The latest insights from the 2025 ISG Star of Excellence Awards underscore critical trends and lessons in customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) that are reshaping how enterprises partner with technology and service providers. Hexaware Technologies recently earned recognition as a Client Champion in this prestigious awards program, setting a benchmark in CX excellence driven by transparency, reliability, innovation, and measurable outcomes. This recognition is not just a celebration of Hexaware’s achievements but a reflection of the evolving expectations and standards enterprises demand from their service partners.
Real-World CX and EX Challenges Today
Today’s enterprises face complex challenges in delivering superior CX and EX amid rapid digital transformation. Customers expect seamless interactions, transparency, and agility, while employees seek cultural alignment, collaborative engagement, and meaningful tools that empower their work. In practice, many organizations struggle with:
- Ensuring collaboration across diverse teams and geographies.
- Applying technology, including AI, without compromising the human touch.
- Balancing innovation with governance, compliance, and business continuity.
- Managing cultural fit between service providers and enterprise teams.
- Measuring and translating CX investments into tangible business impact.
Such challenges necessitate a strategic approach that marries operational excellence with continuous innovation and a deep understanding of customer and employee needs.
The ISG Star of Excellence Framework
The ISG Star of Excellence Awards evaluates providers across six critical dimensions crucial for CX and EX success:
- Collaboration and Transparency – Building trust through open communication and aligned goals.
- Execution and Delivery – Consistently meeting or exceeding service commitments.
- Innovation and Thought Leadership – Leveraging emerging technologies and fresh ideas to drive value.
- Governance and Compliance – Ensuring strict adherence to standards and regulations.
- People and Cultural Fit – Fostering a workforce that understands and fits the client’s culture.
- Business Continuity and Flexibility – Sustaining operations and adapting swiftly to change.
Hexaware’s top score of 88 underscores its strength in these areas, not as theoretical benchmarks but as practical realities shaping client success.
Hexaware’s Approach: Transparency, Execution, and AI-Driven Innovation
On this occasion, Hexaware’s CEO, R Srikrishna, highlights transparency and measurable results as foundational for trust and client satisfaction. The company’s “AI-first” strategy demonstrates how intelligent automation and machine learning can be integrated responsibly to enhance service delivery without losing sight of human-centered values.
This approach manifests in Hexaware’s operational practices: clear client communication channels, robust execution frameworks, and proactive innovation applied to real client problems. The result is a client experience marked by reliability and impactful outcomes.
Expert Perspectives on CX and EX Evolution
John Boccuzzi Jr., President of ISG Research, emphasizes that the Star of Excellence program provides actionable insights. The continuous feedback loop from enterprises allows providers to improve CX with the client’s perspective as the ultimate authority.
Namratha Dharshan, ISG Provider Lens Chief Business Leader, notes the critical role AI and intelligent automation play in reshaping service models. However, the recognized providers also balance innovation with governance and cultural fit, enabling not just tech advancement but sustained business performance.
Case Study Synopses: Applying Lessons from the Best
Leading enterprises engaging with top-ranked providers like Hexaware exemplify best practices:
- Collaboration Tools: Use of integrated platforms enhances cross-team synergy, boosting transparency and responsiveness.
- Measurement Frameworks: Real-time CX metrics linked to business KPIs help managers make data-driven decisions.
- Cultural Onboarding: Providers invest in training to align people skills with client values, reducing friction and accelerating project delivery.
- Risk Management: Flexible business continuity plans allow rapid adaptation to market disruptions, safeguarding client operations.
These case elements reinforce the need for CX strategies that are holistic, technologically advanced, and culturally attuned.
Practical Takeaways for CX and EX Leaders
- Cultivate Transparency Partner-to-Partner: Open dialogues about goals, challenges, and progress build the foundation of a trusting relationship.
- Embed AI for Impact, Not Buzz: Implement AI and automation where they clearly improve outcomes, not just for novelty.
- Align Culture and People: Ensure service teams embody your organization’s values and work style to foster true partnership.
- Measure What Matters: Tie CX metrics directly to business outcomes to justify investments and guide improvements.
- Plan for Flexibility: Develop business continuity strategies that prepare for external shocks and internal changes.
Conclusion
The 2025 ISG Star of Excellence Awards spotlight the profound shifts underway in CX and EX. Providers like Hexaware demonstrate that excelling today demands a balanced, transparent, and innovation-driven approach. For enterprises, these insights translate into actionable strategies that enhance service delivery, employee engagement, and overall business resilience. For CX and EX professionals, adopting these best practices will be key to thriving in an ever-evolving experience landscape.
