The IT services industry, much like life, is a dynamic. Change is a constant and those who can adapt are more likely to survive and thrive. The problem is, while many say and may even believe they are open to transformation, few actually are. Most of us are truly creatures of habit. The smallest changes that should inconsequentially impact on our lives end up spoiling our days, such as the local coffee shop running out of extra-large to go cups. Our best intentions often lose out to reality and emotions.
The same things happen to many IT services providers. They get comfortable with customers and employees, and their processes and portfolios begin to get stale. Complacency is rarely intentional and many don’t notice the signs until a significant red flag or actual problem pops up. And that’s never in anyone’s best interest.
Change is a necessary component of every business, especially for those in the IT industry. Innovation and complexity require continual transformation today. Those who don’t keep pace quickly find themselves behind the competition. They may also end up losing that “trusted advisor” and “chief innovation officer” status their customers have anointed them with. Small businesses rely on, and frequently pay a premium for, quality IT services and support. So when their providers fall behind in their delivery or technical prowess, it diminishes their value and makes them expendable.
And NO IT services professional wants that. What they need is to focus continual transformation, to be an agent of change and a chief innovator for their customers as well as their own companies. In other words, channel leaders simply have the get better versed in the art of reinvention.
Imagine the “Next”
A common best practice of highly successful IT services providers is to project their business three to five years out. Which services with they be providing? What customers will they support? Will their business model need to change significantly?
The answers to those questions don’t come from inside the firm, but from its current and potential customers. The information their team collects on a daily basis is instrumental, as are QBRs and annual review discussions. Periodic surveys can be a tremendous validation point, helping to quantify and qualify the investments IT firms need to make to reach the “next.” The real value of imagining the future is ensuring the plans and processes are in place to make it a successful reality.
Of course, before an IT services professional can get to that point, he or she has to acknowledge the need for change, and then commit to doing it. Words and ideas will not suffice. When the change is significant or affects the entire organization, everyone needs to buy in. They need a company-wide strategy that empowers others to lead (or at least take a major role). Successful transformers appoint project managers, set realistic yet challenging schedules, and hold team members accountable. It’s really not rocket science. The art of reinvention starts with a commitment to make something positive happen. The trick is to follow through with a workable plan and then execute on it.
Of course, you don’t have to go it alone. CompTIA’s Quick Start Guide to Business Agility includes great insight from dozens of IT services professionals who have complete successful transformations in their own businesses. Whether moving from break fix to managed services, adding a cloud practice, or expanding into new markets and communities, they understand how to make it happen. Download the full report (at no cost) from the CompTIA channel resource center.
Brian Sherman is Chief Content Officer at GetChanneled, a channel business development and marketing firm. He served previously as chief editor at Business Solutions magazine and senior director of industry alliances with Autotask. Contact Brian at Bsherman@getchanneled.com
