Signal Only 6% of GBS leaders realize full value from advanced technology; over 40% have not started

Summary

McKinsey's 2026 survey reveals a wide gap between ambition and progress in global business services. Only 6 percent of leaders of these centers say they are capturing full value from advanced technologies across several use cases. At the other end, more than 40 percent have not yet started adopting such technologies in a systematic way. This sits uneasily beside the 84 percent planning to expand the scope of their centers. McKinsey warns that without sustained investment and C-suite sponsorship, the function risks remaining a cost center rather than becoming a strategic partner.