As a CIO in today’s fast-paced business environment, I am constantly looking for ways to do more with less. This means that when I have a big project on my hands, I need to be able to engage with outside resources like professional services organizations to ensure measurable progress and quick wins.
Professional services organizations aiming to stay ahead in the current economic environment can address the requirements of companies like mine through the innovative approach of co-creation, which involves breaking away from the traditional vendor-customer dynamic in favor of an equal partnership in the creation of new solutions.
How Trust and Knowledge Facilitate Co-Creation
Engaging with outside resources is not just about hiring the right people. There are three requirements that will ensure a successful engagement. The first two are trust and knowledge of my business.
By co-creating, not only do I build a relationship of trust with the outside resource, but they also gain a deep understanding of my business. This collaborative effort goes beyond just customer involvement and allows for a truly joint effort. This means working together to build a process that is designed specifically for my company.
Once we have built a process together, not only is it highly likely that we will continue to work together on future projects, but the professional services organization can take that same process to another company like mine and quickly build trust since it will be implementing a proven process that has been built in partnership with people that use and benefit from that process every day.
Technology’s Role
The third requirement for successful co-creation with professional services organizations is having technology that makes it easy to collaborate, have a transparent view of the project, and automate for efficiency.
To use one example, Workday provides a comprehensive view of human resources, finance, and delivery operations. A professional services organization that is skilled with these tools can use them in two ways: 1) to help manage the project itself, providing valuable insight into the process; and 2) to build a framework for managing processes even after the project is complete.
A co-creation project that I might undertake with a professional services organization would be to streamline the supply chain management process. The project would start with my team and the professional services organization working together to identify current pain points and areas for improvement, such as inventory levels, supplier management, or forecasting. We would then gather data and analyze the process to determine where automation could improve efficiency and accuracy, such as process automation, software implementation, or using lean principles.
Once the data has been analyzed and the areas for improvement identified, we would work together to design and implement a new, streamlined supply chain management process. This could include automating order tracking, deliveries, and inventory levels, as well as the generation of reports and alerts to ensure that my company always has accurate and up-to-date information.
The co-creation work would also involve regular check-ins and feedback sessions to ensure that the new process is meeting our needs and to make any necessary tweaks along the way. At the end of the project, my company would have a highly efficient and automated supply chain management process, and the professional services organization would have a successful co-creation project under its belt. That project would demonstrate its ability to deliver value to us for future projects — and to potential customers as well.
Conclusion
As a CIO, I need to be able to do more with less, and that requires engaging with outside resources that I can trust, who know my business, and who have technology that makes it easy to collaborate, have a transparent view of the project, and automate for efficiency.
Co-creation is the key to unlocking the full potential of these relationships, and it can provide a powerful way to build relationships that last and drive business success, both for my company and for the innovative professional services company that avails itself of this approach.
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