IT: Follow the Lead of Service Firms

In a recent series of blog posts popular author and speaker Tom Peters writes that companies should “PSF” themselves and be more service oriented. (PSF stands for Professional Service Firm.)

IT is, on a day-to-day basis, providing a service, and so must behave accordingly. The quality of that service will determine the users’ perception of the IT department, much in the same way as a restaurant’s service will determine the diner’s perception of the kitchen. A good kitchen fronted by surly waiters undermines the chef’s endeavors. Increasingly, the IT department is providing a service to both users and customers. A lack of service will impinge on client loyalty and thus revenues.

IT’s focus needs to be on the experience users have when they use the service.

For IT to be like a popular restaurant you will need your IT people to become more business-like. This goes beyond learning to be nice to users, and on to identifying who the best customers are and lavishing them with the limited love and attention available. This is also known as resource optimization.

(I discuss this more in the Service Stack chapter of The IT Value Stack.)

Comments

[Lionel Laratte]

I think that IT has been a professional service firm from the very beginning. We just didn't really have the concept in the old days (meaning pre-1988).

When IT was a bunch of geeks in lab coats in the basement of the building, they provided services to the larger business organization. The only difference now is that we are better at judging the value IT brings to the company.

Having said that, in my work as an IT management consultant, I try to help IT organizations better function as professional service firms.