Transformation in transformation – Digitisation also changes the tasks of IT service providers

IT DEPARTMENTS ARE TRADITIONALLY THE CONTROLLING DEPARTMENT FOR EXTERNAL SUPPORTERS
In some IT departments, in view of the ongoing discussion about "digitization", there is widespread discontent, and not infrequently sentences such as:"Digitization has been going on for 40 years, what’s new about it?". This may not be wrong, but a closer look reveals the qualitative leap. Many companies are already undergoing digital transformation. Digitization has arrived in these companies as an open promise of more speed, more customer proximity and more precision in business, and today’s IT requirements come from there. Topics on the digital agenda include virtualization and the cloud,"Anything as a service","mobile way of working" and "Big Data Analysis" as well as the operation of these services and platforms. Internal IT is sometimes not strong enough in terms of personnel and expertise. This is why sourcing in all its facets has long since become an integral part of the everyday life of corporate IT. Today, corporate IT increasingly also means controlling providers and being the first point of contact for specialist departments before they[nbsp]"play around" and establish a shadow IT in the company in separate agreements. The internal IT department must develop into a business enabler in order to maintain its standing in the company.

IT SERVICE PROVIDER ON ITS WAY TO BECOMING A FULL-SERVICE AGENCY
In the relationship between IT service providers and their customers, it is not the applications they use that are traditionally important, but the ongoing service and successful business. On this basis, IT service providers are leveraging their synergy effects. However, the value-added promise of "digitization" triggers ever more precise demands on customers and departments as to what IT should achieve. And this is where the IT service providers have to react.

They must be able to respond and deliver flexibly to the precise requirements, so that they cannot avoid a deeper understanding of the business requirements. Service providers must focus on individual processes, services and applications and be able to act proactively and make recommendations. In addition, intra-group IT service providers must also keep an eye on the Group’s business development in order to be able to identify and monitor internationalization trends at an early stage, for example. Here too, agility and flexibility are the key to success.

As a strategic partner of companies for their digitization needs, IT service providers not only need professional and process-related know-how, they also have to be able to serve "soft factors", since in companies often obsolete organizational structures slow down digitization. Put simply, IT service providers must learn to moderate.

IT service providers are thus increasingly disputing the "hot wire" between companies and specialist departments with IT departments. A role conflict is looming.

IT SERVICE PROVIDERS CAN BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE MOVEMENT
Often digitisation in companies is progressing slowly and cautiously…

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