Posted on: Oct 28, 2026
Digital transformation, the evolving role of AI agents, modern approaches to change management, and building future-proof competencies—these were the central themes explored during the GBS For The Next Decade vol.2! conference. Bringing together industry experts, business services practitioners, and transformation leaders, the event sparked deep, actionable discussions on how the Global Business Services (GBS) sector should shape its strategy for the coming decade.
Below is a detailed recap of the core insights shared across each panel and workshop during the event.
Workshop: AI Lab – Moving from AI Experiments to Reliable Business Processes
Speakers: Robert Godziszewski & Paweł Płocki
The AI Lab workshop focused on the practical opportunities and real-world challenges of deploying artificial intelligence agents within enterprise environments. While AI agents are rapidly advancing and handling increasingly complex tasks, benchmark success in controlled environments does not automatically guarantee reliable execution in day-to-day business operations.
Key takeaways from the session included:
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Autonomy vs. Risk: As agents execute longer, more autonomous sequences of actions, the risk of errors cascading further increases. Establishing clear operational boundaries, robust verification mechanisms, and explicit stopping conditions is essential.
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The Economics of AI: Lower token prices do not automatically translate into cheaper operations. Compute overheads, inefficient workflows, and repeated execution cycles can cause a poorly designed AI system to cost more than human execution. Managing AI infrastructure requires new organizational capabilities to supervise and optimize for cost and performance.
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Redesigning Human Involvement: Humans should no longer act as manual data bridges between disconnected systems—routine information must flow directly via integrated APIs. Human oversight should be intentionally focused where judgment, exception handling, and high-consequence decisions genuinely matter.
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Collapsing Barriers to Software Development: Tools such as Google AI Studio empower business users to build functional prototypes (MVPs) and agent-driven experiences without traditional coding expertise. However, turning a working prototype into a reliable, enterprise-grade production system remains a distinct and critical challenge.
Stay in Command! Enterprise Transformation Management Office as the Engine of Large-Scale Change
Moderator: Paweł Płocki
Panelists: Mariusz Pietrzak & Tomasz Leśniewski
This panel explored the evolution of the Transformation Management Office (TMO) in an era where low-code tools, AI assistants, and employee-led automations are reshaping organizations from the ground up.
Key takeaways from the discussion:
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Transformation Beyond Formal Programs: Change no longer relies solely on centrally launched top-down initiatives. Unofficial process redesigns and local automations can structurally alter an enterprise without ever appearing on an official transformation roadmap.
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Adaptive Governance in Action: Effective governance must have the authority and courage to halt projects that have lost their business rationale (“If we evaluated this today, would we still approve it?”). True transformation management involves stopping initiatives overtaken by newer capabilities.
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A Broader Mandate for the TMO: Incremental, decentralized changes collectively reshape roles, controls, and dependencies. The TMO’s role is shifting from rigid project delivery control toward providing visibility, setting boundaries, and intervening selectively.
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Measuring Real Business Impact: The success of transformation is not measured by the volume of active projects or polished presentation decks, but by the tangible business value each initiative delivers to the enterprise.
Win the Hearts! Building GBS Capabilities for Business-Related Processes
Moderator: Michał Bielawski
Panelists: Dariusz Adamus & Mateusz Sipa & Łukasz Wielochowski
This session addressed the workforce capabilities required to thrive in modern GBS organizations and how to prepare teams for continuous organizational change.
Key takeaways from the discussion:
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Automation as a Baseline Requirement: Proficiency with AI tools, automation solutions, and data-driven decision-making is transitioning from a competitive differentiator to a fundamental baseline across virtually all GBS functions.
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Domain Expertise & Customer Focus: As GBS assumes control of more business-critical operations, value will be defined by professionals who combine deep functional expertise with a thorough understanding of customer needs and business outcomes.
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Fostering Adaptability and Resilience: Operating in a state of perpetual transformation requires employees to develop high learning agility, resilience, and the capacity to actively drive change rather than merely react to it.
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Preserving Core Human Capabilities: Heavy reliance on AI tools carries the risk of eroding core cognitive capabilities, such as critical reasoning and logical thinking (much like reliance on navigation apps can weaken spatial orientation). The most valuable professionals will be those who pair advanced digital fluency with strong foundational human skills—empathy, critical judgment, and clear communication.
Shape the Future! GBS Reinvention for the Digital Era
Moderator: Thomas Dobis
Panelists: Agnieszka Belowska-Gosławska & Krystian Bestry
Panel tackled the holistic reinvention of GBS operating models, focusing on cultural cohesion, trust in AI, and practical financial frameworks for digital initiatives.
Key takeaways from the discussion:
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Culture in Distributed Teams: Building trust, alignment, and a seamless organizational culture across globally dispersed, virtual teams remains a vital success factor for modern GBS organizations.
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Building Trust in AI-Assisted Decision-Making: Organizations must establish decision-making processes and data workflows that yield trusted, repeatable, and transparent outcomes when augmented by AI.
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Realistic Business & Financial Models: AI adoption must be backed by realistic financial models that prove clear added value. Many current market experiments fail to meet expectations due to a lack of defined business impact.
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Diversified Solutions & Governance: Successful digital strategies combine a balanced portfolio of solutions—leased, developed in-house, small-scale pilots, and enterprise-wide rollouts—underpinned by clear communication with stakeholders and strong governance.
Own the Journey! From Process Redesign to Digital Delivery
Moderator: Robert Godziszewski
Panelists: Marzena Kardas & Arnaud Diaz
This panel mapped out the practical journey of moving from initial process redesign to full, sustainable digital execution.
Key takeaways from the discussion:
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Process Redesign as a Prerequisite: Layering AI agents onto legacy workflows built around emails, PDFs, and manual handoffs merely automates existing bottlenecks. Effective redesign provides agents with structured inputs, clear business rules, and API access, matching human oversight to risk.
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Integrated Data Flows & Digital Twins: Individual AI use cases rely on seamless information flow across the wider business process. Unified data models, data quality controls, and connected systems establish the foundation for end-to-end automation and the eventual creation of an enterprise digital twin.
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Ensuring Lasting Operational Adoption: A technical roll-out alone does not mark the end of the journey. True success requires clear ownership of business outcomes, high data reliability, and measurable adoption—including the active retirement of shadow spreadsheets and legacy workarounds.
Event Partners: Invest in Lodz, Cushman & Wakefield, and Pro Progressio & Focus on Business.