Study Data · Part 2 · Indicator Deep-Dive Analysis

Rate how well your employer’s internal management processes have been redesigned for agentic AI delivery rather than traditional staffed delivery

Indicator C117 · By Phil Hatch · Akholi · October 9, 2026

Indicator Specification

Table 1. Indicator specificationTable
FieldValue
Indicator codeC117
Question as askedRate how well your employer’s internal management processes have been redesigned for agentic AI delivery rather than traditional staffed delivery.
Failure categoryVendor capability
Place in the surveyChallenge Deep Dive > 5.2 Vendor > Leadership and Management Effectiveness
Indicator classRespondent level
Indicator typeRated, POS
Response scale1 to 10, higher is the better outcome
Answering base799 of 850 respondents, across 150 of 150 engagements
Non-answersI do not know 0, I prefer to not answer 0, blank 51
Written responses coded to the indicator25 responses from 25 respondents on 25 engagements (23 primary, 2 secondary)

Summary of Findings

Table 2. Key results: association of the indicator with the four study measuresTable
MeasureFormnr95% CIp
Cancellation rateDescriptive contrast150 engagements−0.57−0.67 to −0.45< 0.001
Customer satisfactionClean estimate94 engagements0.680.55 to 0.78< 0.001
Engagement indicator meanLeave-one-out150 engagements0.850.80 to 0.89< 0.001
Intent to leaveRespondent level, clustered749 respondents−0.57−0.64 to −0.49< 0.001

Ratings of how well the employer’s internal management processes had been redesigned for agentic AI delivery (mean 3.7, median 4.0, n = 799 respondents) were associated with all four study measures. Engagements with higher ratings were canceled less often (r = −0.57, 95% CI −0.67 to −0.45, p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). Higher ratings came with higher customer satisfaction on active engagements (r = 0.68, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.78, p < 0.001, n = 94 active engagements). Ratings rose with the engagement indicator mean, computed with this item left out (r = 0.85, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.89, p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). Respondents who gave higher ratings reported lower intent to leave (r = −0.57, cluster bootstrap 95% CI −0.64 to −0.49, p < 0.001, n = 749 respondents). Ratings differed after Holm control by engagement status and lifecycle stage (Welch F 26.28, Holm p < 0.001, omega squared 0.309) and by respondent role (Welch F 7.91, Holm p 0.005, omega squared 0.020).

The indicator had 25 written responses coded to it, from 25 of 850 respondents on 25 of 150 engagements. Negative responses numbered 23 of the 25 scored responses (92.00%). The strongest negative score, −10, was carried by 11 of the 25 scored responses (44.00%). Secondary responses, written in answer to questions outside the indicator’s own survey section, numbered 2 of the 25 responses (8.00%). Respondents who wrote rated the indicator lower than respondents who did not (mean 3.3, n = 25 respondents, against mean 3.7, n = 774 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 799)Cumulative shareEngagements with at least oneShare of 150 engagementsDistressed
114618.27%18.27%6040.00%Yes
211113.89%32.17%7449.33%Yes
313116.40%48.56%7650.67%Yes
412215.27%63.83%7852.00%No
514117.65%81.48%8355.33%No
68710.89%92.37%5536.67%No
7425.26%97.62%2718.00%No
8162.00%99.62%128.00%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, total799100.00%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 view1503.71.61.03.67.86140.67%

The study set mean was 3.7 on 799 answering respondents, with a median of 4.0. 388 answers, 48.56% of the 799, were at the distressed end. A distressed engagement mean was recorded in 61 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 = 25 responses)Exhibit
0510152025C055 (secondary)C135 (primary)1011Written 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. C135 asked: “Add any comments on your employer that the ratings in this section do not capture.” C055 asked: “How does the vendor manipulate performance reports and dashboards?”
Table 5. Written responses by originTable
OriginResponsesRespondentsEngagementsNegativeStrongest negative (−10)PositiveMean written score
Primary23232321 of 23 (91.30%)10 of 23 (43.48%)2 of 23 (8.70%)−6.3
Secondary2222 of 21 of 20 of 2‡
All responses25252523 of 25 (92.00%)11 of 25 (44.00%)2 of 25 (8.00%)−6.4
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Of the 25 responses, 23 (92.00%) were primary and 2 (8.00%) were secondary. The secondary responses came from 2 respondents on 2 engagements, in answer to 1 question outside the indicator’s own survey section (C055 with 2 responses). No respondent wrote both a primary and a secondary response.

Negative responses made up all 2 secondary responses, against 21 of the 23 primary responses (91.30%). The difference did not reach significance at 0.05 (Fisher exact p = 1.000, n = 25 responses).

Distribution of Written Sentiment

Figure 2. Distribution of written sentiment (n = 25 scored responses)Exhibit
11 (44.00%)−10 Stronglynegative12 (48.00%)−5 Negative0 (0.00%)0 Neutral2 (8.00%)+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−6.4† n = 25
Median written score−5.0n = 25 responses
Negative responses23 of 25 (92.00%)† n = 25
Strongest negative responses (−10)11 of 25 (44.00%)Statements of totality, constancy or serious harm
Positive responses2 of 25 (8.00%)+5 or +10
Net balance−84.00 percentage pointsShare positive minus share negative, base 25 responses
Respondent-level mean−6.4Mean of each respondent’s own mean written score, n = 25 respondents
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported.

Of the 25 scored responses, 23 (92.00%) were negative, 11 (44.00%) carried the strongest negative score and 2 (8.00%) were positive. The responses had a mean written score of −6.4 (n = 25 responses on 25 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)2223215311111−10 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.

Respondents who rated the indicator 3 or below wrote 15 of the 23 negative responses with a rating. Written score and rating showed a moderate positive correlation that reached significance at 0.05 (Spearman rho 0.49, p = 0.012, n = 25 responses on 25 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 = 25)Respondents who did not write and gave a rating (n = 774)
Note: Each group sums to 100% of its own respondents with a rating: 25 who wrote about the indicator and 774 who did not.

Respondents who wrote about the indicator rated it 0.4 points lower than respondents who did not (mean 3.3, n = 25 respondents, against mean 3.7, n = 774 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 15 of the 25 respondents who wrote and gave a rating (60.00%), against 373 of the 774 respondents who did not write and gave a rating (48.19%). 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 set85079994.00% of 8501503.73.5 to 3.81.9
Outsourcing model
CXM23221994.40% of 232423.93.7 to 4.22.1
ITO24422993.85% of 244403.63.3 to 3.81.8
BPO20919794.26% of 209373.53.3 to 3.71.6
KPO16515493.33% of 165313.63.3 to 4.02.2
Institution type
Asset management13212493.94% of 132243.53.1 to 3.82.1
Wealth management and private banking14013193.57% of 140233.83.5 to 4.11.8
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)10510196.19% of 105192.92.6 to 3.21.6
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)787393.59% of 78143.83.3 to 4.21.7
Commercial and business banking827591.46% of 82134.23.8 to 4.61.9
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)716895.77% of 71133.73.2 to 4.22.2
Credit card and payments issuing736893.15% of 73123.22.8 to 3.61.6
Retail and consumer banking736994.52% of 73124.54.0 to 5.02.1
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)575291.23% of 57113.83.3 to 4.31.9
Private equity and private capital393897.44% of 3993.62.9 to 4.32.1
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions24823695.16% of 248473.43.1 to 3.72.0
Technology engineering and operations20419495.10% of 204353.93.6 to 4.22.0
Client servicing and communications948287.23% of 94163.63.2 to 4.01.9
Trade, settlement and reconciliation807593.75% of 80153.32.9 to 3.61.6
Payments, cards and disputes737095.89% of 73124.23.9 to 4.61.5
Credit, underwriting and suitability575392.98% of 5794.53.9 to 5.01.9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal514894.12% of 5193.52.9 to 4.12.2
Financial crime and client onboarding434195.35% of 4373.22.7 to 3.71.5
Class of work
LOB Operational45141692.24% of 451763.73.6 to 3.91.9
Corporate Functional39938395.99% of 399743.63.4 to 3.82.0
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out17517197.71% of 175314.44.1 to 4.71.8
Active, Transition/Cut-Over25023493.60% of 250434.34.1 to 4.51.7
Active, Production1039996.12% of 103204.44.0 to 4.81.9
Canceled32229591.61% of 322562.52.3 to 2.71.6
Respondent role
Individual Contributor66761692.35% of 6671503.53.4 to 3.71.9
Engagement Manager150150100.00% of 1501504.03.7 to 4.42.0
Portfolio Director3131100.00% of 31314.73.9 to 5.42.1
Customer Management Executive222 of 22‡
Vendor type
IT services major31629693.67% of 316593.53.3 to 3.71.8
BPO specialist19818794.44% of 198373.53.3 to 3.81.9
Consulting firm11711295.73% of 117233.83.4 to 4.22.2
Boutique or specialist provider878294.25% of 87174.13.6 to 4.62.2
Pure-play agentic AI firm757194.67% of 75144.13.6 to 4.51.9
Not reported, recovered by engagement575189.47% of 57433.63.1 to 4.11.7
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.
Table 7b. Descriptive statistics by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentMinQ1MedianQ3MaxDistressed nDistressed %
Study set1.02.04.05.09.038848.56%
Outsourcing model
CXM1.02.04.06.09.010045.66%
ITO1.02.03.05.08.011951.97%
BPO1.02.04.05.08.09246.70%
KPO1.01.33.55.09.07750.00%
Institution type
Asset management1.01.03.05.08.06754.03%
Wealth management and private banking1.02.54.05.09.05743.51%
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)1.01.03.04.06.06463.37%
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)1.03.04.05.07.03446.58%
Commercial and business banking1.03.04.05.58.02938.67%
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)1.02.03.55.09.03450.00%
Credit card and payments issuing1.02.03.04.37.04160.29%
Retail and consumer banking1.03.05.06.08.02028.99%
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)1.02.04.05.08.02140.38%
Private equity and private capital1.02.03.05.87.02155.26%
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions1.01.03.05.09.013557.20%
Technology engineering and operations1.02.04.05.09.08543.81%
Client servicing and communications1.02.03.05.07.04352.44%
Trade, settlement and reconciliation1.02.03.04.56.04053.33%
Payments, cards and disputes1.03.04.05.08.02028.57%
Credit, underwriting and suitability1.03.05.06.08.01732.08%
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal1.02.03.55.09.02450.00%
Financial crime and client onboarding1.02.03.04.07.02458.54%
Class of work
LOB Operational1.02.04.05.09.018945.43%
Corporate Functional1.02.03.05.09.019951.96%
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out1.03.05.06.08.05330.99%
Active, Transition/Cut-Over1.03.04.05.09.07933.76%
Active, Production1.03.04.06.09.03535.35%
Canceled1.01.02.03.57.022174.92%
Respondent role
Individual Contributor1.02.03.05.09.031851.62%
Engagement Manager1.02.04.06.09.06040.00%
Portfolio Director1.03.05.06.08.01032.26%
Customer Management Executive‡ n = 2
Vendor type
IT services major1.02.03.05.09.015753.04%
BPO specialist1.02.03.05.08.09450.27%
Consulting firm1.01.84.06.08.05145.54%
Boutique or specialist provider1.02.04.06.09.03441.46%
Pure-play agentic AI firm1.03.04.05.08.02535.21%
Not reported, recovered by engagement1.02.53.05.08.02752.94%
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 model0.223, 77.80.8851.000−0.0160.000 to 0.012
Institution type1.598, 49.20.1520.6100.0170.000 to 0.099
Process family1.464, 42.50.2300.6900.0010.000 to 0.070
Class of work0.281, 142.90.5981.000−0.0050.000 to 0.030
Engagement status and lifecycle stage26.283, 57.8< 0.001< 0.0010.3090.214 to 0.404
Respondent role7.912, 74.3< 0.0010.0050.0200.007 to 0.040
Vendor type2.125, 229.80.0640.3190.0080.000 to 0.025
Table 8b. Tests of difference between segments, part 2 of 2Table
Segment familyKruskal-Wallis HpDistressed chi-squaredfpCramer’s VLevels left out
Outsourcing model0.470.9251.9730.5780.11None
Institution type10.440.23510.1580.259, simulated0.27a
Process family4.360.3592.3640.678, simulated0.14b
Class of work0.350.5520.4010.5260.05None
Engagement status and lifecycle stage50.07< 0.00135.923< 0.0010.49None
Respondent role15.06< 0.00110.0120.0070.11c
Vendor type10.620.05910.1250.0720.11None
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 26.28, Holm p < 0.001, tested on engagement means). In Descriptive Statistics by Segment, Active, Production had the highest mean, 4.4 (n = 99 respondents), and Canceled the lowest, 2.5 (n = 295 respondents). Respondent role differed after Holm control (Welch F 7.91, Holm p 0.005, tested on respondents). In Descriptive Statistics by Segment, Portfolio Director had the highest mean, 4.7 (n = 31 respondents), and Individual Contributor the lowest, 3.5 (n = 616 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 = 13)61.54%30.77%Active, Production (n = 1)1 of 1Active, Transition/Cut-Over (n = 6)2 of 63 of 61 of 6Active, Build-Out (n = 5)5 of 5All responses (n = 25)44.00%48.00%−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-Out555‡5 of 50 of 5
Active, Transition/Cut-Over666‡5 of 62 of 6
Active, Production111‡1 of 11 of 1
Canceled131313−7.312 of 13 (92.31%)8 of 13 (61.54%)
Respondent role
Individual Contributor121212−5.411 of 12 (91.67%)3 of 12 (25.00%)
Engagement Manager111111−7.310 of 11 (90.91%)7 of 11 (63.64%)
Portfolio Director222‡2 of 21 of 2
Customer Management Executive000No responses
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Scored responses came from 5 engagements in the Active, Build-Out group, 6 engagements in the Active, Transition/Cut-Over group, 1 engagement in the Active, Production group and 13 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 3.94, df 2, p = 0.140, n = 24 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 5 of 5 in the Active, Build-Out group, 5 of 6 in the Active, Transition/Cut-Over group and 1 of 1 in the Active, Production group.

Across respondent roles, no test was run, because fewer than two roles reached 30 scored responses. Roles under 10 responses are reported as counts only. Among portfolio directors, negative responses numbered 2 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 150−0.57−0.67 to −0.45< 0.001< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM421535.71% of 42−0.57−0.74 to −0.32< 0.0010.002
ITO401537.50% of 40−0.54−0.73 to −0.27< 0.0010.005
BPO371437.84% of 37−0.70−0.83 to −0.48< 0.001< 0.001
KPO311238.71% of 31−0.53−0.74 to −0.210.0020.026
Institution type
Asset management241354.17% of 24−0.65†< 0.0010.009
Wealth management and private banking23834.78% of 23−0.57†0.0050.046
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)19947.37% of 19−0.39†0.0980.294
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)14535.71% of 14−0.66†0.0100.087
Commercial and business banking13430.77% of 13−0.47†0.1020.294
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)13323.08% of 13−0.40†0.1790.294
Credit card and payments issuing12541.67% of 12−0.64†0.0250.174
Retail and consumer banking12433.33% of 12−0.83†< 0.0010.010
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)11327.27% of 11−0.64†0.0330.196
Private equity and private capital922 of 9‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions471940.43% of 47−0.61−0.77 to −0.40< 0.001< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations351028.57% of 35−0.50−0.72 to −0.210.0020.024
Client servicing and communications16956.25% of 16−0.51†0.0420.196
Trade, settlement and reconciliation15853.33% of 15−0.62†0.0140.114
Payments, cards and disputes12216.67% of 12−0.61†0.0340.196
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 76−0.53−0.67 to −0.34< 0.001< 0.001
Corporate Functional742635.14% of 74−0.61−0.74 to −0.45< 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 set0.340.24 to 0.490.8565.57% of 6117.98% of 89< 0.0011.000
Outsourcing model
CXM0.410.23 to 0.710.8473.33% of 1514.81% of 27< 0.0010.981
ITO0.370.19 to 0.720.8150.00% of 1827.27% of 220.1940.961
BPO0.070.01 to 0.450.9384.62% of 1312.50% of 24< 0.0010.999
KPO0.440.23 to 0.830.8260.00% of 1518.75% of 160.0290.927
Institution type
Asset management0.36† n = 240.8883.33% of 1225.00% of 120.0120.982
Wealth management and private banking0.31† n = 230.885 of 718.75% of 160.0260.934
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)0.44† n = 190.6850.00% of 123 of 71.0000.660
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)0.13† n = 140.893 of 420.00% of 100.0950.948
Commercial and business banking0.39† n = 130.752 of 320.00% of 100.2030.741
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)0.48† n = 130.772 of 51 of 80.5100.637
Credit card and payments issuing0.05† n = 120.915 of 60 of 60.0150.911
Retail and consumer banking0.15† n = 120.973 of 31 of 90.0180.996
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)0.17† n = 110.882 of 41 of 70.4910.901
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 9
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions0.340.18 to 0.620.8772.73% of 2212.00% of 25< 0.0010.996
Technology engineering and operations0.390.19 to 0.800.8042.86% of 1419.05% of 210.1510.918
Client servicing and communications0.45† n = 160.796 of 73 of 90.0600.825
Trade, settlement and reconciliation0.20† n = 150.865 of 530.00% of 100.0260.923
Payments, cards and disputes0.10† n = 121.002 of 30 of 90.0450.888
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 9
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 7
Class of work
LOB Operational0.350.21 to 0.590.8368.97% of 2921.28% of 47< 0.0010.991
Corporate Functional0.310.18 to 0.530.8862.50% of 3214.29% 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 −0.57 (95% CI −0.67 to −0.45, 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 set940.680.55 to 0.78< 0.001< 0.0010.68< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM270.72†< 0.001< 0.0010.69< 0.001
ITO250.71†< 0.001< 0.0010.75< 0.001
BPO230.62†0.0020.0110.67< 0.001
KPO190.74†< 0.0010.0020.72< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management110.81†0.0030.0140.560.076
Wealth management and private banking150.39†0.1470.2940.290.294
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)100.30†0.4020.4020.250.487
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)9‡
Commercial and business banking9‡
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)100.80†0.0060.0230.630.049
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 functions280.70†< 0.001< 0.0010.68< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations250.77†< 0.001< 0.0010.82< 0.001
Client servicing and communications7‡
Trade, settlement and reconciliation7‡
Payments, cards and disputes100.67†0.0350.1050.470.171
Credit, underwriting and suitability8‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal5‡
Financial crime and client onboarding4‡
Class of work
LOB Operational460.780.63 to 0.87< 0.001< 0.0010.76< 0.001
Corporate Functional480.590.37 to 0.75< 0.001< 0.0010.58< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out310.680.43 to 0.83< 0.001< 0.0010.66< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over430.700.50 to 0.82< 0.001< 0.0010.69< 0.001
Active, Production200.69†< 0.0010.0050.72< 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 set5.404.19 to 6.600.461.0001500.69< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM5.84† n = 270.530.999420.71< 0.001
ITO5.11† n = 250.500.996400.65< 0.001
BPO7.11† n = 230.380.966370.76< 0.001
KPO5.06† n = 190.550.995310.69< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management5.03† n = 110.650.989240.69< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking2.47† n = 150.150.643230.610.002
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)3.36† n = 100.090.498190.430.063
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)‡ n = 9
Commercial and business banking‡ n = 9
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)6.20† n = 100.640.981130.670.012
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 functions5.37† n = 280.490.997470.75< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations5.42† n = 250.591.000350.68< 0.001
Client servicing and communications‡ n = 7
Trade, settlement and reconciliation‡ n = 7
Payments, cards and disputes8.11† n = 100.450.905120.780.003
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 8
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 5
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 4
Class of work
LOB Operational7.115.35 to 8.870.601.000760.67< 0.001
Corporate Functional3.982.37 to 5.590.350.993740.71< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out4.572.71 to 6.430.470.997310.68< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over6.704.52 to 8.880.481.000430.70< 0.001
Active, Production4.58†0.480.987200.69< 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 0.68 (95% CI 0.55 to 0.78, 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 set1500.850.80 to 0.89< 0.001< 0.0010.85< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM420.850.74 to 0.92< 0.001< 0.0010.84< 0.001
ITO400.850.73 to 0.92< 0.001< 0.0010.81< 0.001
BPO370.810.66 to 0.90< 0.001< 0.0010.87< 0.001
KPO310.910.82 to 0.95< 0.001< 0.0010.90< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management240.90†< 0.001< 0.0010.87< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking230.80†< 0.001< 0.0010.74< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)190.69†0.0010.0020.620.004
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)140.77†0.0010.0020.720.004
Commercial and business banking130.88†< 0.001< 0.0010.81< 0.001
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)130.83†< 0.0010.0020.710.007
Credit card and payments issuing120.86†< 0.0010.0020.700.011
Retail and consumer banking120.95†< 0.001< 0.0010.92< 0.001
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)110.87†< 0.0010.0020.790.004
Private equity and private capital9‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions470.840.73 to 0.91< 0.001< 0.0010.87< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations350.860.74 to 0.93< 0.001< 0.0010.80< 0.001
Client servicing and communications160.85†< 0.001< 0.0010.88< 0.001
Trade, settlement and reconciliation150.87†< 0.001< 0.0010.91< 0.001
Payments, cards and disputes120.88†< 0.001< 0.0010.83< 0.001
Credit, underwriting and suitability9‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal9‡
Financial crime and client onboarding7‡
Class of work
LOB Operational760.890.83 to 0.93< 0.001< 0.0010.88< 0.001
Corporate Functional740.840.75 to 0.89< 0.001< 0.0010.83< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out310.800.62 to 0.90< 0.001< 0.0010.80< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over430.760.60 to 0.87< 0.001< 0.0010.72< 0.001
Active, Production200.86†< 0.001< 0.0010.86< 0.001
Canceled560.760.62 to 0.85< 0.001< 0.0010.76< 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 set0.860.000.780.70 to 0.850.731.000No
Outsourcing model
CXM0.850.000.760.61 to 0.920.721.000No
ITO0.850.000.710.57 to 0.860.721.000No
BPO0.820.000.860.65 to 1.070.661.000No
KPO0.910.000.780.65 to 0.920.821.000No
Institution type
Asset management0.900.000.79† n = 240.811.000No
Wealth management and private banking0.800.000.72† n = 230.641.000No
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)0.69−0.010.68† n = 190.470.984No
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)0.770.000.86† n = 140.590.991No
Commercial and business banking0.880.000.88† n = 130.781.000No
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)0.840.000.70† n = 130.690.998No
Credit card and payments issuing0.860.000.73† n = 120.740.998No
Retail and consumer banking0.950.000.81† n = 120.901.000No
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)0.880.000.93† n = 110.760.998No
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 9
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions0.850.000.740.60 to 0.880.711.000No
Technology engineering and operations0.860.000.690.55 to 0.840.741.000No
Client servicing and communications0.860.000.86† n = 160.731.000No
Trade, settlement and reconciliation0.880.000.93† n = 150.761.000No
Payments, cards and disputes0.880.001.08† n = 120.770.999No
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 9
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 7
Class of work
LOB Operational0.890.000.890.78 to 1.000.791.000No
Corporate Functional0.840.000.690.59 to 0.800.701.000No
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out0.80−0.010.590.42 to 0.760.641.000No
Active, Transition/Cut-Over0.770.000.700.51 to 0.890.581.000No
Active, Production0.870.000.68† n = 200.751.000No
Canceled0.77−0.010.430.33 to 0.530.581.000No
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

The study set r was 0.85 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.89, 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 set749−0.57−0.62 to −0.52−0.64 to −0.49< 0.001< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM202−0.59−0.67 to −0.49−0.72 to −0.42< 0.001< 0.001
ITO218−0.52−0.61 to −0.42−0.67 to −0.33< 0.001< 0.001
BPO184−0.61−0.69 to −0.50−0.70 to −0.50< 0.001< 0.001
KPO145−0.59−0.69 to −0.47−0.74 to −0.37< 0.001< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management115−0.56−0.68 to −0.42−0.73 to −0.31< 0.001< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking123−0.51−0.63 to −0.36−0.67 to −0.31< 0.001< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)94−0.31−0.49 to −0.12−0.57 to −0.060.0020.008
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)66−0.58−0.72 to −0.39−0.78 to −0.34< 0.001< 0.001
Commercial and business banking70−0.56−0.70 to −0.37−0.77 to −0.20< 0.001< 0.001
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)66−0.49−0.65 to −0.28−0.75 to −0.13< 0.001< 0.001
Credit card and payments issuing65−0.68−0.79 to −0.53−0.86 to −0.37< 0.001< 0.001
Retail and consumer banking63−0.65−0.77 to −0.48−0.80 to −0.41< 0.001< 0.001
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)50−0.62−0.77 to −0.42−0.85 to −0.29< 0.001< 0.001
Private equity and private capital37−0.76−0.87 to −0.57§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions215−0.62−0.69 to −0.53−0.75 to −0.46< 0.001< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations184−0.51−0.61 to −0.39−0.66 to −0.31< 0.001< 0.001
Client servicing and communications77−0.50−0.65 to −0.32−0.75 to −0.07< 0.001< 0.001
Trade, settlement and reconciliation70−0.54−0.69 to −0.35−0.75 to −0.20< 0.001< 0.001
Payments, cards and disputes67−0.57−0.71 to −0.38−0.74 to −0.28< 0.001< 0.001
Credit, underwriting and suitability50−0.50−0.68 to −0.25§ n = 9< 0.0010.001
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal46−0.69−0.81 to −0.49§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Financial crime and client onboarding40−0.51−0.71 to −0.23§ n = 7< 0.0010.004
Class of work
LOB Operational391−0.56−0.62 to −0.49−0.65 to −0.45< 0.001< 0.001
Corporate Functional358−0.59−0.65 to −0.52−0.69 to −0.47< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out162−0.55−0.65 to −0.43−0.66 to −0.40< 0.001< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over222−0.41−0.51 to −0.29−0.56 to −0.24< 0.001< 0.001
Active, Production91−0.44−0.59 to −0.26−0.63 to −0.19< 0.001< 0.001
Canceled2740.00−0.12 to 0.12−0.14 to 0.130.9750.975
Respondent role
Individual Contributor567−0.56−0.61 to −0.50−0.64 to −0.47< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement Manager150−0.61−0.70 to −0.50−0.69 to −0.51< 0.001< 0.001
Portfolio Director31−0.52−0.74 to −0.20−0.74 to −0.200.0030.008
Customer Management Executive1‡
Vendor type
IT services major282−0.51−0.59 to −0.42−0.62 to −0.38< 0.001< 0.001
BPO specialist174−0.61−0.70 to −0.51−0.74 to −0.45< 0.001< 0.001
Consulting firm104−0.69−0.78 to −0.58−0.83 to −0.50< 0.001< 0.001
Boutique or specialist provider74−0.60−0.73 to −0.44−0.80 to −0.30< 0.001< 0.001
Pure-play agentic AI firm68−0.62−0.75 to −0.45−0.81 to −0.38< 0.001< 0.001
Not reported, recovered by engagement47−0.36−0.59 to −0.08−0.60 to −0.080.0130.025
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−0.56< 0.00176.18% of 36130.93% of 388150−0.66−0.74 to −0.561.000
Outsourcing model
CXM−0.59< 0.00167.78% of 9019.64% of 11242−0.67−0.81 to −0.460.999
ITO−0.50< 0.00178.95% of 11437.50% of 10440−0.62−0.78 to −0.380.995
BPO−0.61< 0.00180.23% of 8631.63% of 9837−0.70−0.83 to −0.480.999
KPO−0.57< 0.00177.46% of 7137.84% of 7431−0.72−0.85 to −0.490.999
Institution type
Asset management−0.55< 0.00185.48% of 6245.28% of 5324−0.62†0.973
Wealth management and private banking−0.52< 0.00167.27% of 5526.47% of 6823−0.58†0.942
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)−0.320.00275.00% of 6050.00% of 3419−0.36†0.607
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)−0.58< 0.00170.00% of 3033.33% of 3614−0.67†0.949
Commercial and business banking−0.52< 0.00172.00% of 2526.67% of 4513−0.64†0.924
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)−0.46< 0.00163.64% of 3339.39% of 3313−0.60†0.885
Credit card and payments issuing−0.65< 0.00176.32% of 3818.52% of 2712−0.83†0.996
Retail and consumer banking−0.65< 0.00188.24% of 1721.74% of 4612−0.74†0.975
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)−0.57< 0.00180.95% of 2120.69% of 2911−0.85†0.997
Private equity and private capital−0.78< 0.00195.00% of 2017.65% of 179‡‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions−0.62< 0.00175.41% of 12229.03% of 9347−0.69−0.82 to −0.511.000
Technology engineering and operations−0.52< 0.00171.60% of 8129.13% of 10335−0.61−0.78 to −0.350.988
Client servicing and communications−0.40< 0.00176.92% of 3942.11% of 3816−0.58†0.897
Trade, settlement and reconciliation−0.49< 0.00192.31% of 3941.94% of 3115−0.69†0.971
Payments, cards and disputes−0.54< 0.00166.67% of 1814.29% of 4912−0.77†0.984
Credit, underwriting and suitability−0.48< 0.00162.50% of 1626.47% of 349‡‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal−0.62< 0.00182.61% of 2339.13% of 239‡‡
Financial crime and client onboarding−0.52< 0.00178.26% of 2352.94% of 177‡‡
Class of work
LOB Operational−0.54< 0.00180.11% of 17633.02% of 21576−0.68−0.78 to −0.531.000
Corporate Functional−0.59< 0.00172.43% of 18528.32% of 17374−0.66−0.77 to −0.511.000
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out−0.54< 0.00146.94% of 4914.16% of 11331−0.61−0.79 to −0.320.982
Active, Transition/Cut-Over−0.37< 0.00147.37% of 7617.81% of 14643−0.46−0.67 to −0.190.883
Active, Production−0.45< 0.00135.48% of 3115.00% of 6020−0.46†0.788
Canceled0.000.975100.00% of 205100.00% of 69560.04−0.23 to 0.300.025
Respondent role
Individual Contributor−0.55< 0.00175.95% of 29131.16% of 276150−0.65−0.74 to −0.551.000
Engagement Manager−0.60< 0.00180.00% of 6030.00% of 90150−0.61−0.70 to −0.501.000
Portfolio Director−0.490.00560.00% of 1033.33% of 2131−0.52−0.74 to −0.200.919
Customer Management Executive‡ n = 1
Vendor type
IT services major−0.50< 0.00169.33% of 15033.33% of 13259−0.59−0.74 to −0.400.997
BPO specialist−0.59< 0.00184.88% of 8631.82% of 8837−0.74−0.86 to −0.541.000
Consulting firm−0.67< 0.00180.85% of 4722.81% of 5723−0.75†0.999
Boutique or specialist provider−0.59< 0.00180.65% of 3134.88% of 4317−0.64†0.952
Pure-play agentic AI firm−0.59< 0.00182.61% of 2324.44% of 4514−0.76†0.989
Not reported, recovered by engagement−0.340.02066.67% of 2439.13% of 2340−0.35−0.60 to −0.050.646
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

The study set r was −0.57 (95% CI −0.62 to −0.52, Holm p < 0.001, n = 749 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 rate12 of 23 engagements (52.17%)44 of 127 engagements (34.65%)Fisher exact0.159
Customer satisfaction, active engagementsMean 66.18%, n = 11 engagementsMean 63.82%, n = 83 engagementsWelch t0.680.510
Engagement mean written score and cancellationPoint-biserial rr = −0.23, n = 25 engagements0.271
Respondent mean written score and intent to leaveSpearman rhorho = −0.16, n = 24 respondents0.447

The cancellation and customer satisfaction contrasts compared engagements with a negative written response against all other engagements. The comparison group comprised 127 other engagements, of which 125 had no scored written response coded to the indicator and 2 had only scored responses that were not negative. The two contrasts therefore did not test written sentiment by themselves. Cancellation was recorded for 12 of the 23 engagements with a negative response (52.17%), against 44 of the 127 other engagements (34.65%). The difference did not reach significance at 0.05 (Fisher exact p = 0.159). Mean customer satisfaction was 66.18% on the 11 active engagements with a negative response, against 63.82% on the 83 other active engagements. The difference did not reach significance at 0.05 (Welch t 0.68, p = 0.510). 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 = −0.23, p = 0.271, n = 25 engagements). The association of the respondent mean written score with intent to leave did not reach significance at 0.05 (rho = −0.16, p = 0.447, n = 24 respondents). None of the four outcome comparisons reached significance at 0.05. Both comparisons with cancellation were descriptive, because responses on canceled engagements were written after cancellation. 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 contrastEngagement150−0.57−0.67 to −0.45< 0.001No4
Customer satisfactionClean estimateEngagement940.680.55 to 0.78< 0.001No2
Engagement indicator meanLeave-one-outEngagement1500.850.80 to 0.89< 0.001No1
Intent to leaveRespondent level, clusteredRespondent749−0.57−0.64 to −0.49< 0.001No3
Table 16. Pairwise comparison of associationsTable
Pair comparedDifference in rSteiger zpHolm pReading
Cancellation rate and customer satisfaction−0.12−5.49< 0.001< 0.001Differ
Cancellation rate and engagement indicator mean−0.29−7.78< 0.001< 0.001Differ
Cancellation rate and intent to leave−0.09−2.320.0200.040Differ
Customer satisfaction and engagement indicator mean−0.17−6.49< 0.001< 0.001Differ
Customer satisfaction and intent to leave0.031.080.2790.279Do not differ
Engagement indicator mean and intent to leave0.207.12< 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)0.60Share of variance between engagements.
Design effect3.601 plus (mean cluster size minus 1) times ICC.
Nominal respondent n799Respondents who answered.
Effective n222Nominal 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 799 respondent answers to about 222 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 rate150−0.57|r| < 0.301.000< 0.001No0.960.230.23
Customer satisfaction940.68|r| < 0.30< 0.0011.000No0.840.290.23
Engagement indicator mean1500.85|r| < 0.30< 0.0011.000No0.960.230.23
Intent to leave749, effective 208−0.57|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−0.57−0.58a−0.01Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonCustomer satisfaction0.680.68a0.00Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonEngagement indicator mean0.850.85a−0.01Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonIntent to leave−0.57−0.56a0.01Yes
Non-answers excluded, then imputed at the engagement meanIntent to leave−0.57−0.57a0.00Yes
Active engagements onlyEngagement indicator mean0.850.800.71 to 0.86−0.06Yes
Active engagements onlyIntent to leave−0.57−0.47−0.53 to −0.390.11Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Cancellation rate−0.57−0.58−0.68 to −0.46−0.01Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Customer satisfaction0.680.690.57 to 0.790.01Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Engagement indicator mean0.850.860.81 to 0.900.01Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook’s distance)Intent to leave−0.57−0.58−0.62 to −0.53−0.01Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countCancellation rate−0.57−0.57a0.00Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countCustomer satisfaction0.680.67a−0.01Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countEngagement indicator mean0.850.85a0.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsCancellation rate−0.57−0.57−0.66 to −0.460.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsCustomer satisfaction0.680.680.57 to 0.770.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsEngagement indicator mean0.850.850.80 to 0.890.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsIntent to leave−0.57−0.57−0.64 to −0.490.00Yes
Thin-base segments removedCancellation rate−0.57−0.58−0.71 to −0.41−0.01Yes
Thin-base segments removedCustomer satisfaction0.680.730.57 to 0.830.05Yes
Thin-base segments removedEngagement indicator mean0.850.850.78 to 0.900.00Yes
Thin-base segments removedIntent to leave−0.57−0.58−0.64 to −0.51−0.01Yes
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 0.86 to 0.85.

Comparison with the Study Norm

Table 20. Comparison with the study normTable
MeasureThis indicator, oriented rStudy median, oriented rDeviationFisher zpHolm p
Cancellation rate0.570.60−0.03−0.570.5681.000
Customer satisfaction0.690.72−0.03−0.760.4451.000
Engagement indicator mean0.850.840.020.770.4401.000
Intent to leave0.660.71−0.05−1.210.2250.900
Spread of deviations0.07
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%C128C159C132C152C105C098C126C148C108C117, 92.00% of 25C117C122C116C096C149C112C173C097C113C139C109C157C101C172C158C095C094C138C187C100C106C127C195C111C186C176C110C143C144C175C102C196C145C103C133C124C125C115C130C189C168C182C164C178C123C141C188C147C179C137C160C120C174C181C104C161C165C183C129C185C136C190C171Median 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 10 of 72 from the highest. Its mean written score (−6.4, n = 25 responses) ranked 10 of 72 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 = 25 responses)Exhibit
Theme: Effort is invisible in the numbers2 (8.00%)Theme: Positive with an embedded negative2 (8.00%)Theme: Respondent proposes a remedy3 (12.00%)C1164 (16.00%)C1264 (16.00%)C1294 (16.00%)C1324 (16.00%)Theme: Raised it, nothing came back4 (16.00%)Theme: Team or colleagues4 (16.00%)Theme: The scale or question does not fit4 (16.00%)C1235 (20.00%)
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 25 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. C123: “Rate the adequacy of your employer’s investment in training its workforce.” C116: “Rate how well your employer is transforming its commercial model as agentic AI reduces the billable human effort it sells today.” C126: “Rate the maturity of your employer’s playbook for taking agentic use cases from concept to governed production.” C129: “Rate how well the technical platforms your employer builds or licenses are optimized for agentic AI outsourcing.” C132: “Rate the depth of your employer’s experience running agentic AI systems in live production, beyond pilots.” Emotional states coded in the same responses, as counts: tired 1 and stressed 1.

The responses coded to the indicator were most often also coded to “Rate the adequacy of your employer’s investment in training its workforce” (C123, 5 responses). The second-highest count was shared by “Rate how well your employer is transforming its commercial model as agentic AI reduces the billable human effort it sells today” (C116, 4 responses), “Rate the maturity of your employer’s playbook for taking agentic use cases from concept to governed production” (C126, 4 responses), “Rate how well the technical platforms your employer builds or licenses are optimized for agentic AI outsourcing” (C129, 4 responses) and “Rate the depth of your employer’s experience running agentic AI systems in live production, beyond pilots” (C132, 4 responses). The themes of the coding rulebook tied as most frequent in the same responses were “Raised it, nothing came back,” “Team or colleagues” and “The scale or question does not fit,” each in 4 responses.

Interpretation of the Data

Distressed answers made up less than half of the study set (388 of 799 answers, 48.56%). Active, Production had the highest mean by lifecycle stage (mean 4.4, n = 99 respondents), and Canceled had the lowest (mean 2.5, n = 295 respondents). Portfolio Director respondents gave the highest ratings by role (mean 4.7, n = 31 respondents), and Individual Contributor respondents gave the lowest (mean 3.5, n = 616 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 moderate 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 25 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 0.60, 799 answers worth about 222 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. 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 3 responses second-coded under rulebook 0.5, with the coders agreeing on 3 of 3. Agreement on the score rested on 3 responses second-scored under rulebook 0.5, with the scores agreeing in 2 of 3. 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 C117, sha256 219eba0457274d04
Statistics enginecompute_statistics.py, sha256 738319eef764602b
Statistics recordComputed Statistics.json, record C117, sha256 e405f65a43e37a6e
ComputedOctober 8, 2026, 01:38 UTC
TemplateIndicator Statistical Analysis Template, version 1.1 of 2026-10-06
Figures placed by script2,413 of 2,413
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 recordsC117.qa.json, sha256 cad96c7e46518c46. C117.wfacts.json, sha256 257d13de77f1307a. Prose C117.json, sha256 1548d41a16c48fa5

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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