Service Management – Benefits and Success Factors

An established Service Management framework lays emphasis on value creation for the customer, delivering strategic value to the business, providing definition for the business value of a service and will certainly have the customer’s influence on the framework.

Following are some of the key benefits to customers when an engineering service provider operates on the basis of a service management framework:

■ Helps create a proactive service provision approach to customer when opportunities arise
■ Helps service providers to optimize delivery by service customization to suit customers’ needs in a cost conscious/effective way wary of the time to deliver and plan the phases of delivery as per business models
■ Helps in streamlining consultation/query resolution for customers through a streamlined contact, communication and information dissemination process
■ Better managed infrastructure and resources improve efficiency for customers and a reduced negative business impact
■ And as a result of all these, improved customer service perception and satisfaction

So what are some of the key factors that are important for the success of a service management framework within a service provider’s organization?

■ Customer focused services mindset focused on providing unique and compelling value proposition
■ Executive sponsorship and leadership, Vision and Enablement
■ Project and portfolio management maturity in tandem with process maturity can nurture service management excellence
■ Business participation helps in institutionalization leading to people on the ground reflecting impeccable behaviors associated with a robust service management framework
■ Ability to gather the right data to analyze the service vitality and service performance can help in nurturing or retiring a service based on customer wants and market trends

An established Service Management is an important cog in the wheel for an organization that aspires to move up the customer value chain and create the differentiator of being a truly integrated partner.