Global Capability Centres were built to access talent and reduce cost. The next generation will be defined by how well they combine people and AI.
Design the work before the headcount
Start with the processes the centre will own. Decide which steps agents will perform, which need a person, and what skills that implies. Headcount plans built on pre-AI assumptions will be wrong from day one.
Build governance in early
A centre that handles data and decisions for a global parent needs clear controls: who can deploy an agent, what it may access, how its output is reviewed. Setting these early is far cheaper than retrofitting them.
Aim for capability, not only cost
The centres that become strategic are those that own end-to-end workflows and improve them continuously. That requires an operating model, a talent model and a technology model designed together.
Location, structure and tax considerations still matter, and are best decided alongside the operating design rather than before it.