Outsourcing, Multiprovider, SIAM - a contract for life. Part 4
SIAM - The effective and efficient way to control a wide variety of suppliers.
How can a client guarantee the control of various suppliers for their own information and communication technology? The best method of choice for this is “SIAM” – Service Integration and Management. A practical school of thought for the efficient handling of tasks that result from a large number of suppliers. SIAM offers, as a whole, a catalog of measures for the management and control of the services provided by the suppliers – “Providers”.
The contract in its life cycle.
Out of a sensible habit, this SIAM outsourcing contract blog is based on the “key stages” of the SIAM – Implementation Roadmap.
- Discovery & Strategy;
- Plan & Build;
- Implement;
- Run & Improve.
Today we are taking a big leap and dealing with the last, but for all participants most important key stage: “Run & Improve” and then with a recourse to all stages.
In today’s view, “Implement” is already behind us for the time being(!). All the efforts and hardships we took on the way there had a reasonable goal: to bring the desired and agreed services “Up and Running”. All relevant milestones have been completed, all criteria have been met, the acceptance of all services has been granted – we are going into operation!
We are initially in a phase of hypercare. Despite clear assignments in the contract and the specification in the operating manual, the interlocking gears must first be installed and continuously monitored and updated particularly intensively.
Once the operation has been established, it is subject to further changes: the “Improve”. The operation should not only be well-rehearsed and remain so – it should also improve. On the one hand, such improvements can result from potential already identified in the “Plan & Build” stage and the variable need for it, or can only be recognized in “Implement” or “Run”.
Service requirements are subject to change.
However, there is also influence from inside or outside: the requirements for the services will change. Purely quantitatively, there will be more or less performance, the required service quality will change, general and special technical innovations will have to be taken into account and, if necessary, implemented, not least the regulatory-legal environment will change (think of the effects of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Due to the described need for adaptation, the “original version” of even the best outsourcing contract is beginning to age noticeably. But should or must one accept one’s languishing without action? On no account! Each outsourcing contract can and must provide appropriate “guidelines” for its rejuvenation and updating: clear ways in which the parties to this contract record, agree, implement, operate and document all changes and additions – however small or large they may be. As far as these changes and additions are concerned, the known path must always be adhered to when preventively recording in the contract: Discovery & Strategy, Plan & Build, Implement, Run & Improve.
Contact us if we have aroused your interest with this topic.
