Enterprises increasingly view Global Capability Centres (GCCs) as engines of innovation to gain a competitive edge. The real challenge is to know how organisations equip their GCCs with the right talent and harness emerging technologies to capture full value. The answer lies in focusing on GCC success factors that measure impact beyond cost savings. By identifying the right success factors, GCC leaders can evaluate how effectively their centres support growth, resilience, and transformation.
Recent research highlights that mature GCCs deliver up to 40% faster cycle times and 35% lower costs per software release compared with central teams. Such outcomes show why metrics and KPIs must evolve to reflect not just efficiency, but the GCC’s broader strategic role.
why GCCs need modern metrics
Global Capability Centres have the potential to achieve incremental efficiencies by embracing a culture of continuous performance improvement. The current state of GCC growth points towards an encouraging future. For example, India already hosts more than 1,848 GCCs, and experts project this number will exceed 2,600 by 2030.
Yet while some centres have matured into innovation hubs, 40–50% still operate primarily as cost-reduction engines, and only 10–20% truly leverage advanced technology ecosystems to create innovation-led value. These figures underscore the importance of selecting the right GCC success factors and KPIs for businesses.
Legacy scorecards often emphasise headcount or cost per full-time equivalent. While relevant, businesses must also measure success in terms of innovation adoption, agility, and stakeholder satisfaction.
linking KPIs with business outcomes
The most effective GCC success factors are those that align directly with enterprise goals. One way to achieve this is by using a value map. The map links the business objective with the GCC’s contribution, the chosen KPI, and the cycle for reviewing progress. For example, when a business priority is to accelerate product launch, the GCC scorecard should highlight measures such as time-to-market, innovation velocity, and the level of automation adoption.
Let’s examine some categories of expected business objectives and the relevant metrics that help measure their impact.
financial impact
GCCs must contribute to both efficiency and growth. The new KPIs to measure the financial impact on business include:
- Value realisation: GCC success factors should look beyond cost savings to include agility benefits, time to breakeven, ROI, faster response times, and greater flexibility.
- Revenue influence: It refers to the GCC’s contribution to growth through new revenue streams, faster product releases, and improved customer acquisition and retention.
strategic impact
Alongside financial outcomes, GCCs must also prove their contribution to long-term goals. Relevant KPIs include:
- Time-to-market: the speed at which new mandates or initiatives start delivering results.
- Portfolio balance: the proportion of GCC work directed towards transformation and innovation compared with routine operations.
operational excellence
While operational KPIs remain essential, they should focus on overall systemic improvement. Shorter cycle times, higher first-contact resolution, and lower error rates paint a clear picture of progress. Automation also plays a vital role. GCCs that automate their processes not only cut costs but also free up their teams to work on more strategic and impactful tasks.
talent and capability development
Traditional metrics, such as attrition and satisfaction, are now standard. The focus has shifted to measuring how quickly employees acquire new skills through diverse projects. This metric indicates tangible growth and an increase in the value of the talent pool. Other useful indicators include internal mobility, leadership localisation, and retention of critical roles.
innovation and digital transformation
Innovation metrics are crucial to GCC success and are a key marker of maturity. Take the example of innovation velocity as a KPI. It refers to the speed at which ideas transition from proof of concept to production. Similarly, measuring the creation of reusable assets, such as APIs or AI models, also highlights scalability. Some centres track intellectual property generation as evidence of their strategic role in business growth.
stakeholder and employee experience
Stakeholders decide whether they consider a GCC strategic. Internal customer satisfaction (CSAT) and Net Promoter Scores (NPS) are helpful measures of partner sentiment. Employee Net Promoter Scores (eNPS) show whether staff feel engaged and valued. When both sides have high satisfaction scores, the GCC becomes a trusted partner rather than just a service unit.
risk management and compliance
Risk management is another vital aspect. Audit scores, time to fix compliance issues, and control coverage show resilience. Monitoring regulatory readiness for new factors like ESG performance and sustainability also helps GCCs scale across markets. These metrics transform GGCs from efficient to trustworthy.
how can Infosys BPM help in measuring GCC success factors?
With AI-driven blueprints, advanced agentic AI accelerators, and an expanding global talent pool, Infosys BPM builds resilient GCCs that generate significant value. Our strategy integrates financial, operational, talent, and innovation metrics into comprehensive, balanced dashboards to unlock the full strategic potential of their GCCs.
