting and suitability8‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal5‡
Financial crime and client onboarding4‡
Class of work
LOB Operational460.790.65 to 0.88< 0.001< 0.0010.78< 0.001
Corporate Functional480.630.43 to 0.78< 0.001< 0.0010.64< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out310.580.28 to 0.77< 0.0010.0030.550.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over430.740.57 to 0.85< 0.001< 0.0010.75< 0.001
Active, Production200.86†< 0.001< 0.0010.86< 0.001
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 set5.984.81 to 7.160.531.0001500.72< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM6.39† n = 270.631.000420.75< 0.001
ITO5.76† n = 250.570.999400.61< 0.001
BPO7.11† n = 230.480.992370.81< 0.001
KPO6.16† n = 190.590.997310.78< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management5.35† n = 110.630.985240.80< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking4.43† n = 150.340.894230.66< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)6.33† n = 100.290.780190.540.018
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)‡ n = 9
Commercial and business banking‡ n = 9
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)7.92† n = 100.790.998130.790.001
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 functions6.69† n = 280.571.000470.78< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations5.88† n = 250.601.000350.76< 0.001
Client servicing and communications‡ n = 7
Trade, settlement and reconciliation‡ n = 7
Payments, cards and disputes7.87† n = 100.640.982120.84< 0.001
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 8
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 5
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 4
Class of work
LOB Operational6.765.19 to 8.340.631.000760.67< 0.001
Corporate Functional4.993.18 to 6.810.400.998740.77< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out5.042.33 to 7.750.330.967310.58< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over6.014.29 to 7.730.551.000430.74< 0.001
Active, Production6.76†0.741.000200.86< 0.001
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 0.73 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.81, Holm p < 0.001, n = 94 engagements). Of the 16 tested segment levels, 15 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 set1500.830.78 to 0.88< 0.001< 0.0010.82< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM420.860.76 to 0.93< 0.001< 0.0010.85< 0.001
ITO400.760.59 to 0.87< 0.001< 0.0010.74< 0.001
BPO370.810.65 to 0.90< 0.001< 0.0010.82< 0.001
KPO310.880.76 to 0.94< 0.001< 0.0010.87< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management240.89†< 0.001< 0.0010.84< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking230.86†< 0.001< 0.0010.90< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)190.73†< 0.0010.0030.70< 0.001
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)140.85†< 0.001< 0.0010.85< 0.001
Commercial and business banking130.73†0.0050.0090.660.014
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)130.87†< 0.001< 0.0010.81< 0.001
Credit card and payments issuing120.82†0.0010.0040.750.005
Retail and consumer banking120.85†< 0.0010.0030.790.002
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)110.84†0.0010.0040.820.002
Private equity and private capital9‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions470.870.78 to 0.93< 0.001< 0.0010.86< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations350.870.75 to 0.93< 0.001< 0.0010.84< 0.001
Client servicing and communications160.83†< 0.001< 0.0010.75< 0.001
Trade, settlement and reconciliation150.67†0.0060.0090.670.006
Payments, cards and disputes120.91†< 0.001< 0.0010.88< 0.001
Credit, underwriting and suitability9‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal9‡
Financial crime and client onboarding7‡
Class of work
LOB Operational760.840.76 to 0.89< 0.001< 0.0010.80< 0.001
Corporate Functional740.830.74 to 0.89< 0.001< 0.0010.82< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out310.690.44 to 0.84< 0.001< 0.0010.66< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over430.840.72 to 0.91< 0.001< 0.0010.85< 0.001
Active, Production200.84†< 0.001< 0.0010.82< 0.001
Canceled560.440.20 to 0.63< 0.0010.0040.47< 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 set0.840.000.780.69 to 0.860.701.000No
Outsourcing model
CXM0.870.000.800.65 to 0.950.751.000No
ITO0.770.000.640.46 to 0.810.581.000No
BPO0.810.000.830.62 to 1.040.651.000No
KPO0.880.000.850.68 to 1.030.771.000No
Institution type
Asset management0.890.000.85† n = 240.801.000No
Wealth management and private banking0.860.000.83† n = 230.741.000No
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)0.73−0.010.60† n = 190.530.993No
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)0.860.000.67† n = 140.730.999No
Commercial and business banking0.74−0.010.62† n = 130.530.975No
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)0.880.000.84† n = 130.761.000No
Credit card and payments issuing0.830.001.07† n = 120.680.995No
Retail and consumer banking0.860.000.95† n = 120.730.998No
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)0.840.000.83† n = 110.700.995No
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 9
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions0.870.000.890.74 to 1.040.761.000No
Technology engineering and operations0.870.000.700.55 to 0.840.751.000No
Client servicing and communications0.840.000.70† n = 160.690.999No
Trade, settlement and reconciliation0.68−0.010.68† n = 150.450.959No
Payments, cards and disputes0.920.000.87† n = 120.841.000No
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 9
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 7
Class of work
LOB Operational0.840.000.790.67 to 0.910.701.000No
Corporate Functional0.830.000.770.65 to 0.890.691.000No
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out0.69−0.010.660.40 to 0.930.470.998No
Active, Transition/Cut-Over0.840.000.650.51 to 0.780.701.000No
Active, Production0.840.000.78† n = 200.701.000No
Canceled0.45−0.010.270.12 to 0.420.190.875No
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

The study set r was 0.83 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.88, 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 set746−0.60−0.65 to −0.56−0.67 to −0.53< 0.001< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM205−0.63−0.71 to −0.54−0.75 to −0.49< 0.001< 0.001
ITO220−0.55−0.63 to −0.45−0.68 to −0.38< 0.001< 0.001
BPO186−0.65−0.72 to −0.55−0.75 to −0.52< 0.001< 0.001
KPO135−0.60−0.70 to −0.48−0.73 to −0.44< 0.001< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management115−0.72−0.80 to −0.62−0.82 to −0.51< 0.001< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking125−0.57−0.68 to −0.44−0.73 to −0.38< 0.001< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)90−0.43−0.59 to −0.25−0.68 to −0.16< 0.001< 0.001
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)65−0.82−0.89 to −0.72−0.90 to −0.66< 0.001< 0.001
Commercial and business banking71−0.48−0.64 to −0.28−0.74 to −0.10< 0.001< 0.001
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)65−0.53−0.68 to −0.33−0.74 to −0.22< 0.001< 0.001
Credit card and payments issuing66−0.44−0.62 to −0.22−0.73 to −0.13< 0.001< 0.001
Retail and consumer banking64−0.72−0.82 to −0.57−0.83 to −0.52< 0.001< 0.001
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)51−0.68−0.80 to −0.50−0.80 to −0.48< 0.001< 0.001
Private equity and private capital34−0.75−0.87 to −0.55§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions209−0.70−0.76 to −0.62−0.77 to −0.61< 0.001< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations187−0.64−0.71 to −0.54−0.74 to −0.52< 0.001< 0.001
Client servicing and communications83−0.61−0.73 to −0.45−0.80 to −0.23< 0.001< 0.001
Trade, settlement and reconciliation70−0.35−0.54 to −0.12−0.59 to −0.030.0030.012
Payments, cards and disputes66−0.63−0.75 to −0.45−0.82 to −0.33< 0.001< 0.001
Credit, underwriting and suitability47−0.61−0.76 to −0.39§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal44−0.55−0.73 to −0.31§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Financial crime and client onboarding40−0.65−0.80 to −0.42§ n = 7< 0.001< 0.001
Class of work
LOB Operational394−0.56−0.63 to −0.49−0.66 to −0.44< 0.001< 0.001
Corporate Functional352−0.65−0.71 to −0.59−0.72 to −0.58< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out157−0.41−0.54 to −0.28−0.57 to −0.23< 0.001< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over215−0.52−0.61 to −0.42−0.64 to −0.40< 0.001< 0.001
Active, Production89−0.62−0.74 to −0.48−0.75 to −0.46< 0.001< 0.001
Canceled285−0.01−0.12 to 0.11−0.13 to 0.110.9160.916
Respondent role
Individual Contributor564−0.62−0.67 to −0.57−0.68 to −0.55< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement Manager150−0.60−0.70 to −0.49−0.69 to −0.50< 0.001< 0.001
Portfolio Director31−0.29−0.58 to 0.08−0.64 to 0.120.1180.236
Customer Management Executive1‡
Vendor type
IT services major282−0.60−0.67 to −0.52−0.70 to −0.49< 0.001< 0.001
BPO specialist174−0.57−0.66 to −0.46−0.70 to −0.40< 0.001< 0.001
Consulting firm97−0.57−0.69 to −0.42−0.75 to −0.33< 0.001< 0.001
Boutique or specialist provider76−0.80−0.87 to −0.70−0.89 to −0.67< 0.001< 0.001
Pure-play agentic AI firm69−0.59−0.72 to −0.41−0.73 to −0.36< 0.001< 0.001
Not reported, recovered by engagement48−0.42−0.63 to −0.15−0.66 to −0.130.0030.012
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< 0.00178.49% of 37229.95% of 374150−0.69−0.76 to −0.591.000
Outsourcing model
CXM−0.62< 0.00168.13% of 9124.56% of 11442−0.72−0.84 to −0.531.000
ITO−0.53< 0.00185.05% of 10737.17% of 11340−0.62−0.78 to −0.380.995
BPO−0.65< 0.00179.81% of 10424.39% of 8237−0.77−0.87 to −0.591.000
KPO−0.60< 0.00180.00% of 7033.85% of 6531−0.67−0.83 to −0.420.996
Institution type
Asset management−0.65< 0.00189.66% of 5842.11% of 5724−0.84†1.000
Wealth management and private banking−0.57< 0.00173.85% of 6520.00% of 6023−0.66†0.984
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)−0.46< 0.00187.76% of 4941.46% of 4119−0.44†0.746
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)−0.82< 0.00196.15% of 2623.08% of 3914−0.91†1.000
Commercial and business banking−0.48< 0.00162.86% of 3527.78% of 3613−0.56†0.845
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)−0.48< 0.00170.00% of 3037.14% of 3513−0.66†0.935
Credit card and payments issuing−0.44< 0.00161.90% of 4241.67% of 2412−0.59†0.867
Retail and consumer banking−0.73< 0.00176.00% of 2517.95% of 3912−0.81†0.992
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)−0.65< 0.00177.78% of 2716.67% of 2411−0.73†0.960
Private equity and private capital−0.74< 0.001100.00% of 1531.58% of 199‡‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions−0.70< 0.00185.71% of 10526.92% of 10447−0.77−0.86 to −0.621.000
Technology engineering and operations−0.65< 0.00177.91% of 8624.75% of 10135−0.72−0.85 to −0.501.000
Client servicing and communications−0.54< 0.00182.93% of 4145.24% of 4216−0.71†0.982
Trade, settlement and reconciliation−0.280.01986.49% of 3751.52% of 3315−0.38†0.626
Payments, cards and disputes−0.62< 0.00138.89% of 3620.00% of 3012−0.72†0.966
Credit, underwriting and suitability−0.59< 0.00170.00% of 2018.52% of 279‡‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal−0.53< 0.00190.48% of 2134.78% of 239‡‡
Financial crime and client onboarding−0.63< 0.00184.62% of 2628.57% of 147‡‡
Class of work
LOB Operational−0.53< 0.00175.61% of 20533.33% of 18976−0.65−0.76 to −0.501.000
Corporate Functional−0.67< 0.00182.04% of 16726.49% of 18574−0.72−0.82 to −0.591.000
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out−0.38< 0.00144.68% of 4716.36% of 11031−0.39−0.66 to −0.050.714
Active, Transition/Cut-Over−0.50< 0.00149.35% of 7715.94% of 13843−0.55−0.73 to −0.300.977
Active, Production−0.66< 0.00148.28% of 2910.00% of 6020−0.69†0.988
Canceled−0.010.850100.00% of 219100.00% of 66560.13−0.14 to 0.380.099
Respondent role
Individual Contributor−0.60< 0.00178.26% of 29930.94% of 265149−0.69−0.76 to −0.591.000
Engagement Manager−0.61< 0.00183.08% of 6524.71% of 85150−0.60−0.70 to −0.491.000
Portfolio Director−0.280.120‡ n = 737.50% of 2431−0.29−0.58 to 0.080.469
Customer Management Executive‡ n = 1
Vendor type
IT services major−0.60< 0.00181.20% of 13332.21% of 14959−0.69−0.80 to −0.521.000
BPO specialist−0.55< 0.00175.76% of 9933.33% of 7537−0.69−0.83 to −0.470.999
Consulting firm−0.56< 0.00174.47% of 4724.00% of 5023−0.58†0.942
Boutique or specialist provider−0.77< 0.00189.47% of 3823.68% of 3817−0.88†1.000
Pure-play agentic AI firm−0.57< 0.00177.78% of 2728.57% of 4214−0.70†0.970
Not reported, recovered by engagement−0.49< 0.00167.86% of 2830.00% of 2041−0.43−0.65 to −0.140.818
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 = 746 respondents). Of the 37 tested segment levels, 35 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 rate6 of 14 engagements (42.86%)50 of 136 engagements (36.76%)Fisher exact0.773
Customer satisfaction, active engagements8 engagementsMean 64.37%, n = 86 engagements‡
Engagement mean written score and cancellationPoint-biserial rr = −0.25, n = 23 engagements0.245
Respondent mean written score and intent to leaveSpearman rhorho = −0.17, n = 25 respondents0.410
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

The cancellation contrast compared engagements with a negative written response against all other engagements. The comparison group comprised 136 other engagements, of which 127 had no scored written response coded to the indicator and 9 had only scored responses that were not negative. The contrast therefore did not test written sentiment by itself. Cancellation was recorded for 6 of the 14 engagements with a negative response (42.86%), against 50 of the 136 other engagements (36.76%). The difference did not reach significance at 0.05 (Fisher exact p = 0.773). The customer satisfaction contrast was not computed, because only 8 active engagements had a negative response, fewer than 10. 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 = −0.25, p = 0.245, n = 23 engagements). The association of the respondent mean written score with intent to leave did not reach significance at 0.05 (rho = −0.17, p = 0.410, n = 25 respondents). None of the three outcome comparisons reached significance at 0.05. Both comparisons with cancellation were descriptive, because responses on canceled engagements were written after cancellation. Every comparison rested on a thin base, because fewer than 30 engagements had a scored written response.

Comparison of Associations Across the Four Measures

Table 15. Associations across the four measuresTable
MeasureFormUnitnr95% CIpEquivalent to zeroRank among the four
Cancellation rateDescriptive contrastEngagement150−0.59−0.69 to −0.48< 0.001No4
Customer satisfactionClean estimateEngagement940.730.61 to 0.81< 0.001No2
Engagement indicator meanLeave-one-outEngagement1500.830.78 to 0.88< 0.001No1
Intent to leaveRespondent level, clusteredRespondent746−0.60−0.66 to −0.53< 0.001No3
Table 16. Pairwise comparison of associationsTable
Pair comparedDifference in rSteiger zpHolm pReading
Cancellation rate and customer satisfaction−0.13−5.88< 0.001< 0.001Differ
Cancellation rate and engagement indicator mean−0.24−6.38< 0.001< 0.001Differ
Cancellation rate and intent to leave−0.09−2.350.0190.038Differ
Customer satisfaction and engagement indicator mean−0.12−4.45< 0.001< 0.001Differ
Customer satisfaction and intent to leave0.041.350.1760.176Do not differ
Engagement indicator mean and intent to leave0.155.38< 0.001< 0.001Differ

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)0.59Share of variance between engagements.
Design effect3.521 plus (mean cluster size minus 1) times ICC.
Nominal respondent n794Respondents who answered.
Effective n225Nominal 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 794 respondent answers to about 225 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 rate150−0.59|r| < 0.301.000< 0.001No0.960.230.23
Customer satisfaction940.73|r| < 0.30< 0.0011.000No0.840.290.23
Engagement indicator mean1500.83|r| < 0.30< 0.0011.000No0.960.230.23
Intent to leave746, effective 211−0.60|r| < 0.301.000< 0.001No0.990.190.23

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−0.59−0.62a−0.03Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonCustomer satisfaction0.730.72a0.00Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonEngagement indicator mean0.830.82a−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−0.60−0.60a0.00Yes
Active engagements onlyEngagement indicator mean0.830.800.71 to 0.86−0.03Yes
Active engagements onlyIntent to leave−0.60−0.50−0.57 to −0.430.10Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Cancellation rate−0.59−0.61−0.70 to −0.50−0.02Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Customer satisfaction0.730.720.60 to 0.81−0.01Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Engagement indicator mean0.830.840.79 to 0.890.01Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Intent to leave−0.60−0.61−0.66 to −0.57−0.01Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countCancellation rate−0.59−0.60a0.00Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countCustomer satisfaction0.730.72a−0.01Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countEngagement indicator mean0.830.83a0.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsCancellation rate−0.59−0.59−0.68 to −0.490.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsCustomer satisfaction0.730.730.64 to 0.800.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsEngagement indicator mean0.830.830.78 to 0.880.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsIntent to leave−0.60−0.60−0.66 to −0.530.00Yes
Thin-base segments removedCancellation rate−0.59−0.64−0.75 to −0.49−0.05Yes
Thin-base segments removedCustomer satisfaction0.730.760.62 to 0.860.04Yes
Thin-base segments removedEngagement indicator mean0.830.860.79 to 0.910.03Yes
Thin-base segments removedIntent to leave−0.60−0.67−0.72 to −0.61−0.07Yes
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 0.84 to 0.83.

Comparison with the Study Norm

Table 20. Comparison with the study normTable
MeasureThis indicator, oriented rStudy median, oriented rDeviationFisher zpHolm p
Cancellation rate0.590.600.00−0.080.9371.000
Customer satisfaction0.720.720.00−0.020.9841.000
Engagement indicator mean0.830.840.00−0.080.9331.000
Intent to leave0.680.71−0.03−0.660.5091.000
Spread of deviations0.03
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 Other Part 2 Indicators

Figure 6. Share of negative written responses, indicators of Part 2 with 30 or more scored responses (n = 71 indicators), with the indicator addedExhibit
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%110%120%C128C159C132C152C105C098C126C148C108C122C116C096C149C112C173C097C113C139C109C157C101C172C158C095C094C138C187C100C106C127C195C111C186C176C110C143C144C175C102C196C145C103C133C124C125C115C130C189C168C182C164C178C123C141C188C147C179C137C160C120C174C181C104C161C165C183C129C107, 61.54% of 26C107C185C136C190C171Median 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 indicator had fewer than 30 scored responses, so it is shown for comparison and is not part of the median.

The peer set comprised 71 indicators of Part 2 with 30 or more scored responses. The indicator was outside the peer set, because it had fewer than 30 scored responses. It was added to the ranking only and did not enter the peer median. Its share of negative responses ranked 68 of 72 from the highest, tied with 1 other indicator. Its mean written score (−1.5, n = 26 responses) ranked 70 of 72 from the most negative, tied with 1 other indicator. 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 = 26 responses)Exhibit
Theme: Occurs every cycle or most days1 (3.85%)Theme: Raising it is futile or discouraged1 (3.85%)Theme: Raised it, nothing came back1 (3.85%)Theme: Workaround is a habit, not a control1 (3.85%)Theme: Proxy substitution1 (3.85%)Theme: Practice invented on the liveengagement1 (3.85%)Theme: Comparison to a prior engagement1 (3.85%)Theme: Skills learned1 (3.85%)Theme: The scale or question does not fit1 (3.85%)Theme: The rated entity is not one entity1 (3.85%)Theme: Insufficient exposure to rate1 (3.85%)Theme: Root cause reordered2 (7.69%)Theme: Positive with an embedded negative2 (7.69%)C0954 (15.38%)C0974 (15.38%)C1044 (15.38%)C1064 (15.38%)C0985 (19.23%)Theme: Respondent proposes a remedy5 (19.23%)C0966 (23.08%)C1096 (23.08%)
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 26 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. C096: “Rate how well the customer’s data is normalized, with consistent formats and definitions across source systems.” C109: “Rate how quickly the customer responds when this engagement raises issues that need customer action.” C098: “Rate how well the customer’s legacy systems support the integration this engagement requires.” C095: “Rate how accessible the customer’s data is to this engagement when and where the work requires it.” C097: “Rate the maturity of the customer’s data governance over the data this engagement uses.” C104: “Rate the agentic AI knowledge and skills of the customer staff working with this engagement.” C106: “Rate the availability of the customer’s subject matter experts when this engagement needs them.” Emotional states coded in the same responses, as counts: resigned 1.

The co-coded indicators tied as most frequent in the responses coded to the indicator were “Rate how well the customer’s data is normalized, with consistent formats and definitions across source systems” (C096, 6 responses) and “Rate how quickly the customer responds when this engagement raises issues that need customer action” (C109, 6 responses). The most frequent theme of the coding rulebook in the same responses was “Respondent proposes a remedy” (5 responses).

Interpretation of the Data

Distressed answers made up less than half of the study set (396 of 794 answers, 49.87%). Active, Transition/Cut-Over had the highest mean by lifecycle stage (mean 4.3, n = 227 respondents), and Canceled had the lowest (mean 2.3, n = 305 respondents). Portfolio Director respondents gave the highest ratings by role (mean 4.9, n = 31 respondents), and Individual Contributor respondents gave the lowest (mean 3.4, n = 611 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. Written responses were voluntary. They recorded what the respondents who wrote reported, and how common it was is measured by the ratings. The analysis of the written responses rested on 26 responses, a thin base.

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 0.59, 794 answers worth about 225 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. With fewer than 30 scored responses, no interval is reported for written sentiment. Coding was performed by AI coders under a fixed rulebook. Agreement on whether a response was coded to the indicator rested on 5 responses second-coded under rulebook 0.5, with the coders agreeing on 2 of 5. Agreement on the score rested on 2 responses second-scored under rulebook 0.5, with the scores agreeing in 1 of 2. 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 C107, sha256 219eba0457274d04
Statistics enginecompute_statistics.py, sha256 738319eef764602b
Statistics recordComputed Statistics.json, record C107, sha256 e405f65a43e37a6e
ComputedOctober 8, 2026, 01:38 UTC
TemplateIndicator Statistical Analysis Template, version 1.1 of 2026-10-06
Figures placed by script2,412 of 2,412
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 recordsC107.qa.json, sha256 f87a56907bd843a2. C107.wfacts.json, sha256 6c2766db011b09f7. Prose C107.json, sha256 f2279b45a07fdea9

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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