Study Data · Part 2 · Indicator Deep-Dive Analysis

Rate your employer's ability to manage agentic AI outsourcing engagements for global banks in particular

Indicator C121 · By Phil Hatch · Akholi · October 9, 2026

Indicator Specification

Table 1. Indicator specificationTable
FieldValue
Indicator codeC121
Question as askedRate your employer's ability to manage agentic AI outsourcing engagements for global banks in particular.
Failure categoryVendor capability
Place in the surveyChallenge Deep Dive > 5.2 Vendor > Banking Industry Knowledge
Indicator classRespondent level
Indicator typeRated, POS
Response scale1 to 10, higher is the better outcome
Answering base779 of 850 respondents, across 150 of 150 engagements
Non-answersI do not know 0, I prefer to not answer 0, blank 71

Summary of Findings

Table 2. Key results: association of the indicator with the four study measuresTable
MeasureFormnr95% CIp
Cancellation rateDescriptive contrast150 engagements−0.56−0.66 to −0.44< 0.001
Customer satisfactionClean estimate94 engagements0.700.58 to 0.79< 0.001
Engagement indicator meanLeave-one-out150 engagements0.860.81 to 0.90< 0.001
Intent to leaveRespondent level, clustered732 respondents−0.59−0.66 to −0.50< 0.001

The mean rating was 3.6 and the median 4.0 (n = 779 respondents). Ratings of 3 or below, the distressed range, made up 48.91% of the answers. The rating was associated with all four study measures. Higher ratings came with less cancellation (r = −0.56, 95% CI −0.66 to −0.44, p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements), higher customer satisfaction among active engagements (r = 0.70, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.79, p < 0.001, n = 94 engagements), a higher engagement indicator mean computed without the indicator (r = 0.86, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.90, p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements) and lower intent to leave (r = −0.59, cluster bootstrap 95% CI −0.66 to −0.50, p < 0.001 with standard errors clustered by engagement, n = 732 respondents). After Holm correction, ratings differed by engagement status and lifecycle stage (Welch F 25.05, Holm p < 0.001, omega squared 0.304) and respondent role (Welch F 5.78, Holm p = 0.028, omega squared 0.012).

No written response addressed the indicator.

Distribution of Ratings

Table 3. Distribution of ratings, respondent levelTable
AnswerRespondentsShare of answered (base 779)Cumulative shareEngagements with at least oneShare of 150 engagementsDistressed
115019.26%19.26%6040.00%Yes
29812.58%31.84%6442.67%Yes
313317.07%48.91%8154.00%Yes
413717.59%66.50%8154.00%No
512415.92%82.41%7046.67%No
67810.01%92.43%5234.67%No
7364.62%97.05%2617.33%No
8162.05%99.10%106.67%No
970.90%100.00%53.33%No
1000.00%100.00%00.00%No
I do not know0Not in baseNot in base00.00%Not applicable
I prefer to not answer0Not in baseNot in base00.00%Not applicable
Answered, total779100.00%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 view1503.61.61.03.68.06342.00%

Ratings of 3 or below, the distressed range, accounted for 381 of the 779 answers (48.91%). The engagement mean fell in the distressed range in 63 of 150 engagements.

Descriptive Statistics by Segment

Table 5a. Descriptive statistics by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentBaseAnsweredAnswer rateEngagementsMean95% CISD
Study set85077991.65% of 8501503.63.5 to 3.81.9
Outsourcing model
CXM23221793.53% of 232423.93.6 to 4.12.1
ITO24422290.98% of 244403.63.3 to 3.81.9
BPO20919291.87% of 209373.43.2 to 3.71.8
KPO16514889.70% of 165313.63.3 to 3.92.0
Institution type
Asset management13211687.88% of 132243.63.2 to 4.02.2
Wealth management and private banking14013395.00% of 140233.63.3 to 3.91.7
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)1059691.43% of 105193.02.7 to 3.31.7
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)787596.15% of 78143.73.3 to 4.11.8
Commercial and business banking827895.12% of 82134.23.7 to 4.62.0
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)716388.73% of 71133.73.1 to 4.22.2
Credit card and payments issuing736690.41% of 73123.12.7 to 3.51.6
Retail and consumer banking736589.04% of 73124.33.7 to 4.92.3
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)575291.23% of 57113.93.4 to 4.41.6
Private equity and private capital393589.74% of 3993.42.7 to 4.12.0
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions24822490.32% of 248473.33.1 to 3.61.9
Technology engineering and operations20418691.18% of 204353.93.6 to 4.22.0
Client servicing and communications948994.68% of 94163.63.1 to 4.02.2
Trade, settlement and reconciliation807492.50% of 80153.43.0 to 3.81.8
Payments, cards and disputes736386.30% of 73124.03.6 to 4.51.6
Credit, underwriting and suitability575494.74% of 5794.33.8 to 4.81.9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal514894.12% of 5193.52.9 to 4.11.9
Financial crime and client onboarding434195.35% of 4373.12.7 to 3.61.5
Class of work
LOB Operational45141491.80% of 451763.73.5 to 3.92.0
Corporate Functional39936591.48% of 399743.53.3 to 3.71.9
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out17516192.00% of 175314.44.1 to 4.71.8
Active, Transition/Cut-Over25023594.00% of 250434.24.0 to 4.41.6
Active, Production1039188.35% of 103204.64.2 to 5.12.1
Canceled32229290.68% of 322562.42.3 to 2.61.6
Respondent role
Individual Contributor66759789.51% of 6671493.53.3 to 3.71.9
Engagement Manager150150100.00% of 1501503.93.6 to 4.21.9
Portfolio Director313096.77% of 31304.53.8 to 5.21.9
Customer Management Executive222 of 22‡
Vendor type
IT services major31628690.51% of 316593.43.2 to 3.71.9
BPO specialist19818191.41% of 198373.43.1 to 3.71.9
Consulting firm11711194.87% of 117234.03.6 to 4.32.0
Boutique or specialist provider878193.10% of 87173.93.4 to 4.42.3
Pure-play agentic AI firm757296.00% of 75144.13.7 to 4.51.8
Not reported, recovered by engagement574884.21% of 57423.73.2 to 4.31.9
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.
Table 5b. Descriptive statistics by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentMinQ1MedianQ3MaxDistressed nDistressed %
Study set1.02.04.05.09.038148.91%
Outsourcing model
CXM1.02.04.05.09.09744.70%
ITO1.02.03.05.08.011853.15%
BPO1.02.03.55.08.09650.00%
KPO1.02.04.05.08.07047.30%
Institution type
Asset management1.02.03.05.09.06959.48%
Wealth management and private banking1.02.04.05.08.06145.86%
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)1.02.03.04.07.06466.67%
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)1.02.04.05.08.02938.67%
Commercial and business banking1.03.04.06.09.03038.46%
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)1.02.03.05.08.03250.79%
Credit card and payments issuing1.01.33.04.07.03654.55%
Retail and consumer banking1.02.05.06.09.02335.38%
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)1.02.84.05.07.01732.69%
Private equity and private capital1.02.03.05.08.02057.14%
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions1.01.83.05.09.012053.57%
Technology engineering and operations1.02.04.05.08.08445.16%
Client servicing and communications1.01.03.05.09.04752.81%
Trade, settlement and reconciliation1.02.03.05.07.04155.41%
Payments, cards and disputes1.03.04.05.08.02133.33%
Credit, underwriting and suitability1.03.04.05.88.01629.63%
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal1.02.03.05.08.02654.17%
Financial crime and client onboarding1.02.03.04.07.02663.41%
Class of work
LOB Operational1.02.04.05.09.020248.79%
Corporate Functional1.02.04.05.09.017949.04%
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out1.03.04.06.09.04930.43%
Active, Transition/Cut-Over1.03.04.05.08.07230.64%
Active, Production1.03.05.06.09.02931.87%
Canceled1.01.02.03.09.023179.11%
Respondent role
Individual Contributor1.02.03.05.09.030651.26%
Engagement Manager1.03.04.05.09.06744.67%
Portfolio Director1.03.35.05.88.0826.67%
Customer Management Executive‡ n = 2
Vendor type
IT services major1.02.03.05.09.015855.24%
BPO specialist1.02.03.05.09.09954.70%
Consulting firm1.02.04.05.08.04439.64%
Boutique or specialist provider1.02.04.05.09.03441.98%
Pure-play agentic AI firm1.03.04.05.07.02534.72%
Not reported, recovered by engagement1.02.04.05.07.02143.75%
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Every figure in the segment tables is at respondent level. Segments with fewer than 30 respondents carry no interval. Segments with fewer than 10 report counts only.

Tests of Difference Between Segments

Table 6a. Tests of difference between segments, part 1 of 2Table
Segment familyWelch FdfpHolm pOmega squared90% CI
Outsourcing model0.413, 79.10.7431.000−0.0120.000 to 0.028
Institution type1.188, 49.50.3291.0000.0070.000 to 0.083
Process family0.994, 40.30.4251.000−0.0020.000 to 0.064
Class of work0.191, 147.90.6601.000−0.0050.000 to 0.027
Engagement status and lifecycle stage25.053, 58.3< 0.001< 0.0010.3040.209 to 0.399
Respondent role5.782, 73.60.0050.0280.0120.003 to 0.030
Vendor type3.055, 224.30.0110.0560.0130.003 to 0.032
Table 6b. Tests of difference between segments, part 2 of 2Table
Segment familyKruskal-Wallis HpDistressed chi-squaredfpCramer's VLevels excluded
Outsourcing model0.650.8852.6330.4530.13None
Institution type9.150.33011.0180.204, simulated0.28Private equity and private capital, n = 9
Process family3.380.4964.5740.3350.19Credit, underwriting and suitability, n = 9, Regulatory, audit, tax and legal, n = 9, Financial crime and client onboarding, n = 7
Class of work0.070.7940.0010.9790.00None
Engagement status and lifecycle stage48.71< 0.00135.773< 0.0010.49None
Respondent role11.910.0038.3320.0160.10Customer Management Executive, n = 2
Vendor type16.250.00618.7150.0020.15None

Segment families recorded at engagement level were tested on engagement means. Respondent role and vendor type were tested on respondents. Where an expected count fell below 5, the test of the distressed share used Fisher's exact test for a two-by-two table, marked exact, or a Monte Carlo test, marked simulated. After Holm correction, ratings differed by engagement status and lifecycle stage (Welch F 25.05, Holm p < 0.001, omega squared 0.304). Active engagements in Production rated highest (mean 4.6, n = 91 respondents) and canceled engagements lowest (mean 2.4, n = 292 respondents). Ratings also differed by respondent role (Welch F 5.78, Holm p = 0.028, omega squared 0.012). Portfolio directors rated highest (mean 4.5, n = 30 respondents) and individual contributors lowest (mean 3.5, n = 597 respondents). Outsourcing model, institution type, process family, class of work and vendor type showed no difference.

Association with Cancellation Rate

Cancellation rate is the share of engagements canceled by the study date, measured at engagement level (150 engagements, 56 canceled). Canceled engagements were rated after cancellation. The association is therefore a descriptive contrast and not a forecast of cancellation.

Table 7a. Association with cancellation rate by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentEngagementsCanceledCancellation ratePoint-biserial r95% CIpHolm p
Study set1505637.33% of 150−0.56−0.66 to −0.44< 0.001< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM421535.71% of 42−0.52−0.71 to −0.25< 0.0010.006
ITO401537.50% of 40−0.48−0.69 to −0.200.0020.020
BPO371437.84% of 37−0.66−0.81 to −0.43< 0.001< 0.001
KPO311238.71% of 31−0.64−0.81 to −0.37< 0.0010.002
Institution type
Asset management241354.17% of 24−0.76†< 0.001< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking23834.78% of 23−0.50†0.0160.113
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)19947.37% of 19−0.30†0.2080.415
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)14535.71% of 14−0.67†0.0090.089
Commercial and business banking13430.77% of 13−0.54†0.0580.207
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)13323.08% of 13−0.27†0.3720.415
Credit card and payments issuing12541.67% of 12−0.81†0.0010.017
Retail and consumer banking12433.33% of 12−0.86†< 0.0010.005
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)11327.27% of 11−0.61†0.0450.207
Private equity and private capital922 of 9‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions471940.43% of 47−0.65−0.79 to −0.45< 0.001< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations351028.57% of 35−0.44−0.67 to −0.120.0090.089
Client servicing and communications16956.25% of 16−0.57†0.0220.133
Trade, settlement and reconciliation15853.33% of 15−0.64†0.0110.089
Payments, cards and disputes12216.67% of 12−0.59†0.0410.207
Credit, underwriting and suitability911 of 9‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal944 of 9‡
Financial crime and client onboarding733 of 7‡
Class of work
LOB Operational763039.47% of 76−0.52−0.67 to −0.34< 0.001< 0.001
Corporate Functional742635.14% of 74−0.60−0.73 to −0.43< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out3100.00% of 31a
Active, Transition/Cut-Over4300.00% of 43a
Active, Production2000.00% of 20a
Canceled5656100.00% of 56a
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported. a Not tested: no variation in cancellation.
Table 7b. Association with cancellation rate by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentOdds ratio per point95% CIAUCRate, distressed engagementsRate, other engagementsFisher pTOST p
Study set0.350.25 to 0.490.8465.08% of 6317.24% of 87< 0.0011.000
Outsourcing model
CXM0.430.25 to 0.750.8071.43% of 1417.86% of 280.0010.948
ITO0.450.25 to 0.800.7852.94% of 1726.09% of 230.1070.900
BPO0.150.04 to 0.540.8968.42% of 195.56% of 18< 0.0010.998
KPO0.280.12 to 0.660.8769.23% of 1316.67% of 180.0080.991
Institution type
Asset management0.13† n = 240.9383.33% of 1225.00% of 120.0120.999
Wealth management and private banking0.41† n = 230.796 of 914.29% of 140.0230.853
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)0.56† n = 190.6158.33% of 122 of 70.3500.505
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)0.22† n = 140.913 of 420.00% of 100.0950.951
Commercial and business banking0.38† n = 130.792 of 218.18% of 110.0770.821
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)0.65† n = 130.672 of 61 of 70.5590.459
Credit card and payments issuing0.04† n = 121.005 of 60 of 60.0150.993
Retail and consumer banking0.06† n = 120.973 of 31 of 90.0180.998
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)0.27† n = 110.922 of 41 of 70.4910.874
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 9
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions0.280.14 to 0.560.8970.83% of 248.70% of 23< 0.0010.999
Technology engineering and operations0.480.26 to 0.890.7541.67% of 1221.74% of 230.2580.813
Client servicing and communications0.40† n = 160.816 of 73 of 90.0600.885
Trade, settlement and reconciliation0.30† n = 150.886 of 82 of 70.1320.937
Payments, cards and disputes0.08† n = 121.002 of 30 of 90.0450.870
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 9
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 7
Class of work
LOB Operational0.370.23 to 0.610.8165.63% of 3220.45% of 44< 0.0010.990
Corporate Functional0.320.19 to 0.540.8664.52% of 3113.95% of 43< 0.0010.999
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Outa
Active, Transition/Cut-Overa
Active, Productiona
Canceleda
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported. a Not tested: no variation in cancellation.

Across the study set, higher ratings came with less cancellation (r = −0.56, 95% CI −0.66 to −0.44, Holm p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). The association held after Holm correction in ten of the 20 segment levels tested.

Association with Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is the percentage recorded against each engagement. The primary estimate uses the 94 active engagements. A descriptive contrast uses all 150 engagements.

Table 8a. Association with customer satisfaction by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentActive engagementsClean r95% CIpHolm pSpearman rhop
Study set940.700.58 to 0.79< 0.001< 0.0010.69< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM270.73†< 0.001< 0.0010.69< 0.001
ITO250.78†< 0.001< 0.0010.73< 0.001
BPO230.68†< 0.0010.0040.66< 0.001
KPO190.72†< 0.0010.0050.680.002
Institution type
Asset management110.78†0.0050.0140.750.008
Wealth management and private banking150.37†0.1800.3610.330.229
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)100.39†0.2710.3610.270.454
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)9‡
Commercial and business banking9‡
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)100.85†0.0020.0090.690.026
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 functions280.60†< 0.0010.0060.580.001
Technology engineering and operations250.80†< 0.001< 0.0010.76< 0.001
Client servicing and communications7‡
Trade, settlement and reconciliation7‡
Payments, cards and disputes100.85†0.0020.0090.790.007
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< 0.0010.80< 0.001
Corporate Functional480.560.33 to 0.73< 0.001< 0.0010.59< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out310.730.50 to 0.86< 0.001< 0.0010.70< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over430.700.50 to 0.83< 0.001< 0.0010.72< 0.001
Active, Production200.69†< 0.0010.0060.72< 0.001
Canceled0a
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported. a Not tested: canceled engagements fall outside the active population.
Table 8b. Association with customer satisfaction by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentSlope, points per rating point95% CIR squaredTOST pAll engagementsDescriptive rp
Study set5.494.32 to 6.660.491.0001500.68< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM5.37† n = 270.530.999420.68< 0.001
ITO5.36† n = 250.611.000400.60< 0.001
BPO5.94† n = 230.460.989370.75< 0.001
KPO6.48† n = 190.510.991310.77< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management4.66† n = 110.610.981240.81< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking2.50† n = 150.130.601230.540.008
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)3.52† n = 100.150.601190.380.111
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)‡ n = 9
Commercial and business banking‡ n = 9
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)5.91† n = 100.730.994130.610.027
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 functions5.25† n = 280.360.970470.76< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations5.37† n = 250.651.000350.62< 0.001
Client servicing and communications‡ n = 7
Trade, settlement and reconciliation‡ n = 7
Payments, cards and disputes7.91† n = 100.720.994120.83< 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 Operational6.444.94 to 7.940.631.000760.68< 0.001
Corporate Functional4.242.39 to 6.100.320.986740.70< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out5.013.20 to 6.820.530.999310.73< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over6.414.34 to 8.480.491.000430.70< 0.001
Active, Production4.64†0.470.986200.69< 0.001
Canceleda
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported. a Not tested: canceled engagements fall outside the active population.

Across the active engagements, higher ratings came with higher customer satisfaction (r = 0.70, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.79, Holm p < 0.001, n = 94 engagements). The association held after Holm correction in fourteen of the 16 segment levels tested.

Association with the Engagement Indicator Mean

The engagement indicator mean is the mean of an engagement's ratings across the rated indicators, measured at engagement level (150 engagements). The indicator is one of the rated indicators. Each comparison therefore uses the mean recomputed without it.

Table 9a. Association with the engagement indicator mean by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentEngagementsLeave-one-out r95% CIpHolm pSpearman rhop
Study set1500.860.81 to 0.90< 0.001< 0.0010.85< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM420.840.73 to 0.91< 0.001< 0.0010.81< 0.001
ITO400.870.77 to 0.93< 0.001< 0.0010.83< 0.001
BPO370.800.64 to 0.89< 0.001< 0.0010.79< 0.001
KPO310.930.85 to 0.96< 0.001< 0.0010.92< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management240.96†< 0.001< 0.0010.92< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking230.76†< 0.001< 0.0010.69< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)190.74†< 0.0010.0010.600.007
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)140.74†0.0020.0020.710.004
Commercial and business banking130.90†< 0.001< 0.0010.87< 0.001
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)130.80†< 0.0010.0020.630.022
Credit card and payments issuing120.87†< 0.0010.0010.87< 0.001
Retail and consumer banking120.97†< 0.001< 0.0010.96< 0.001
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)110.86†< 0.0010.0020.85< 0.001
Private equity and private capital9‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions470.830.71 to 0.90< 0.001< 0.0010.84< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations350.870.75 to 0.93< 0.001< 0.0010.79< 0.001
Client servicing and communications160.92†< 0.001< 0.0010.93< 0.001
Trade, settlement and reconciliation150.91†< 0.001< 0.0010.91< 0.001
Payments, cards and disputes120.88†< 0.001< 0.0010.92< 0.001
Credit, underwriting and suitability9‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal9‡
Financial crime and client onboarding7‡
Class of work
LOB Operational760.900.85 to 0.94< 0.001< 0.0010.89< 0.001
Corporate Functional740.820.72 to 0.88< 0.001< 0.0010.81< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out310.820.66 to 0.91< 0.001< 0.0010.80< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over430.760.59 to 0.86< 0.001< 0.0010.75< 0.001
Active, Production200.90†< 0.001< 0.0010.89< 0.001
Canceled560.780.65 to 0.87< 0.001< 0.0010.73< 0.001
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.
Table 9b. 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 0.850.741.000No
Outsourcing model
CXM0.850.000.750.60 to 0.900.711.000No
ITO0.870.000.690.56 to 0.820.761.000No
BPO0.800.000.760.56 to 0.960.631.000No
KPO0.930.000.920.78 to 1.060.861.000No
Institution type
Asset management0.960.000.78† n = 240.921.000No
Wealth management and private banking0.760.000.74† n = 230.580.999No
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)0.750.000.67† n = 190.550.995No
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)0.750.000.84† n = 140.550.984No
Commercial and business banking0.900.000.78† n = 130.811.000No
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)0.810.000.66† n = 130.640.994No
Credit card and payments issuing0.870.000.97† n = 120.760.999No
Retail and consumer banking0.980.000.79† n = 120.951.000No
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)0.860.001.01† n = 110.740.998No
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 9
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions0.830.000.790.63 to 0.950.691.000No
Technology engineering and operations0.870.000.660.53 to 0.790.751.000No
Client servicing and communications0.920.000.82† n = 160.851.000No
Trade, settlement and reconciliation0.910.000.83† n = 150.831.000No
Payments, cards and disputes0.880.000.84† n = 120.780.999No
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 9
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 7
Class of work
LOB Operational0.900.000.830.73 to 0.920.811.000No
Corporate Functional0.820.000.730.61 to 0.850.671.000No
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out0.820.000.620.46 to 0.790.671.000No
Active, Transition/Cut-Over0.760.000.660.48 to 0.840.571.000No
Active, Production0.910.000.72† n = 200.821.000No
Canceled0.79−0.010.430.33 to 0.520.611.000No
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Higher ratings came with a higher engagement indicator mean (r = 0.86, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.90, Holm p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). The association held after Holm correction in twenty-four of the 24 segment levels tested.

Association with Intent to Leave

Intent to leave is the answer to C019, “How likely are you to leave your current job in the next 12 months?”, rated 1 to 10. It is measured at respondent level on up to 798 respondents, with the engagement-level form reported alongside.

Table 10a. Association with intent to leave by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentRespondentsr95% CICluster bootstrap 95% CIpHolm p
Study set732−0.59−0.63 to −0.54−0.66 to −0.51< 0.001< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM200−0.58−0.66 to −0.48−0.72 to −0.40< 0.001< 0.001
ITO213−0.53−0.62 to −0.43−0.69 to −0.32< 0.001< 0.001
BPO179−0.60−0.68 to −0.49−0.70 to −0.45< 0.001< 0.001
KPO140−0.68−0.76 to −0.58−0.80 to −0.51< 0.001< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management108−0.73−0.81 to −0.63−0.83 to −0.54< 0.001< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking126−0.51−0.63 to −0.37−0.73 to −0.23< 0.001< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)90−0.31−0.48 to −0.11−0.59 to 0.060.0030.010
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)68−0.51−0.67 to −0.31−0.72 to −0.23< 0.001< 0.001
Commercial and business banking72−0.60−0.73 to −0.43−0.82 to −0.26< 0.001< 0.001
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)61−0.45−0.63 to −0.22−0.74 to −0.07< 0.0010.002
Credit card and payments issuing63−0.67−0.79 to −0.51−0.81 to −0.50< 0.001< 0.001
Retail and consumer banking59−0.68−0.80 to −0.51−0.85 to −0.43< 0.001< 0.001
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)50−0.75−0.85 to −0.59−0.91 to −0.47< 0.001< 0.001
Private equity and private capital35−0.72−0.85 to −0.52§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions205−0.64−0.71 to −0.55−0.77 to −0.47< 0.001< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations178−0.51−0.61 to −0.39−0.67 to −0.28< 0.001< 0.001
Client servicing and communications84−0.56−0.69 to −0.39−0.77 to −0.14< 0.001< 0.001
Trade, settlement and reconciliation69−0.66−0.77 to −0.50−0.76 to −0.37< 0.001< 0.001
Payments, cards and disputes60−0.61−0.75 to −0.43−0.78 to −0.34< 0.001< 0.001
Credit, underwriting and suitability50−0.55−0.72 to −0.32§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal46−0.71−0.83 to −0.53§ 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 Operational390−0.60−0.66 to −0.53−0.68 to −0.49< 0.001< 0.001
Corporate Functional342−0.58−0.65 to −0.51−0.70 to −0.45< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out152−0.52−0.63 to −0.39−0.64 to −0.37< 0.001< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over223−0.48−0.58 to −0.37−0.64 to −0.29< 0.001< 0.001
Active, Production85−0.51−0.65 to −0.34−0.69 to −0.27< 0.001< 0.001
Canceled2720.04−0.08 to 0.16−0.11 to 0.170.5320.532
Respondent role
Individual Contributor551−0.60−0.65 to −0.54−0.67 to −0.50< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement Manager150−0.57−0.67 to −0.45−0.67 to −0.45< 0.001< 0.001
Portfolio Director30−0.53−0.75 to −0.22−0.79 to −0.200.0020.009
Customer Management Executive1‡
Vendor type
IT services major273−0.52−0.60 to −0.43−0.65 to −0.36< 0.001< 0.001
BPO specialist167−0.62−0.71 to −0.52−0.75 to −0.44< 0.001< 0.001
Consulting firm104−0.67−0.76 to −0.54−0.81 to −0.46< 0.001< 0.001
Boutique or specialist provider73−0.70−0.80 to −0.57−0.83 to −0.46< 0.001< 0.001
Pure-play agentic AI firm70−0.67−0.78 to −0.51−0.82 to −0.46< 0.001< 0.001
Not reported, recovered by engagement45−0.39−0.61 to −0.11−0.67 to −0.050.0080.017
Note: § Too few engagements for a cluster bootstrap interval. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.
Table 10b. 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−0.58< 0.00180.45% of 35827.81% of 374150−0.66−0.74 to −0.561.000
Outsourcing model
CXM−0.56< 0.00173.03% of 8921.62% of 11142−0.65−0.80 to −0.430.998
ITO−0.51< 0.00182.61% of 11534.69% of 9840−0.60−0.77 to −0.350.990
BPO−0.60< 0.00180.68% of 8828.57% of 9137−0.67−0.82 to −0.450.998
KPO−0.68< 0.00186.36% of 6627.03% of 7431−0.77−0.88 to −0.581.000
Institution type
Asset management−0.71< 0.00189.06% of 6431.82% of 4424−0.79†1.000
Wealth management and private banking−0.53< 0.00176.27% of 5925.37% of 6723−0.49†0.838
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)−0.250.01876.67% of 6040.00% of 3019−0.33†0.552
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)−0.50< 0.00173.08% of 2635.71% of 4214−0.59†0.890
Commercial and business banking−0.59< 0.00176.92% of 2630.43% of 4613−0.71†0.965
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)−0.410.00168.75% of 3234.48% of 2913−0.60†0.883
Credit card and payments issuing−0.68< 0.00179.41% of 3417.24% of 2912−0.85†0.998
Retail and consumer banking−0.66< 0.00185.00% of 2017.95% of 3912−0.77†0.985
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)−0.71< 0.001100.00% of 1718.18% of 3311−0.87†0.998
Private equity and private capital−0.70< 0.00190.00% of 2026.67% of 159‡‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions−0.64< 0.00182.73% of 11025.26% of 9547−0.67−0.80 to −0.471.000
Technology engineering and operations−0.51< 0.00174.39% of 8229.17% of 9635−0.57−0.76 to −0.290.972
Client servicing and communications−0.45< 0.00183.72% of 4339.02% of 4116−0.68†0.971
Trade, settlement and reconciliation−0.59< 0.00197.44% of 3930.00% of 3015−0.77†0.993
Payments, cards and disputes−0.61< 0.00157.89% of 1912.20% of 4112−0.74†0.971
Credit, underwriting and suitability−0.56< 0.00166.67% of 1525.71% of 359‡‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal−0.66< 0.00184.00% of 2533.33% of 219‡‡
Financial crime and client onboarding−0.450.00380.00% of 2540.00% of 157‡‡
Class of work
LOB Operational−0.57< 0.00184.21% of 19025.00% of 20076−0.71−0.81 to −0.571.000
Corporate Functional−0.58< 0.00176.19% of 16831.03% of 17474−0.62−0.74 to −0.451.000
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out−0.51< 0.00140.00% of 4518.69% of 10731−0.55−0.76 to −0.240.949
Active, Transition/Cut-Over−0.46< 0.00161.11% of 7212.58% of 15143−0.44−0.66 to −0.160.851
Active, Production−0.52< 0.00142.31% of 2613.56% of 5920−0.62†0.958
Canceled0.020.728100.00% of 215100.00% of 57560.17−0.09 to 0.420.166
Respondent role
Individual Contributor−0.58< 0.00180.92% of 28327.99% of 268149−0.65−0.74 to −0.551.000
Engagement Manager−0.58< 0.00179.10% of 6726.51% of 83150−0.57−0.67 to −0.451.000
Portfolio Director−0.530.003‡ n = 831.82% of 2230−0.53−0.75 to −0.220.932
Customer Management Executive‡ n = 1
Vendor type
IT services major−0.52< 0.00174.17% of 15128.69% of 12259−0.56−0.72 to −0.360.993
BPO specialist−0.59< 0.00182.42% of 9131.58% of 7637−0.72−0.85 to −0.511.000
Consulting firm−0.67< 0.00187.80% of 4120.63% of 6323−0.72†0.997
Boutique or specialist provider−0.68< 0.00184.38% of 3234.15% of 4117−0.79†0.998
Pure-play agentic AI firm−0.63< 0.00195.83% of 2417.39% of 4614−0.80†0.996
Not reported, recovered by engagement−0.380.01078.95% of 1938.46% of 2639−0.33−0.58 to −0.010.572
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Respondents who gave higher ratings reported lower intent to leave (r = −0.59, 95% CI −0.63 to −0.54, Holm p < 0.001, n = 732 respondents). The association held after Holm correction in thirty-six of the 37 segment levels tested.

Comparison of Associations Across the Four Measures

Table 11. Associations across the four measuresTable
MeasureFormUnitnr95% CIpEquivalent to zeroRank among the four
Cancellation rateDescriptive contrastEngagement150−0.56−0.66 to −0.44< 0.001No4
Customer satisfactionClean estimateEngagement940.700.58 to 0.79< 0.001No2
Engagement indicator meanLeave-one-outEngagement1500.860.81 to 0.90< 0.001No1
Intent to leaveRespondent level, clusteredRespondent732−0.59−0.66 to −0.50< 0.001No3
Table 12. Pairwise comparison of associationsTable
Pair comparedDifference in rSteiger zpHolm pReading
Cancellation rate and customer satisfaction−0.13−5.68< 0.001< 0.001Differed
Cancellation rate and engagement indicator mean−0.30−8.10< 0.001< 0.001Differed
Cancellation rate and intent to leave−0.10−2.540.0110.022Differed
Customer satisfaction and engagement indicator mean−0.17−6.77< 0.001< 0.001Differed
Customer satisfaction and intent to leave0.030.930.3520.352Did not differ
Engagement indicator mean and intent to leave0.207.26< 0.001< 0.001Differed

The four associations were compared in pairs on their engagement-level forms, each oriented so that a higher value is the better outcome, across the 150 engagements with all four measures. After Holm correction, five of the six pairs differed. The association with the engagement indicator mean was the strongest and the association with cancellation the weakest. The associations with customer satisfaction and intent to leave did not differ (Holm p = 0.352).

Clustering and Effective Sample Size

Table 13. Clustering and effective sample sizeTable
StatisticValueReading
Clusters (engagements)150Engagements with one or more answers.
Mean respondents per engagement5.2Answers per engagement, among engagements with one or more answers.
ICC(1)0.62Share of the variance that lies between engagements.
Design effect3.59One plus the product of the ICC and the mean cluster size less one.
Nominal respondent n779Respondents who answered.
Effective n217Nominal n divided by the design effect.
Cluster bootstrap appliedYesApplied to every respondent-level interval where the ICC is 0.05 or above.

Answers clustered within engagements (ICC 0.62). Clustering reduced the 779 respondent answers to the equivalent of about 217 independent answers. Respondent-level intervals therefore used the cluster bootstrap. Respondent-level tests of intent to leave used standard errors that allow for clustering by engagement.

Equivalence Tests of Null Results

Table 14. Equivalence tests of null resultsTable
MeasurenrEquivalence boundTOST p, lowerTOST p, upperEquivalent to zeroAchieved powerMDE at power 0.80Detection floor for this n
Cancellation rate150−0.56|r| < 0.301.000< 0.001No0.960.230.23
Customer satisfaction940.70|r| < 0.30< 0.0011.000No0.840.290.23
Engagement indicator mean1500.86|r| < 0.30< 0.0011.000No0.960.230.23
Intent to leave732, effective 203−0.59|r| < 0.301.000< 0.001No0.990.200.23

No association was equivalent to zero. Each of the four differed from zero. The detection floor shown is the study floor at 150 engagements. Intent to leave was tested on its effective sample size.

Robustness Checks

Table 15. Robustness checksTable
CheckMeasurePrimary rCheck r95% CIChangeConclusion holds
Rank correlation in place of PearsonCancellation rate−0.56−0.57a−0.01Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonCustomer satisfaction0.700.69a−0.01Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonEngagement indicator mean0.860.85a−0.01Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonIntent to leave−0.59−0.58a0.01Yes
Non-answers excluded, then imputed at the engagement meanIntent to leave−0.59−0.59a0.00Yes
Active engagements onlyEngagement indicator mean0.860.810.72 to 0.87−0.05Yes
Active engagements onlyIntent to leave−0.59−0.50−0.57 to −0.430.08Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook's distance)Cancellation rate−0.56−0.57−0.67 to −0.45−0.01Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook's distance)Customer satisfaction0.700.720.60 to 0.800.02Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook's distance)Engagement indicator mean0.860.870.82 to 0.900.01Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook's distance)Intent to leave−0.59−0.60−0.64 to −0.55−0.01Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countCancellation rate−0.56−0.57a−0.01Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countCustomer satisfaction0.700.70a0.00Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countEngagement indicator mean0.860.87a0.01Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsCancellation rate−0.56−0.56−0.65 to −0.460.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsCustomer satisfaction0.700.700.58 to 0.790.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsEngagement indicator mean0.860.860.80 to 0.900.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsIntent to leave−0.59−0.59−0.66 to −0.500.00Yes
Thin-base segments removedCancellation rate−0.56−0.57−0.70 to −0.40−0.01Yes
Thin-base segments removedCustomer satisfaction0.700.690.52 to 0.81−0.01Yes
Thin-base segments removedEngagement indicator mean0.860.840.76 to 0.90−0.02Yes
Thin-base segments removedIntent to leave−0.59−0.58−0.64 to −0.510.01Yes
Note: a No interval for this check.

Each change was computed before rounding and may differ by 0.01 from the difference between the two printed values.

All 22 checks held. A check holds when its test falls on the same side of 0.05 as the primary test. Where the primary test falls below 0.05, the check must also keep the sign of the primary correlation. The thin-base check removes the engagements in any level of outsourcing model or process family with fewer than 30 engagements. Institution type is not used for that check, because every one of its levels has fewer than 30 engagements.

Measure Independence and Part-Whole Correction

Each of the four measures was computed from data the indicator does not contain. Each result is therefore a finding and not an arithmetic consequence. The indicator is one of the rated indicators, and the engagement indicator mean was recomputed without it. The correction changed r by 0.00, from 0.86 to 0.86.

Comparison with the Study Norm

Table 16. Comparison with the study normTable
MeasureThe indicator, oriented rStudy median, oriented rDeviationFisher zpHolm p
Cancellation rate0.560.60−0.04−0.720.4741.000
Customer satisfaction0.680.72−0.03−0.830.4041.000
Engagement indicator mean0.860.840.020.920.3571.000
Intent to leave0.660.71−0.05−1.190.2320.929
Spread of deviations0.07
VerdictTypical

Each deviation was computed before rounding and may differ by 0.01 from the difference between the two printed values.

The comparison covered 150 engagements. The indicator followed the study's typical pattern on all four measures, and no deviation held after Holm correction.

Interpretation of the Data

About half of all ratings of the employer's ability to manage agentic outsourcing engagements for global banks fell in the distressed range (381 of 779 answers, 48.91%). The rating was associated with all four study measures, and every association held under each of the 22 robustness checks. Canceled engagements rated far below the three active stages (mean 2.4, n = 292 respondents).

No respondent wrote about the employer's capability with global banks in particular. The evidence for the indicator is therefore the rating alone, and the reasons behind it are not recorded.

Limitations

The evidence is the reported experience of the vendor's delivery teams, collected in a single cross-section. The associations reported here are not causal.

Tests by respondent role and by vendor type treated respondents as independent. The section on clustering reports how far clustering within engagements reduced the information in respondent-level figures.

Customer management executives gave 2 answers, a base of anecdote strength.

No written response addressed the indicator.

Definitions

Table 17. DefinitionsTable
TermDefinition
Response scaleRatings run from 1 to 10, from the worst outcome a respondent can report to the best.
DistressedA rating of 3 or below. 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 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. The indicator belongs to vendor capability.
Engagement indicator meanThe mean of an engagement's ratings on the rated indicators. The indicator is one of the rated indicators, so the mean is recomputed without it wherever the two are compared.
Cluster bootstrapAn interval computed by resampling engagements rather than responses, so that the responses from one engagement stay together.

Sources and Provenance

Table 18. Sources and provenanceTable
SourceValue
Study dataStudy Data.xlsx, Data sheet, column C121, sha256 219eba0457274d04
Statistics enginecompute_statistics.py, sha256 738319eef764602b
Statistics recordComputed Statistics.json, record C121, sha256 1ae50a3637fc9370
ComputedOctober 13, 2026, 04:57 UTC
TemplateIndicator Template v2, version 2.0 of 10 October 2026
Figures placed by script2,804

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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