Blog posted by: Nikola Gaydarov, Digital Transformation Director, November 02 2021.
The number one lesson in service management this year is about people.
I think that many companies are rethinking their attitude to employees and how important they are. Because, no matter what happens, if you don't have employees with the right tools and skills to deliver, then you stop delivering and service quality goes down. And people are more demanding than ever for quality with their purchases.
In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, companies were able to make excuses for a fall in service levels. But there is only so much time that customers will allow their providers to not manage services effectively.
With such pressures, companies have recognized that the only way to deliver is when employees push through and overcome challenges. For this, teams need to be empowered to do that: by asking them how they can work better and solve problems. Listening to employees - and giving them proper tools, the right processes and skills - has helped the best companies to overcome the challenges of Covid.
Skills investment
I have seen a positive shift in companies investing in people. But is this just an emergency measure or will it remain?
In the US labour market there has been major resistance to returning to what work was before the pandemic - which has included many people quitting their jobs (a record four million resigned in April 2021). While a big shock to companies, this should have been anticipated as people reviewed their work-life priorities.
So, for 2022, I think organizations need to update their governance and balanced score cards to include an emphasis on learning and training as a permanent policy.
Strategic digital transformation
Many organizations have done a lot with digital transformation this year. But has it been more strategic or operational?
This year, like a wildfire in a forest, digital transformation has spread in countless companies. However, in the main, I don't think it's been governed properly. And that means that the value gained is not always clear.
In 2022, digital transformation needs to be governed in a more controlled way and at a strategic level.
In my own situation, I started a role with digital transformation in the job title for the first time. To me, this means that digital transformation is not just a vision to talk about but a topic that is on the table permanently.
More and more jobs are coming up with similar titles, which shows the commitment of organizations to digital transformation. And this needs a focused team along with clear roles and responsibilities - something that is advocated very much in ITIL 4.
As a result, value should be clear, sustainable and distinguishable for all stakeholders - creating a strategic advantage in the service portfolio.