Only 8% of GCCs Lead in Innovation and Efficiency: BCG AI Maturity Report

A new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), “Rewriting the Global Capability Center Playbook: Scaling Maturity with AI,” finds that only 8% of Global Capability Centers (GCCs) have advanced significantly across the three dimensions most critical to enterprise value—innovation, competitive differentiation, and operational efficiency.

While GCCs are evolving rapidly in scope and ambition, the majority remain focused on delivery execution, underutilizing their potential to act as capability hubs powering enterprise-wide transformation. Based on a global survey of GCC and enterprise leaders, the report calls for a step-change in how organizations structure, invest in, and activate their GCCs—not just as support engines, but as core drivers of innovation, AI adoption, and business outcomes.

“GCCs have always been good at acting as the engine room—now the best ones are learning to steer the ship,” said Sreyssha George, Managing Director and Partner at BCG. “Leading GCCs are moving beyond scale to build real enterprise advantage. They're investing in the right talent, identifying untapped value pools, and reimagining business journeys to deliver differentiated impact. AI has brought fresh momentum—enabling GCCs to lead transformation, not just support it. Over 90% of top performers have set up or expanded AI-led Centers of Excellence in the past 18 months, a trend consistent across industries and geographies.”

Global Trends and the Acceleration Playbook

Key Findings

• Tech, media, and telecom firms lead in maturity, driven by higher investment in AI initiatives and innovation depth

• India, the US, and Mexico emerge as the most balanced GCC ecosystems—with India uniquely combining scale, innovation, and efficiency

AI as a Maturity Multiplier

The report highlights AI—especially advanced AI use cases such as GenAI, NLP, and AI agents—as a critical accelerator of GCC maturity. While top performers have moved beyond pilots to embed AI across core workflows, most GCCs remain stuck in early-stage experimentation.

“GCCs which treat AI as a bolt-on will never close the gap,” said Rajiv Gupta, Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG. “The frontrunners have strategically embedded AI into their operating models, at a scale which makes a material difference at the enterprise level. The leaders are not experimenting—they are delivering meaningful outcomes. Over 90% of top-performing GCCs implement advanced AI use cases versus ~50% of others. The risk for others is falling into auto-pilot mode.”

The Acceleration Playbook

The report outlines a three-step playbook for GCCs to accelerate maturity and amplify enterprise impact:

• Define a bold North Star aligned with the enterprise vision

• Prioritize high-impact value pools based on differentiating factors of top performers

• Conduct structured diagnostics to benchmark capability gaps and build a roadmap for scaled transformation

The report concludes that GCCs poised to lead are those that reimagine their role—not just as delivery arms, but as capability centers driving innovation, enterprise agility, and competitive advantage. Those that invest in talent, embed AI deeply, and take co-ownership of outcomes are best positioned to shape the next wave of global enterprise transformation.