Perspectives on evolving the Mumbai Shared Services Centre into a next-generation Global Capability Centre
A Swiss multinational specialty chemicals company headquartered in Muttenz, near Basel. Formed in 1995 as a spin-off from Sandoz, operating across Care Chemicals, Catalysts, and Adsorbents & Additives.
Three SSCs in Mumbai (India), Lodz (Poland), and Dalian (China). Covers Order-to-Cash, Source-to-Pay, and Hire-to-Retire spanning AP, AR, procurement, reporting, master data, logistics, and credit risk management.
Built on AWS Bedrock and Anthropic Claude. Launched early 2023 and rolled out to 1,000+ employees. A modular platform covering R&D, Sales, and corporate reporting. Ranked #1 in VAA Chemistry Managers survey for AI adoption among 21 companies.
Serving English-speaking countries across Asia Pacific and North America. The centre handles standardised, transaction-based back-office processes across four primary functions.
This is not about growth in headcount. It is about progression in capability, intelligence, and strategic relevance. Click a dimension below to explore it in detail.
We recognise how much ground Clariant has already covered. Our understanding is that levelling up the centre (01) and scaling automation (02) are well thought through, and either under way or already delivered, with RPA at an advanced stage. So rather than revisit familiar territory, today's conversation centres on Dimension 03: the agentic transformation.
Each function handles standardised, rule-based work today. The opportunity is to absorb higher-intelligence activities that currently reside at headquarters.
The expertise already exists within the team. As seniority grows and domain familiarity deepens, these transitions become natural rather than forced.
Clariant's GBS has already invested in UiPath and achieved meaningful results. The next step is scaling coverage and layering intelligence.
This is the dimension that fundamentally changes the operating model. It reimagines how work gets done at a structural level.
Instead of measuring capacity in FTEs alone, think in terms of units: U (the human) + It (the agent), working together. Each person manages and orchestrates multiple AI agents, expanding effective capacity by 3x to 10x.
Starting Smart: Initial deployment focuses on processes where an agent error has no direct financial impact. Leave management, compliance tracking, and L&D administration are ideal starting points. Payroll and compensation come later once trust and reliability are established.
Clariant already possesses one of the most capable enterprise GenAI platforms in the specialty chemicals industry. Clarita is not a pilot; it is production-grade with proven adoption.
Built on AWS Bedrock and Anthropic Claude. Modular architecture allows new GenAI projects to launch in under 4 hours.
Synthesises scientific papers, patents, and toxicology data. Helps researchers identify insights across Clariant's vast knowledge base.
Clarita Sales Assistant provides customer insights, technical guidance, and business development support for informed conversations.
Reduced steam consumption at a German plant and optimised energy usage at an Indonesian mining site by analysing operational data.
Used for integrated annual report creation, crafting product stories, and simplifying complex sustainability narratives.
Operates only within Clariant's network. Every API on a separate AWS account, datasets fully isolated. Does not learn from user interactions.
The platform infrastructure for AI-infused transformation already exists within Clariant. Clarita's modular design means the capabilities for agent orchestration can be configured, not built from scratch. This is a significant head start.
Agents operate under the same governance framework as humans. No exceptions, no shadow access, no untracked actions.
Each agent receives its own unique ID within the enterprise identity system, similar to how BNY Mellon's digital employees are structured. Agents are traceable and individually accountable.
An agent's system access mirrors the permissions of the human who creates it. A mid-level manager's agents inherit that manager's access scope, nothing more.
Every agent action generates the same logs and audit records that a human action would. Who accessed what, when, and what changed, all captured automatically.
Agents can raise queries when they encounter ambiguity. The human orchestrator reviews, responds, and redirects, maintaining oversight at every step.
A clear delineation of what we bring and what stays within Clariant's domain.
With levelling up and automation already in motion at Clariant, our contribution is shaped around the agentic transformation: the area we are here to explore with you today.
We are not claiming to touch or modify the Clarita platform. We bring the concepts, the frameworks, and the enablement methodology.
Process Intelligence. Smarter Execution. Greater Impact.
Not a bigger GBS.
A more valuable one.
A GBS that understands, improves and orchestrates global processes using the right mix of people, applications, RPA and AI.
A strong foundation to build on.
An enterprise GenAI platform already in place.
Not more headcount. Greater capability, intelligence and relevance.
Start with the business problem. Choose the simplest, most sustainable solution.
Ask the questions in order and stop at the first good fit: the earlier the answer, the simpler and more sustainable the solution. Whatever the route, step 5 decides what stays with a person.
Pick one process and answer as you go. It takes under a minute.
Evaluate each opportunity across five lenses.
Human + It = Greater Outcomes.
Outcome-focused operating capability
A hypothesis to test together, not a conclusion.
From a shortlist of workflows to one bounded proof, with success measures and a scale path agreed up front.
Select 2-3 candidate workflows
Evaluate using the value and readiness framework
Choose one process for a bounded discovery and proof
Define baseline, target workflow, execution design and UnIt roles
Agree on success measures and scale path
Where we would like to land by the end of today's conversation.
Together, we can turn process excellence into a competitive advantage.
Clariant's Mumbai centre has a strong foundation, a progressive leadership mindset, and an AI platform that most GCCs would envy. The ingredients for transformation are already in place.