People often talk about ‘the SIAM’ as if it is a thing. SIAM is an approach, the ‘thing’ if we want to call it that, is the key role that SIAM introduces of a service integrator. This is a single, logical entity which combines the outcomes of the various service providers and is accountable for the end-to-end delivery of services and the business value that the customer receives. This service integrator can be internal, an external provider or a hybrid organisation.
So, that is what SIAM is… but what are the benefits?
Service providers play a crucial role in helping a customer deliver its business outcomes. Poorly delivered services directly affect the customer’s outcomes, and the service it can offer to its own customers. Of course, this is true whether the services are delivered by one service provider or multiple service providers. However, the challenges of successful delivery are greater when there are multiple service providers, owing to increases in complexity and the interactions that need to take place between service providers.
There are generic drivers for SIAM that can be tailored for each organisation.
1. Service satisfaction. Situations where customers have issues associated with service complexity, such as complexity and confusion over roles and responsibilities, delivery silos and lack of collaboration between service providers.
2. Service and sourcing landscape. This can be evidenced in common issues such as Shadow IT and inflexible contracts that don’t align with contracts of other providers in the service mix.
3. Operational efficiencies. Think about issues over data and information flows between providers and lack of tool integration often resulting in the ‘swivel chair’ situation causing the need to re-enter the data and information.
4. External (& commercial) drivers. These are drivers that are imposed from outside the organisation. Typically, these are corporate governance which demands clarity over the responsibilities of service providers and the controls that are applied to them and the external policy.
It is usually a combination of these drivers that will be the impetus for a move to a SIAM model.
Moving to a SIAM model has many benefits such as:
• Understanding the end to end picture of service provision
• The ability to coordinate the activities of multiple service providers
• Providing a single source of truth regarding service performance
• Getting closer to the business as a trusted partner in developing new services and strategies
• Optimising delivery through people, processes, tools and suppliers
• Ensuring smooth performance of day to day operations, enabling your customers to concentrate on more progressive activities, such as innovation, improvement and concentrating on their core business.
Of course, an organisation should consider its own specific drivers and challenges to achieve the necessary clarity for the anticipated business benefits. Clarity on these benefits will form the basis for developing the organisation’s business case for SIAM.
So, how to ‘do’ SIAM?
There is no one correct way of ‘doing’ SIAM. Most organisations already work with one or more service providers, and each organisation has different objectives, priorities and resources. However, when thinking about a move to SIAM it is important that a structured approach is taken. This involves looking at the roadmap stages, suggested in the SIAM