System integrators are glued to the old style of doing business, while the technology has leap frogged ahead. Clearly, working with new technology in a primitive manner will benefit neither the SI, nor its Enterprise Customer.
More enterprises are switching to digital transformation in India. This is because these firms have realized that applications are crucial and they are devising new delivery models that will assist to acquire software and new digital propositions and clients that will ensure they promote their brands efficiently.
We have a firm belief that the SI partners that have been offering support for big brands in the last few decades may not be able to provide practical support for their customers if digital transformation comes on board. It is also believed that its process will be left behind and more smart and focused competitors that have a different approach to business will take its place in the market.
As a reputable brand that has collaborated with prominent enterprises for decades, and despite the fact that we don’t want to sniff the life out of competition, we identify some issues with the approach the SIs are supporting our mutual customers, and these are as follows:
SLOW AND OBSOLETE DELIVERY MODEL
The responsibility of the SI partners is to ensure efficient cost delivery and a dedication to keeping the lights on. The more substantial part of the work is based offshore and entails ticket-based inquiries into overloaded mutual service teams. This setting does not encourage innovation, agility, speed, and creativity which are required from technology partners by the companies to offer support for their digital transformation.
DISINTERESTED IN BUILDING YOUR EXPERTISE
As technology is becoming more tactical and has formed part of your proficiency, there is a need for you to engage in more activities to achieve the speed and skill required for your business. Most of the SIs have been created to do work for your company and they are not saddled with the responsibility of building your expertise, enhancing your capability and modifying your business culture.
ARMY OF AVERAGE SKILLS
Most of the SIs are based on providing cost and efficient services at a reduced rate, and this often compels them to hire from a cheap skills base which hurts the quality outcome. Besides, this factor is responsible why SIs are losing their position as an employer brand, and this is the major reason why they could not acquire niche, talent in new sectors like cloud computing. This also diminishes their level of service to their enterprise customers.
OUTDATED CONTRACTING MODEL AND DO-IT-ALL
Engagement models and SIs contracts are tedious, heavy and long. Any attempt to alter these engagements is pretty pricey and prolonged. These SIs also enjoy taking on significant binds of competence, and this factor has made them be viewed as a one-stop shop. Recently, brands require a swifter, more flexible, and faster-contracting model to help them collaborate with specialists to provide specific project plans in a vibrant form. The major reason why most enterprises enjoy engaging the services of the SIs is that they possess scale of big teams that can offer every function as a one-stop shop.
Nevertheless, two or three engineers who utilize powerful automation tools can do more than a group of twenty average engineers.
GLUED TO THE OLD WAYS
SIs have made an enormous investment in old skills and created cost bases which include physical data centers and also move with a large team of individuals. This factor is not favorable to the customers who need to take advantage of new technologies and cloud services. Without mincing words, the SIs and their clients have conflicting interests.
In precise terms, we have a firm belief that these SIs have more jobs on their hands than they can handle and may not have the required capacity to alter their delivery models not to talk of their clients’ delivery models.
WRITING IS ON THE WALL
Without mentioning names, tales of brands that outsource their jobs and SIs disengaging thousands of employees in 2016 – 2017 have been heard. Most of them are battling with reduced revenue, and some of them are disguised by acquisitions to ensure they stay relevant. We believe that this scenario occurs as a result of insourcing by clients, increase in the automation switch, amplified use of cloud infrastructure and applications as a service.
Creating a Professional Services Business for the New World
At Interpole, we are working to build a consulting and professional services business entity that will provide comprehensive support aimed at digital transformation for our enterprise customers.
We are observing the mistakes in the current engagement model analyzed above and placing them in the forefront and center in our delivery values:
- Focused on building capability by working with our clients instead of doing the job for them.
- Be a universal partner that offers cultural support and engaging in the processing of positive change, technology strategy and excellent delivery.
- Utilize thorough and all-inclusive global skills for the competitive advantage of our clients in new areas like Microservice, automation, cloud computing, and containers.
- Based on distinguishing applications with our customers and not commodity infrastructure.
- Do not fret about challenging the usual way of doing things but change it even if the experience is not convenient.
- To be swift, flexible and remain a committed partner in our relationship with our clientele.
We have a belief that if we can be disciplined to follow through these processes and avoid falling into the old ways of doing things, the odds will be in our favor as more enterprises will notice our relevance and contact us to be their partner who will help them achieve their objectives.