Accelerating EBITDA Improvement for a PE-Owned BPO Provider
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August 06, 2026
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A leading PE-owned nearshore Benelux business process outsourcing provider faced declining EBITDA trend as clients shifted from standard high-volume call centre services to AI automation and specialised offerings. At the same time, the margin squeeze worsened by rising labour costs, higher selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) and inefficient Workforce Management (“WFM”) practices. As frontline labour represented the business’s primary cost driver, there was scope to strengthen forecasting, scheduling and staffing alignment, creating a clear opportunity to improve productivity and margin performance.
FTI Consulting identified and validated a 6-8% FY26 EBITDA margin improvement opportunity, then helped the business implement a focused WFM and SG&A optimisation programme supported by a transformation management office (“TMO”). Within 10 weeks, the programme had secured 30% of the EBITDA target, while an interim frontline labour model across key accounts increased FY26 EBITDA commitments by 12%.
- A clear and quantified EBITDA improvement plan was established, with 6-8% FY26 margin opportunities identified and validated.
- Within 10 weeks, the business had secured 30% of the EBITDA target through 19 prioritised projects across eight workstreams and immediate quick wins.
- FY26 EBITDA commitments increased by 12% after the interim frontline labour model was rolled out across key accounts, expanding the savings pipeline.
- Stronger transformation governance gave the PE shareholder and C-suite clearer visibility over both delivery, financial benefit realisation and execution risk.
Our Role:
- FTI Consulting assessed the company’s operating model to identify the root causes of EBITDA decline, quantify margin improvement opportunities and build a practical transformation roadmap.
- The team reviewed WFM maturity across forecasting, scheduling and staffing, then developed interim and long-term frontline labour models to improve productivity across key accounts.
- FTI experts reviewed SG&A costs, including real estate, third-party vendor contracts and corporate headcount, while supporting management’s preparation for Workers’ Council engagement.
- The team established TMO governance, deployed FTI Symphony and worked with the PE shareholder and C-suite to track milestones, financial benefits and execution risks.
Published
August 06, 2026
Key Contacts
Senior Managing Director
Senior Managing Director
Senior Managing Director