Merge Fragmented Service Expert Groups for One Common Service Component of Your Platform

[Ehrhardt]

Innovative service functions leverage the technology platforms and service components to move away from their traditional roles by accommodating the new, high-value-added services and business models. An efficient method of strengthening the service component of a technology platform is by identifying and merging fragmented service expert groups within a service function.

UNDERSTANDING INTERNAL FRAGMENTATION

Service experts act in a supporting role, aiding various service-expert groups. However, they are often dispersed across business units or broad areas. Hence, although all of them are working for a singular purpose, they are often not aligned because of functional silos. This creates fragmented groups within the function’s talent pool, preventing it from fully utilizing its resources to gain a competitive advantage.

How do you overcome this? Start by increasing collaboration by inviting respective experts of various service-expert groups to regular meetings and forums so that they may share and exchange their experiences.

This will build an internal pipeline for new ideas, exploring new insights while capturing and productizing best practices. The end result is an ability to co-innovate on new scenarios.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS

My main idea behind this approach is to make experts take charge of establishing one common service component of the technology platform. This allows experts in different fragmented service-expert groups to meet each other directly and collaborate to overcome challenges related to their service component on a level plane, instead of reaching out (and involving) leaders in accomplishing a solution.

Additionally, projects can be set up to find solutions for common challenges when establishing a common service component. Focus areas could further increase collaboration and ensure an effective merger across the value chain of the entire service function. In the end, you must ask yourself, “Do we need to break down silos in our service function?”

If yes, ask yourself how can you merge fragmented service expert groups for one common service component of your technology platform.

Looking forward to your feedback on this blog post and to sharing knowledge with you!

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