By Brett Norgaard
(Part 3 of a 3 part series)
In Part 2, we argued that service item portability must also be configuration driven in a service provider environment since it is most likely changing and under increasing pressure to deliver self-service and co-created services… securely, of course. This entry will top line the business case for service providers adopting service item portability.
By employing reliable, tested and proven service items that can be offered in standard offers with additional optional service provides scale. Over time, service items from other clients can be incorporated swiftly, efficiently and effectively into the standard or optional offers. This also makes transitions swift and predictable.
Risk is lowered since portability means ease of bringing established service items into new environments. Service items based on configuration data also allow testing, piloting, and benchmarking with no additional programming with nothing to break.
Lower risk also contributes to saving time and money. One service provider cited a phenomenal gain in efficiency (16:1) when comparing business analysts configuring a service catalog vs. using developers to start from scratch.
Service item portability makes upgrades to the underlying service platform survivable. Service catalogs and service items can be pointed to the new version of the service platform and run immediately with no need for rework. This includes all branding and theming.
Time to market is shortened. One way that service providers innovate is by combining existing offers to make new offers that can be targeted at new markets. Having a low risk strategy and associated tactics enables a “sense and respond” style of innovation.
Service item portability yields a strong business case for service providers. The pieces, taken together, contribute to the ability to scale. In a world of increasing pressure on service margins and operating income, scalability is a welcome “ability.”
