The best way to use AI & RPA Is to plunge right in!

The Six Million-Dollar Questions

Angela Mangiapane
Angela Mangiapane
President, Mars Global Services
President of Mars Global Services with 30+ years of diverse experience in financial and talent leadership roles across businesses and geographies. Angela leads a team of 3000 associates who are enabling the growth of multiple segments.
Caroline Basyn
Sashi Narahari
Founder and CEO
CEO and Founder of HighRadius, a Fintech enterprise SaaS company which leverages AI-based Autonomous Systems to help companies automate Accounts Receivable and Treasury. Sashi’s leadership has secured the trust of 200+ Global 2000 companies.

Podcast Summary:
Six Million Dollar Questions every GBS Leaders want to Know

Million Dollar Question #1: What is your view about the future of GBS, and considering various GBS processes, What would you engage your associates in and where would you bring in 3rd party experts?
Key Points
  • The pandemic led to the quick mobilization of over 40000 employees to a remote work-from-home setup which interestingly improved quality
  • Scalability is not at the expense of being agile- was able to quickly undertake a paradigm shift because of standardization at scale
  • The future of work is how to get work done most optimally
  • Incorporate and optimize processes, people, and technology from across the value chain (suppliers, third parties, customers, and the GBS)
3:38
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Million Dollar Question #2: What companies should do first- Lift-and-shift or Standardization?
Key Points
  • It depends on the organization,the organization’s maturity, and the goal one wants to achieve
  • Lift and shift first, and then standardizing has worked for a couple of reasons:
    • Allows one to have clarity on the market from where the work came
    • Allows to focus on what needs to be achieved in cash, rather than on perfecting the process
    • The GBS can thereafter optimize the process gradually
6:03
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Million Dollar Question #3: What is your recommendation for using RPA and AI in GBS centers?
Key Points
  • The best way to work with these technologies is to plunge right in
  • Initially started experimenting with different use cases and could free up employee’s time
  • But it wasn’t entirely efficient since existing processes that were inherently inefficient were automated
  • Optimizing the process and then automating it is the productivity hack
  • Recent work with AI has accelerated the incoming cash
7:37
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Million Dollar Question #4: Could you share your secret recipe for transforming GBS from a cost-cutting focus to a revenue growth strategy?
Key Points
  • Refused to call GBS a back-office and to look at it only from a cost perspective
  • Our Mantra from Day 1: Create value and insights through scale, technology, and unique skills
  • Strategy without brilliant execution does not happen and the three areas that we have focused on are:
    • Strong corporate governance that drives growth
    • Procuring expertise to build a strong team of associates
    • Never seen the unit as separate from Mars
10:17
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Million Dollar Question #5: What is better between Core-ERP and modern niche software platforms? What is the trade-off?
Key Points
  • Need to have different ERP models by identifying the different business models in the organization.
  • Embrace the plethora of technologies that can work with the core ERP to extend its capabilities.
  • Ensure to assess the shelf life of every decision that is being made.
  • Need to have strong governance in place to make the technologies work together.
  • GBS is like a pearl necklace- alter some pearls, adjust the length, and then restring it several times to ultimately increase the value of the necklace
12:38
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Million Dollar Question #6: What would be your parting advice for the listeners?
Key Points
  • You define yourself.
  • If you cannot say ‘no’, your ‘yes’ means nothing. Understand the non-negotiables.
  • Remain curious and enjoy the journey rather than living in a momentary destination.
  • To women, raise your hand and approach new opportunities head-on even if you think you lack the skills. Every opportunity is an opportunity to learn.
  • With every door that closes, there is a window that will open.
15:14
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