Driving forward SIAM innovation through practitioner collaboration

By Stephanie Ward

The intricacies of the IT systems companies rely on to operate are more now complicated than ever. There is the constant challenge of managing internal service providers and multiple third-party vendors. Fortunately, Service Integration and Management (SIAM) has emerged to bring sanity to an IT world plagued with chaos and poor return on digital investment, yet for many organizations adopting the SIAM methodology poses unique challenges. To navigate and foster innovation of SIAM and to get the most out of it, harnessing collective knowledge through a supportive community is key. My observation as a community manager across diverse industries confirms that knowledge sharing and best approaches are invaluable for SIAM development.

Creating a SIAM Community

It’s important to recognise there is no “one size fits all” approach to a SIAM operating model, communities act as vital platforms for SIAM, fostering the sharing of experiences, best practices, and expertise. Active participation in online platforms, forums, and professional associations enables practitioners and organizations to tap into a collective knowledge pool, accelerating their learning curve and contributing towards the enrichment of the SIAM discipline. The benefits are multifold, and this interaction nurtures a strong network of professionals who collectively drive SIAM forward. At Scopism, we speak to companies and individuals in over 40 countries that are practising SIAM across a broad spectrum of industry sectors and have created our SIAM Community made up of cutting-edge companies at the forefront of SIAM and supported by our exclusive education partner, EXIN and our first community partner, HCL. The SIAM Community offers companies an unparalleled opportunity for connection, learning, and growth amongst a knowledgeable, reliable, and trusted SIAM network to ultimately get the most out of their SIAM integration.

Connecting with SIAM Peers

Getting involved in the SIAM community allows individuals to build personal networks, gaining access to diverse perspectives and collective problem-solving mechanisms. These networks serve as a strength, providing knowledge and support in navigating professional journeys. Embracing diversity leads to innovative solutions, enhancing resilience and sustainable growth in the SIAM field.  Since 2017 we have been conducting our Global SIAM Annual Survey helping to build a picture of the growth of SIAM and how it’s evolving. Our 2022 survey took responses from 200+ people from 31 countries, reflecting the global nature of the SIAM community.  Presented in a whitepaper, the survey results help to build a picture of SIAM adoption across the industry and deliver valuable information to SIAM practitioners. Adam Martin, Director, Regional Engagement (NSW), Kinetic IT Pty, who specialises in SIAM and provided expert commentary throughout the white paper noted, “There is an increase in relationship building across numerous data points. This is positive to see and reinforces a SIAM community recognizing that being able to influence outcomes is a key driver of healthy SIAM. I am confident that as SIAM maturity and the harder-to-measure intangibles begin to be realized, results that suggest simple, effortless, transparent, and helpful describing the end users’ service outcomes exhibited far more.”

Working Together for Success

Practitioners of SIAM can navigate challenges more effectively and foster collaboration by applying community intelligence to their operating model. The collective intelligence of the community is a powerful tool to spur growth in the discipline. This inclusive culture promotes learning, sharing, and collaborating, empowering practitioners to harness collective knowledge, and fostering a sense of camaraderie and collective growth. Building projects around motivated service providers that fully understand your SIAM model is key, but often face-to-face discussions are not always possible. This is where working groups and process forums come into their own and are a fruitful and structured way to enable collaboration. Using video conferencing and chat technology to achieve successful virtual ‘face-to-face’ discussions delivers a great alternative. Self-organizing teams built on trust, empowerment and a light touch relationship between the service integrator and service providers will ultimately see the most success from their system.

How to Get Involved

At the moment key focuses in the SIAM community are service integration contributing to driving enhanced performance across complex provider ecosystems. There is less focus on costs and contractual levers, and a greater appreciation of the need for service quality, cross-provider collaboration, along with necessary cultural alignment for ecosystem unification and cohesion. SIAM can provide real value in complex supply chain environments. As SIAM models mature, more and more models are also incorporating non-IT services as organizations shift to a value stream/workflow focus other business areas including, finance, logistics and HR are blending into an organization’s SIAM model.

Here are my three key tips for staying on top of what’s topical in SIAM and excellent resources worthy of looking at:

• For those beginning their SIAM journey, platforms like LinkedIn, forums on Scopism, and professional associations such as ITSMF are a good start. Participation in webinars, workshops, and conferences also provides opportunities to connect with the community.
• At the start be open to listening to enable you to learn. With time, contribute your insights and experiences. Every contribution, no matter how small, is valuable to the collective growth of the SIAM community.
• For more insights, Scopism offers a comprehensive range of resources, including articles, case studies, and white papers to show the benefits of SIAM. There is also an active forum within the community where practitioners can engage with global SIAM professionals who are diverse, driving growth and innovation.

Join the Conversation

The SIAM community thrives on conversation, sharing an experience or asking a question and the future of SIAM is empowered by collective intelligence. SIAM addresses global issues faced by companies around the world. With the acceleration of cloud services, the challenge is to ensure that businesses deploy effective and joined-up IT services. The 2022 Scopism survey data is clear, businesses are not looking to do things independently, but rather through a hybrid SIAM model. By harnessing the power of community, we can surmount obstacles, foster innovation, and drive the discipline forward. Join the conversation at the Scopism community page.

About the author: Steph Ward is a community manager for SIAM at Scopism. Her experience spans various industries, providing her with unparalleled knowledge of shared value and good practices within a trusted, reliable, and diverse network. She is passionate about building thriving communities and understands the benefits an involved and supportive SIAM community can bring.