The Crucible Moments Facing Services General Managers

Executive Summary

Services organizations are entering a defining moment. The forces reshaping technology markets are no longer gradual or theoretical. They are structural, accelerating, and already changing how value is created, sold, and delivered across the services landscape.

This report examines why traditional services models are under increasing pressure and why incremental change will not be enough. It frames the current environment as a crucible that will separate organizations willing to rethink their role in an AI-driven economy from those attempting to preserve legacy approaches.Rather than focusing on tools alone, the analysis explores shifts in buyer expectations, competition, operating models, and economics. It challenges long-held assumptions about differentiation and where sustainable value will come from going forward.

For services leaders, this report provides a lens to assess whether their strategies are aligned with the market that is emerging, not the one that is disappearing, and why decisive leadership will determine who leads the next era of services.