Profitable services
Most companies in the ICT market are in one or both of the following positions:
- They have decided to get into the services business to grow the existing business.
- Or a decision is made to reverse losses by improving the profitability of the services business.
In either case experienced advice is needed help to achieve the goal with out creating bigger losses.
Wolken can provide this experienced professional advice.
Services can be:
- Outsourcing managed services
- Professional Services consulting
- Complex systems Integration or Development Projects
- Break/Fix and Maintenance services
To operate in these environments, profitable with enhanced customer satisfaction, and an increasing market share. It is critical to understand where Services fit in a company's strategic direction and how we can develop the capability to deliver them effectively.
This requires clarity in Target Market Segments and the Service Concept. These allow the company to have a good understanding of how the services are positioned in relation to customers' needs and the competition.
Add to this the Operating Strategy and you get a view of how the outcomes for the customers are valued compared to the provider's costs to deliver the service. Sometimes the costs to deliver the highest levels of customer satisfaction are prohibitive. For example, some clients may wish a one hour on-site response time for support but are unwilling to pay the premium price.
Finally, the Service Delivery System defines the role of people, investment required, capacity, quality and differentiation and creates barriers to competitors.
The common attributes across each of the services types that affect the ability to drive the businesses for growth and profit include:
- Clarity of value proposition, purpose and functional alignment. For example, is there internal competition?
- The appropriate Key Performance Indicators. How are they measured, reported and acted upon
- How do you sell the services and the appropriateness of incentives?
- Effectiveness of pre-sales support and the quality of the content of proposals.
- The structure, organisation, and skill sets required to execute your Services strategy.
- Customers' perception of the service and its value
- Contractual obligations and how they are viewed inside your organistaion.
Wolken works with its clients to introduce programs of continuous improvement in the above areas thereby significantly enhancing the provider's ability to succeed in growth and profit terms.