6

Steps
to successful
SIAM collaboration

Quality. Expertise. Passion.

Service Integration & Management (SIAM) relies upon collaborative working amongst service
providers in a SIAM ecosystem. The concept of SIAM involves the creation of a single function
which consists of service providers operating in a typical multi-service provider sourcing model.
They will be tasked with coordinating their activities, consolidating their data, and managing
them from an end-to-end service perspective.

This all sounds great in theory, but how does this activity translate in the real world? How realistic
is this ambition, and why should the use of the SIAM badge suddenly make service providers
change their ways of working?

Quality. Expertise. Passion.

2
Obstacles to collaboration
• Service providers in a SIAM ecosystem will still be governed by
contractual targets

• Service providers want to make money from their contracts,

and will be unwilling to enter into too many vague commitments
to collaborate without relevant caveats against SLA targets

• The act of collaboration is constrained by the desire to preserve

contractual performance and by less scientific issues, such as
culture

• Service providers want satisfied customers and will want to be

recognised for a job well done. Therefore, when service target
breaches occur, they will be keen to identify the accountable
party. This act of “Blame Management” (an unwritten ITIL
process!), can be counter-productive, and can lead to poor
working relationships and point scoring between service
providers.

3
Follow these 6 steps
True collaboration can only be obtained through
extensive cultural change, within the customer
organisation as well as in the service provider
community. The entire landscape should be viewed
as a single ecosystem, with cultural and behavioural
challenges assessed and considered as a whole.
Mitigating actions must be developed specifically
to address this and a sense of “one team” sharing
common goals in delivering business outcomes must
be established.

4
 Reviewing, updating
and writing of new

1
contracts with
collaboration at its core
This may mean reducing or removing some measures,
and will certainly mean the introduction of a common set
of metrics across all service provider contracts. Ideally,
a standard Collaboration Addendum can be developed
which once accepted by all parties, can be added to the
existing contracts. This is no small task, and must be
undertaken with caution by those who are experienced in
this field.

5
 Developing a set
of softer metrics

2
Developing a set of softer metrics, less
focused on common measures of incident
and problem performance and more
focused on rewarding positive behaviours.

For example:
• Have incident, problem, change,
development and project teams rank
the service providers based upon their
perception of how collaborative and
helpful they’ve been. Have your CIO do
the same
• Have service providers praise one
another for positive collaboration
experiences, and target them for the
frequency in which they do so (i.e. >x
“praises” raised per month)

6
 Surveying

3
service providers
Surveying service providers to ensure that they are
satisfied with the working practices. Give them an
opportunity to build and improve collaboration in
the processes in which they are active. This can be
achieved through the appointment of process owners
and creation of process improvement forums where all
service providers can participate.

Getting end user input from key business stakeholders

is also vital to ensure that the problem statement for
the SIAM model is clear. This problem statement can
then be referred to during implementation, along with
other business requirements, such as the contractual
framework. To succeed, the SIAM strategy must be
aligned to these requirements.

7
 Clarity between you
and your service

4
provider
Ensuring service provider teams understand
the part they play in the delivery of business
services. Instigate “back to the floor”
sessions where they spend time in business
departments.

8
 Building positive

5
relations
Building positive working relationships
between the SIAM provider, (be they in-house
or sourced), customer organisation and the
service providers.

Host social events, preferably with a

competitive edge to generate some friendly
rivalry, and perhaps with teams drawn from
different service providers.

9
 Clear scope of the
SIAM function

6
It’s essential to clearly define the
scope of the SIAM function, whether
retained or sourced, so that it’s clear
where the accountability lies. The key
considerations at process level are the
degree of authority it possesses and the
level of interaction with sourcing partners
and the business.

The best ways to determine these is

through scenario-based testing, which
will reveal the key roles you’ll require to
manage common situations, such as the
resolution of a major incident.

10
 Contact us
Contact Syniad IT to find out how we can help you overcome the challenges of setting up,
organising and integrating this complex supplier ecosystem:

+44 (0) 20 3143 3492

Info@SyniadITSolutions.co.uk

Quality. Expertise. Passion.

11
About the author
Steve Morgan is CEO of Syniad IT, and consulting organisation which
specialises in design, build and implementation of ITSM & SIAM operating
models, and the optimisation of existing IT functions.

Steve is also chair of the itSMF UK SIAM Special Interest Group, and has
worked in IT for nearly 30 years.

Info@SyniadITSolutions.co.uk
Tel: 020 3143 3492

www.SyniadITSolutions.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter - @SyniadIT

Quality. Expertise. Passion.

© Syniad IT Solutions Ltd 2017, All rights reserved