Market View
Navigating the AI transformation journey: How global service providers are reimagining value creation
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Produced by:
Kathiravan Udayakumar
Oracle Practice Leader (Tech & OCI) for UKI & Europe at Cognizant
About Kathiravan Udayakumar
Kathiravan Udayakumar serves as Oracle Practice Leader (Tech & OCI), where he has built his career over 21 years. With extensive experience spanning Oracle technologies, he has progressed through various leadership roles including Chief Architect and Head of Delivery for Oracle Technology Services. Kathiravan specialises in digital modernisation strategies, implementing Oracle Cloud Infrastructure solutions, and leading transformational initiatives across Europe, combining deep technical expertise with strategic business insight.
How do you see the service provider landscape evolving as AI capabilities mature?
I believe we're witnessing a fundamental shift towards outcome-driven services. Currently, the industry operates primarily on FTE, time-bound or scope-bound service models, but this is changing as clients increasingly measure value by outcomes rather than resources deployed. The transformation goes beyond just efficiency gains—it's about completely reimagining how services are delivered.
A second major evolution is the platform-based delivery of services. Just as we've seen software and infrastructure transition to platform models, similar changes are happening in service delivery. Service providers will increasingly rely on proprietary platforms where their accumulated organisational knowledge becomes a competitive advantage. These platforms will function as co-assistants and co-pilots working alongside consultants, bringing not just individual expertise but also the collective intelligence of the organisation to each client engagement.
The platforms become more powerful because they're contextual and maintain historical knowledge of how similar problems were solved previously. This creates tremendous opportunities for co-innovation with clients, as we can apply our accumulated knowledge more effectively and consistently.
Pattern recognition is a fundamental aspect of innovation with AI. When you can identify recurring patterns and know the solutions, you can train AI to recognise those patterns and solve problems efficiently.
What changes are you seeing in how clients value service delivery, and how does this vary across sectors?
In the UK, I see two distinct customer segments with different needs. The public sector, which represents a significant customer base, is evolving beyond simply digitising paper-based processes. There's growing appetite for true digital transformation—not just converting paper forms to digital forms with humans connecting processes behind the scenes, but reimagining entire workflows. This transformation will likely take several years, applying enterprise-grade experiences to public services while navigating the necessary regulatory frameworks.
For enterprise clients, the focus is increasingly on co-development and co-innovation. AI is transforming our approach from traditional software development lifecycles to what I call SDMLC—software, data, and model lifecycle. It's no longer sufficient to deliver code that meets requirements; the data and model that accompany the software are equally critical in an AI context.
This shift means clients need partners who understand the full breadth of solutions, not just coders who implement specifications. We're becoming co-inventors and co-innovators, which requires changes in how consultants work and how contracts are structured. While agile methodologies have laid some groundwork for this collaborative approach, AI accelerates the need for both technical and soft skills as we build more integrated solutions with clients.
How are you identifying where AI can add the most value in both your operations and client engagements?
Pattern recognition is a fundamental aspect of innovation with AI. When you can identify recurring patterns and know the solutions, you can train AI to recognise those patterns and solve problems efficiently. For example, in areas like L1 and L2 support, many recurring issues have standard resolution procedures. We've automated such scenarios for clients, including in Oracle environments, achieving up to 90% efficiency improvements in resolution times.
The real benefit is immediacy—customers don't have to wait for their tickets to progress through a chain of human handlers. Issues can be resolved autonomously without human intervention, delivering immediate results. We're integrating these capabilities with major platforms like ServiceNow, enabling them to recognise patterns from past resolutions and apply them to new issues. This approach works effectively across application management and service spaces.
The transition to data democratisation is another crucial aspect. Historically, we've separated transactional systems from analytical systems, requiring data to be moved between layers. This created a situation where executives interested in insights needed specialists to extract and interpret data. Now, with AI, there's a convergence of OLTP and OLAP capabilities, allowing direct interaction with data using natural language rather than specialised query languages. This increases agility dramatically—if you have a question, you can ask it directly without translation layers that often delay insights until the original question becomes irrelevant.
The transition to data democratisation is another crucial aspect. Historically, we've separated transactional systems from analytical systems, requiring data to be moved between layers. This created a situation where executives interested in insights needed specialists to extract and interpret data.
AI is fundamentally changing how knowledge flows through organisations. Previously, critical information conveyed in natural language conversations often wasn't captured as actionable data points. It remained in people's minds rather than becoming centralised, structured information.
How is AI transforming the way you build and orchestrate your service capabilities?
AI is fundamentally changing how knowledge flows through organisations. Previously, critical information conveyed in natural language conversations often wasn't captured as actionable data points. It remained in people's minds rather than becoming centralised, structured information. AI is addressing this by not just recording and summarising conversations, but applying intelligent filters to extract key information that might otherwise be overlooked.
For instance, a casual note mentioned during a client call might contain crucial information that could transform a sales approach or technical solution. With AI, we can extract, centralise, and act on this information with recommendations that change how teams respond. This creates a more natural, less systematic work environment where the technology truly enables rather than controls.
Traditional enterprise systems were designed primarily for control—enforcing structures and processes in a top-down manner. AI flips this model by becoming an enabler of natural interaction, encouraging honesty and transparency rather than forcing compliance with rigid systems. Unlike deterministic software with buried rules, AI systems can engage in dialogue, learn, and adapt based on feedback.
This is particularly valuable in areas like proposals, where teams often either resort to boilerplate text or reinvent approaches based on who's assigned to the task. An AI assistant that earns respect can transform this process, learning not just from the 20% of successful proposals but also from the 80% that weren't selected, where the real improvement opportunities lie. Each domain has unique impact opportunities that we're only beginning to comprehend.
About Cognizant
Cognizant Worldwide is a leading global professional services company transforming businesses for the digital era. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in New Jersey, the company delivers comprehensive services spanning digital transformation, technology consulting, IT modernisation, and business process outsourcing. With over 300,000 professionals across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, Cognizant partners with organisations across industries including healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing to implement innovative technology solutions that drive growth and efficiency.
About Enate
Enate is the leading SaaS solution for business services. Enate orchestrates work from start to finish, giving clients the visibility and control needed to deliver better services. From email management and data analysis to intelligent document processing, Enate also offers a host of touch-button AI features designed to slash the time spent on manual work. Trusted by global service teams, Enate ensures smooth, consistent operations that help clients perform at their best.