Service Integration and Management, or ‘SIAM™’, can enable significant business benefits.
However, many customer organisations today still struggle to understand their specific accountabilities and responsibilities within the layers and functions of a SIAM model.
Kinetic IT’s SIAM whitepaper
Kinetic IT’s ‘The Customer Organisation: Instrumental to SIAM™ Success’ white paper, a follow-up to our ‘MAIDE for SIAM™’ white paper is designed to provide organisations with practical advice and insight into the role of the Customer Organisation in a SIAM environment. It builds on our extensive industry knowledge of SIAM theory, as well as our proven experience in the design, delivery, and operation of SIAM models in customer organisations of varied sizes, scales, and complexity.
Most organisations recognise the key role of the Service Integrator in a SIAM model, managing daily end-to-end service delivery by all service providers, both internal and external. However, the focus of this white paper is the establishment of a capable Customer Organisation that can perform three specific and critical responsibilities: Governance, Future Direction, and Business Relationship Management.
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Governance
The Customer Organisation is ultimately accountable for the outcomes of its multi-sourced environment. This includes establishing effective governance and commercial practices that reinforce the Customer Organisation as a key decision-maker and point of escalation when required.
The challenge, however, is to find a balance between becoming too involved in daily operations and running a risk of hampering the Service Integrator’s role, or conversely, being too far removed from the operational environment and therefore unable to provide timely and effective controls. This is the ‘challenge of control’ – not too much, not too little … just right!
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Future Direction
The ever-changing SIAM environment is built for flexibility and agility. It’s important that any change is captured and reflected in the SIAM model, including its artefacts such as process models, contracts, agreements, and reporting structures.
Therefore, the Customer Organisation plays a critical role in ensuring there is a clear and understood connection between the SIAM model and the future direction of the wider business.
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Business Relationship Management
A successful and high-performing SIAM ecosystem is fuelled by collaboration, cooperation, and coordination, and is underpinned by trust, mutual respect, and shared motivation by all parties involved. If we recognise a SIAM environment as “one team” delivering valued and valuable end-to-end services, then the Customer Organisation is not only a part of this team but a leader.
There is also a role within the SIAM environment in setting, managing and improving the culture. A culture of collaboration and continuous improvement is hard to define, specifically in contracts and agreements, and it will be up to the Customer Organisation to facilitate such a culture and provide direction to enable everyone to maximise their participation and contribution.
The role of the Customer Organisation is not just as a participant in a SIAM ecosystem, but as an active leader. This is why we’ve likened the role to that of a first violinist in an orchestra. As concertmasters, they set the tone for the entire orchestra, carry the melody, and work in harmony with the conductor-like Service Integrator.
There is no doubt that Customer Organisation is instrumental to the success of a SIAM environment. Within our white paper, we provide eight specific and practical tips for a Customer Organisation to focus on in order to realise success within their SIAM ecosystem.
Read the full ‘Customer Organisation: Instrumental to SIAM Success white paper, written by Simon Dorst & Michelle Major-Goldsmith.
You can find more insight from our experts Michelle and Simon on our website.
