The global survey is all about services that are associated with the ISG Provider Lens™ (IPL) set of studies. The Star of Excellence survey aims at understanding client experience with their provider across six categories​ which includes collaboration and transparency, execution and delivery, people and cultural fit, governance and compliance, innovation and thought leadership, and business continuity. The collected information feeds in and is part of IPL provider positioning evaluation. The survey is open 365 days a year.

All IPL studies and thus ISG Research Analysts will be continuously provided with information on the customer experience of all relevant service providers. This information comes on top of existing first hand advisor feedback that IPL leverages in context of its practitioner-led consulting approach. ISG will use the insights gained to enrich the sourcing and thus also consulting business.

Providers are invited to nominate their clients to participate. Clients can also register for the survey on their own to provide feedback on service providers.

It is our vision that the Star of Excellence will be recognized as the leading industry recognition for client service excellence and serve as the benchmark for measuring client sentiments. The providers with highest customer experience scores will be awarded as the Winners, in the overall Star of Excellence awards. Separate leadership trophies will be awarded for following four categories – Technology, Industry, Emerging Tech and for each Region.​

Since 2018, ISG sponsors the Star of Excellence Program for the benefit of the sourcing industry. ISG believes it is critically important to recognize providers who are consistently delivering outstanding customer experiences. By making customer experience a key competitive differentiator, the Star of Excellence will encourage the broader industry to make this a key focus area.

Why ISG Star of Excellence?

To recognize providers who are consistently delivering outstanding customer experiences

To integrate results into the ISG Provider Lens (IPL) Program

                  All IPL studies will leverage new data

                  ISG advisors will use the insights gained to advise both clients and the impacted
                  providers

To obtain actionable data at the level of the services being performed.

Most notably, is the link to ISG's sourcing practice via data integration into the ISG Provider Lens (IPL) Program. The client feedback is now a part of the IPL research process, and with rich client participation, IPL analysts are better informed to evaluate and position providers. With rich client participation through continuous nomination of referrals providers can ensure that ISG advisors as well as the market as a whole are well-informed about their client-centricity and customer service excellence approach.

The objective of the Star of Excellence program is to obtain client experience information at the level of service instead of at a general level.