AI-first strategy drives business efficiency

EXL is a global data and AI company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. It offers a range of consulting services and AI solutions to reinvent client business models, drive better outcomes, and unlock growth with speed.

In the past, EXL used email and spreadsheet-based processes to track resource requests and manage demand cycles. There was no centralized system of record to support executives in making data-driven decisions. With almost 50% of EXL’s business coming from AI consulting and implementation, it is critical that the company has a consolidated view of resource availability so it can efficiently manage skills gaps and fulfill project demands.  

As part of EXL’s digital strategy, the company built the OperateX platform on ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) using Project Portfolio Management, Demand Management, and Resource Management to improve efficiency in project and resource management. Digital and Analytics business units have already deployed OperateX with more than 20,000 users. Roll-out to the Data Management business unit is underway, and EXL expects up to 40,000 users when SPM is fully implemented across the three business units.   

“The engagement period for AI consulting typically lasts three to four months. Resource requisition is the most integral part of these engagements. If we mapped a wrong resource, we could miss an opportunity,” says Nabarun Sengupta, Vice President, AI Consulting and Strategy at EXL. “ServiceNow gives us the ability to capture, assess, and manage resource allocations and fulfillments all on one AI platform.”

Halves resource allocation cycle time and saves millions with one AI platform

With fragmented data and the no centralized reporting system, it was difficult for EXL to accurately assess the right resources and allocate them in a timely manner to projects across the globe.

For instance, opportunities and demands were manually tracked in the CRM system while projects were in the ERP system. When an opportunity moved to stage four in the CRM system, project managers would submit a resource requisition to the Resource Management Group by email. Resource managers then manually assessed the skillset requirements based on their own interpretation in spreadsheets, which risked them misunderstanding the job description and suggesting unsuitable resources for projects. The entire process was unreliable and inaccurate, resulting in just a 50% success rate in identifying the right resource.  

To address this issue, EXL partnered with an external consulting firm to perform a bench skill gap analysis across the business and identify appropriate solutions.

“The analysis revealed that 20% of our workforce skills are not deployable, resulting in a revenue loss of almost $4 million due to our inability to fulfill demands,” says Nabarun.

By building EXL’s OperateX platform on SPM, resource managers and leaders now have real-time views into what resources are available or already committed to a project. They can also proactively manage resource gaps by skills or roles, and meet job requirements for customer projects.

“In the past, we may have rejected the right profile through the manual process,” Nabarun says. “With SPM and full visibility into resource and skill set availability, we have reduced the allocation cycle time by 50%, down from between six and eight weeks to just three or four. Better capacity planning also helped us prevent $1 million in revenue loss in just one year.”

With more precise insight into resource availability, EXL no longer employs unnecessary resources for projects and has saved up to $300,000 per year in hiring costs. Additionally, closing skill gaps in the Digital and Analytics business units also contributed to a 5% increase in resource utilization, representing around 1,000 users out of 20,000. EXL will improve the utilization rate by another 2,000 users when it has fully rolled out SPM to 40,000 users.

“Digital and Analytics cover 75% of the AI consulting business,” Nabarun explains. “Using SPM to enhance resource planning and talent management, we are expecting to grow our annual revenue by an additional $4 million.”      

AI agents excel resource screening efficiency

To create efficiency in resource identification, EXL is piloting Recruit Assist, a virtual agent built with Now Assist for SPM, serving as the front-end conversational interface, with ServiceNow AI Agents working on the back-end.

Recruit Assist analyzes job descriptions and identifies the right match in EXL or through external job boards such as LinkedIn. In cases where a profile is not a complete match, Recruit Assist will provide recommendations on which talent can be cross trained within the organization.

This type of AI insight helps hiring managers to identify suitable talent and make informed decisions faster. For instance, rather than manually reviewing resumes to match profiles with a job description, Recruit Assist orchestrates the screening workflows and takes appropriate action. Hiring managers then approve or decline the recommendation. Users also receive notifications for approval through ServiceNow, eliminating the need to send back-and-forth emails to check statuses.

“With Recruit Assist powered by the ServiceNow AI Platform, we have seen a high accuracy rate for internal screening and a reduction in cycle time by 50%, down from two weeks to one week,” says Nabarun. “Investing in training will also reduce our cost of delivery, allowing us to provide greater value for customers.”  

“Using AI with instant resource recommendation is a game changer for us,” adds Aditya Kumar, Senior Assistant Vice President, Delivery Management at EXL. “ServiceNow AI Agent Studio allows us to create and test agentic workflows in Recruit Assist, making it easier for EXL to find the right resource at the right time.”

While EXL is already finding success in internal screening, it expects to further increase revenue growth rate as it continues to scale with external screening workflows. 

“Agentic AI on ServiceNow is the catalyst that will rewrite how service organizations manage resources and compete for growth,” says Sumit Taneja, Head of AI Consulting and Implementation at EXL.  

Securing resources 25% faster with automated contract review process

In addition to resourcing, contract workflows are also a key component of the OperateX platform, particularly for consulting and implementation engagements.  

Previously, project managers were only able to initiate resources when they had a demand or project commitment. Legal reviews on contracts—such as scope of work and pricing approval—and completing the documentation and formalities could also take up to three weeks. 

By automating the contract review process on SPM, EXL has shortened the lead time to secure resources by 25%. This means that project managers can begin preparation work even before starting a project. Information on the scope of work and respective resources are also readily accessible through the SPM dashboard, instead of taking weeks to confirm with customers.

“Moving from no system to a centralized reporting system is just phenomenal. Our leadership and management team now have real-time insight into resource availability, what has been allocated, and how much they would cost, helping them to make informed strategic decisions,” says Aditya. “Project leaders are also happy that they can simply order resources at their fingertips instead of writing multiple emails.”

Unified strategic portfolio management increases business opportunities

Improving insight into project portfolio status for each client is also another key initiative to drive revenue growth. 

EXL’s Growth office previously tracked and managed customer portfolios, such as discussion on existing offerings and transformation exercises, in spreadsheets. When multiple teams engaged with the same customer, there was no consolidated view on customer activities and offerings.

To allow a more collaborative approach, EXL is building an account view dashboard that provides a single view of current offerings and discussions across teams. This will allow the Growth team to proactively offer strategic and relevant propositions to customers and improve the bid-to-hit ratio.

“The beauty of ServiceNow is that it can seamlessly ingest data and systems into a centralized reporting platform,” says Aditya. “Changing from a manual process to a structured service for portfolio management, we can track metrics in performance and enhance governance.”

“Being a service organization that invests heavily in resources and people, allowing teams to work more efficiently and delivering value to our customers quickly is critical,” concludes Nabarun. “ServiceNow gives us the confidence that we can respond fast to changing market conditions, align priorities with strategy, and deliver revenue growth.”