12 Supplier Capabilities: Part I

by Mary C. Lacity, David Feeny, Leslie P. Willcocks

As the IT and BPO markets mature, customers expect more ambitious outcomes from suppliers beyond cost savings on baseline services. Customers want suppliers to completely transform their back offices: they want slick shared service facilities; superior services; reengineered business processes; integrated technology including self-serve, Web-based applications; highly empowered back-office leadership; and motivated back-office staff. Some customers even expect suppliers to commercialize their back offices once the transformation is complete. Success requires customers to find a partner with very specific capabilities beyond traditional fee-for-service delivery.