I recently read an article in one of the higher education trade magazines about the advantages of outsourcing help desk services. The article summarized the view of a number of executives from firms that provide outsourcing services. What struck me was how narrow and old school (sic) the definitions of service were. With due respect, these execs appear to be stuck on a 20th Century model where outsourcing basically takes an existing function and duplicates its delivery with a third party. Not a lot of value there other than the old model of “one throat to choke”. I may be wrong, but I think higher education clients are looking for more value than that.
Many of our clients have observed that rather than outsource their functions to us, they view PerceptIS as a resource and a partner: they tell us that they have “in-sourced” support services with PerceptIS to handle certain business functions. I think that says a lot about our collaborative and partnership mentalities. More importantly, I think it really defines a 21st century model for service delivery on the campus.
At PerceptIS, our experience confirms that the new model for outsourcing is really about managing the function with a trusted partner who becomes part of the staff, not just a vendor. This is a much more progressive model—and also a far more productive one. It is built on a clear vision of shared service and collaboration, and it requires the partners to understand each other’s needs.
Equally important is the role that data plays in the relationship. Not just data about how the help desk is working (speed to answer, 1st call resolution, etc.), but real data about how systems operate, what are the root causes of client calls and how do we jointly fix them. We refer to this as “changing the conversation with our client partners”. It’s no longer about we and they, but about “us”. Continuous improvement is king in the 21st century service model.
The 21st Century model is all about moving from outsourcing to shared service to shared goals…working together behind the shovel for shared success. It’s a model built on empathy, and in the end, it’s all about trust.
