With digitalization gaining more space, the focus shifted from the execution of tasks to business results and predicting customer needs. Innovation, including support for data-based decision-making and business partnership, has increasingly been replacing the approach to cost reduction.

“The development and spread of digital tools, sustainability objectives, and companies' demand for data-based decision-making present new challenges to service centers, and expect greater adaptability and agility from these organizations than ever before,” said Eszter Lukács, director of Deloitte's consulting department specializing in service centers.

“At the same time, there is an increasing expectation that the background areas not only contribute to the efficiency of the entire company by reducing costs but also through the sophisticated management, analysis, and interpretation of the data and information in their possession. For all this, the service centers must rethink the structure of their service activities and move towards a new operating model,” she added.

Sustainability, another aspect of the radical transformation, is currently a key choice concern for both customers and employees of companies. It brings corporate management, environmental and social aspects into operation as new elements, while they become equal to business aspects.

Global service centers can play a major role in the transition from the back office to the central office by supporting the achievement of the company's goals with ESG-related services.

“These include supporting the implementation of reporting obligations in accordance with the company's maturity level or even the performance of sustainability tasks related to the supply value chain, the center Office framework also enables the development of an integrated sustainability approach,” said Réka Szücs, head of Deloitte's sustainability and climate change business.