The IT Experience Podcast HappySignals

Claire Agutter, founder of Scopism, discusses the evolution of service management and the role of Service Integration and Management (SIAM). SIAM emerged from the outsourcing practices in the UK public sector and has become increasingly important as organizations work with multiple service providers. The focus of SIAM has shifted from managing large outsourcing contracts to developing a strategic approach to sourcing and managing services. The key to successful SIAM implementation is building a culture of communication and collaboration across all levels of the organization. The conversation discussed the options of setting up a service integration and management (SIAM) model internally or outsourcing it. It emphasized the importance of independence for the service integrator and the need for open communication between service providers and the customer organization. The option to outsource SIAM to large service providers was also mentioned, highlighting the benefits of their experience and guaranteed independence. The conversation highlighted the challenges of building relationships and trust in a SIAM model, especially in a remote working environment. It emphasized the need for cultural alignment, clear contracts, and a focus on results rather than blame.




Claire Agutter has spent her career in the service management arena and founded Scopism to support service management professionals.
SIAM evolved from the outsourcing practices in the UK public sector and has become increasingly important as organizations work with multiple service providers.
The focus of SIAM has shifted from managing large outsourcing contracts to developing a strategic approach to sourcing and managing services.
Building a culture of communication and collaboration is crucial for successful SIAM implementation. The decision to set up a SIAM model can be made internally or outsourced to a service provider. Independence for the service integrator is crucial in both cases.
Cultural alignment, clear contracts, and a focus on results are important foundations for a successful SIAM model.
Building relationships and trust is a continuous process in a SIAM model, and regular communication is essential.
Skills required for a service integrator role include communication, relationship-building, and the ability to have difficult conversations.
A background in customer service or hospitality can provide valuable skills for a service integrator role.
Transparency, psychological safety, and a blame-free culture are key elements of a successful SIAM model.
Senior management commitment and ongoing attention are necessary for the success of a SIAM transformation.
Resources and assessments are available for organizations interested in implementing a SIAM model.



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To learn more about IT Experience Management (ITXM) Framework™, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.happysignals.com/itxm-framework-it-experience-management⁠⁠⁠⁠



To learn about our Built-in XLA Management features: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.happysignals.com/product/xla-management⁠⁠⁠⁠



Read our Practical Guide to XLAs: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.happysignals.com/the-practical-guide-to-experience-level-agreements-xlas⁠

In this episode, Darren Rose, a service management consultant, discusses enterprise service management (ESM) and its practical implementation. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration and cultural readiness within organizations to successfully implement ESM. Darren also highlights the significance of measuring and reporting to understand the current state and progress of ESM. He suggests using behavioral markers and personas to tailor ESM practices to different user profiles. Additionally, Darren addresses common challenges in implementing ESM and the need for strong leadership support. He concludes by discussing the benefits of starting with small, interconnected initiatives to demonstrate the value of ESM. In this conversation, Darren Rose discusses the importance of multi-service collaboration, the power of purpose, success stories and personal change, trial and error, defining success and measuring progress, over-engineering and the need for flexibility, building resilience in uncertain times, and creating a resilient culture.




Collaboration and cultural readiness are crucial for successful implementation of enterprise service management (ESM). Organizations should foster a collaborative environment and prioritize user-centric decision-making.
Measuring and reporting are essential to understand the current state and progress of ESM. Organizations should focus on measuring employee experience and satisfaction, rather than just ticket resolution metrics.
Behavioral markers and personas can help tailor ESM practices to different user profiles. Understanding user preferences and support needs is key to providing a personalized and effective service experience.
Implementing ESM can face challenges, such as resistance to change and lack of accountability. It is important to address these challenges and ensure that the motivation for ESM is driven by enhancing service offerings, rather than just cost-saving.
Driving the momentum for ESM requires support from various stakeholders, including suppliers, senior leaders, and enthusiastic advocates within the organization.
Getting started with ESM can be done by implementing small initiatives across different lines of service, focusing on interconnected activities to demonstrate the value of ESM. Multi-service collaboration is essential for organizations to benefit from a unified approach across different lines of service.
Purpose is a strong motivator for individuals and teams, and it helps create a shared collective purpose and goal.
Success stories and personal change can drive the adoption of new ways of working and collaboration.
Trial and error is a natural part of the process, and patience and flexibility are key in finding what works.
Defining success and measuring progress are important for staying motivated and making improvements.
Over-engineering can be counterproductive, and flexibility is needed to adapt and find simpler solutions.
Building resilience in uncertain times requires a strong organizational culture that is embedded in values and supported by leadership.
Creating a resilient culture involves recruiting the right people, aligning objectives with culture, and holding people accountable to cultural expectations.

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To learn more about IT Experience Management (ITXM) Framework™, visit ⁠⁠⁠www.happysignals.com/itxm-framework-it-experience-management⁠⁠⁠



To learn about our Built-in XLA Management features: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.happysignals.com/product/xla-management⁠⁠⁠



Read our Practical Guide to XLAs: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.happysignals.com/the-practical-guide-to-experience-level-agreements-xlas

This month's episode of ITXM Insights is about “More smiles, less time wasted”, so taking about productivity. Sami, Sakari and Pasi discuss updates, upcoming events, book recommendations, and the danger of relying solely on DEX tools. Main topic of this episode is the new Guide They also explore the business case for IT Experience Management and provide practical guidance on using experience data to improve productivity. The episode concludes with a discussion on setting targets for productivity. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the importance of measuring and optimizing employee productivity to drive business value.

Read the whole Guide here:
https://www.happysignals.com/it-leaders-guide-to-employee-productivity

Takeaways
- IT experience management is crucial for optimizing employee productivity and driving business value.
- Measuring and analyzing experience data can help identify areas of improvement and increase efficiency.
- Setting targets and focusing on key areas can lead to significant productivity gains.
- The combination of DEX tools and ITXM provides a holistic view of IT performance and user experience.

The Monthly ITXM Insights February 2024

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date on the latest news around IT Experience Management, XLAs and Human-Centric IT at happysignals.com/itxm-insights

In this episode, Sami, Sakari and Pasi introduce a new monthly format for the podcast where they discuss current issues in IT experience management. They recap the ITXM Summit event and highlight the success of the event. They then dive into various articles, including 'Trends Driving IT Experience Management,' 'The Future of IT Experience Monitoring is Human-Centric,' and 'ITSM Advice for 2024.' The hosts discuss the importance of human-centric IT and the role of AI in IT experience management. They also share a use case where experience data helped make informed investment decisions. The episode concludes with closing remarks.

Takeaways

- The ITXM Summit event was a success, with many participants and informative sessions.
- AI is a key trend in IT experience management, with a focus on efficiency and value.
- Human-centric IT is crucial for understanding and improving the user experience based on Forrester’s latest articles
- Experience data can help make informed investment decisions and optimize resources.

Links we shared

ITXM Summit 2024 Session, Including Nestlé and Campari Group: https://www.happysignals.com/itxm-summit-2024-replays


Trends Driving ITXM 2024: https://www.happysignals.com/trends-driving-it-experience-management


Forrester: Human Centricity: The Future Of IT Experience Monitoring: https://www.forrester.com/blogs/human-centricity-the-future-of-it-experience-monitoring/


ITSM Advice for 2024: https://itsm.tools/itsm-advice-for-2024/

Register for the ITXM Summit 2024 on January 31st:
https://www.happysignals.com/itxm-summit

In This Episode we talk on XLA 1.0 Contract example and recommendations, it's your first step to XLAs with your outsourcing partners. This episode is related to the XLA whitepaper published by HappySignals and Bright Horse.



Summary

In this episode of the IT Experience podcast, the hosts discuss the XLA contract and provide recommendations for implementing it. They explain the concept of XLA, which stands for experience data, operational data, and technical data. They recommend starting with XLA 1.0, which focuses on experience data, before moving on to XLA 2.0, which includes tech and operational data. The hosts emphasize the importance of changing the way of working and prioritizing improvement areas. They also discuss the drawbacks of using penalties and rewards based on SLAs and provide a template for an XLA 1.0 contract. The episode concludes with a promotion for the IT Experience Management Summit.



Takeaways


Start with XLA 1.0 and focus on experience data before moving on to XLA 2.0.
Change the way of working and prioritize improvement areas.
Avoid using penalties and rewards based on SLAs.
Calculate XLA score over a minimum of two months.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to IT Experience podcast

00:27 Continuing the series on XLA contract

00:50 Understanding XLA and its versions

03:08 Recommendations for XLA 1.0

04:13 Agreeing on the way of working

05:17 Setting priorities for improvement

06:25 Aligning with strategic initiatives

06:53 Avoiding penalties and rewards based on SLAs

08:31 Focusing on continuous improvement

09:47 Calculating XLA score over a minimum of two months11:10Example XLA 1.0 contract template12:29Promoting IT Experience Management Summit13:33Conclusion and call to action

Find the whole whitepaper here:
https://www.happysignals.com/how-to-incorporate-xlas-into-outsourcing-contracts

Register for the ITXM Summit 2024 on January 31st:
https://www.happysignals.com/itxm-summit

In This Episode we talk on how to tackle Penalties vs. Rewards when it comes to XLA Outsourcing Contracts. This episode is related to the XLA whitepaper published by HappySignals and Bright Horse.

Find the whole whitepaper here:
https://www.happysignals.com/how-to-incorporate-xlas-into-outsourcing-contracts