What makes up the IT services nowadays? How are IT businesses’ services delivered? Why is it a doughnut paradox after all?
To start with we need to take an instant photo of the service transaction (from the IT supplier to the client) to capture the activities and processes. This method makes it possible to embody the activities and processes. These activities and processes make up the service foundation together. From the service foundation, service approaches are made. These service approaches are how the services can be delivered. These service approaches are also the ones perceived by the client. A design is to be structured and it will reveal the interaction between the service approaches. Therefore, let us talk about food… or the sweet aroma, yeasty flavoured fried crown, with or without topping, frosted or glazed. Yes – you might have guessed it was the doughnut! Try to picture it!
Food is something everyone can relate to and there are as many opinions. This also includes whether doughnuts can be considered as food, therefore, a diplomatic answer will be to categories it as “desert food”. This talk about dessert food makes me hungry… The idea behind this madness is that a few doughnuts can explain nowadays service approaches and how it works and doesn’t.
Let’s get down to the business table and taste these doughnuts. The IT business’ activities and processes feed into the service approaches that also are powered by trends. These service approaches are used to deliver the service product(s). If we group up the activities and processes and divide the service approaches into three doughnuts we have:
- Done Quickly
- High Quality
- Low costs
As such they are self-explaining and even if the doughnuts are eaten separately. Imagine that we find ourselves to be in a doughnut shop with wide-open hungry eyes and cannot decide which ones to pick. A quick look inside ourselves reveals that the heart desires one with fancy topping and the brain wishes one with glaze. The (e)wallet comes in from the side to state “if a purchase is needed – then just go for a plain doughnut”. We end up leaving the shop with three different doughnuts. Moments later with stomach pain from eating to fast and too much. Now our normally strong focus is replaced with a worry. Could we have covered our desires, wishes & needs and avoided ending up in an unwanted situation? Yes – of course – if we truly know and acknowledge our requirements. However, we might require a couple of service approaches to secure the right outcome – and without ending up in an unhappy situation. The trick is to combine the services approaches so they are delivered as one. Therefore, let us now continue to the kitchen and do some baking.
Voilà
- Done Quickly & High Quality = High costs: Snack bakery “Tasty”
- High Quality & Low Costs = Low priority: Slow baked “Appetizing”
- Low Costs & Quickly Done = Low quality: Bake-off “Convenient”
After baking, we got ourselves some new doughnuts on the menu. The doughnuts are the result of combining the elements from two service approaches. A key to success is to understand one’s resources and wanted outcome together with the supplier. The expertise from the supplier should serve in the interest of both based on experiences and listening. Even if all the doughnuts are of interest then it is important not to be carried away. Then we are going to end up in the situation that followed our trip to the doughnut shop. Moreover, it makes less sense to compare the new doughnuts with the other ones due to the new type of constellation. The approaches have changed from being self-centred to being inclusive and compatible. The combination of two service approaches supports the expected outcome. Trying to combine all three will be a mess and probably taste like that. Don’t waste resources means “don’t even touch” all the doughnuts – choose what is required to solve or develop the current situation. Repeat it.
An IT service package withholds a lot of hard skills but should at least hold the same amount of soft skills – that is the core of the service product nowadays. Even the smallest transactions play a huge role in the outcome. Therefore, the relationship between the client and the supplier is what makes the process alive.
So why is it a paradox after all? Because everyone knows that the “holes” in the doughnuts taste the best. The answer to that might be found on a quantum nuclear level or in the name of magic aka. metaphysics, however, as long as it is real to us we have the opportunity to benefit from it. Nonetheless, it is not possible to combine “done quickly”, “high quality”, and “low costs” at the same time.
We from Viking Consulting prefer to work with high quality as the anchor for our services. This complies with our culture to build long term relationships. There are different ways of tackling challenges but by the end of the day it all comes down to trust. We don’t like the idea of “building trust” since we believe all deserve full trust from the very first moment.
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Who we are
We are Viking Consulting. The specialists within the fields of 3rd party integration and eCommerce solutions. With 20+ years of experience in e-Commerce, 15+ years of experience in development and integration, and 5+ years as a 3PL provider. We are the only contact needed for integration, development and consulting. Our growing business is hungry for more experiences.
The company is based in Scandinavia and the team extends to even embracing more countries. We serve companies worldwide. Our foundation is based on the values: Be Brave, Be Prepared, Be A Good Merchant, and, Keep The Camp In Order. Therefore we see ourselves as business partners and friends of the clients, employees, companies, networks and the whole industry.