Global Technology Services (GTS) focuses on IT infrastructure and the related business process engineering required to implement IT- based operations. These services range from strategic transformation to the nitty-gritty of data center design, systems integration, and data communications (network and wireless communications, and RFID), to maintenance, regulatory compliance, security, and disaster recovery. GTS also supports multivendor hardware and software environments through middleware products and SOA integration services.
IBM provides a variety of outsourcing services, such as Applications on Demand, business process outsourcing, and IT outsourcing and hosting. The company's Application Services can supplement a client's staff, co-manage applications, or manage a client's entire IT. IBM also offers software testing services (test consulting and test automation, performance and SOA testing).
GTS assignments sometimes draw in consultants from IBM's Global Business Services; that is, IBM assembles teams of people with the technical and business expertise to provide consulting, delivery expertise, advanced technologies, custom application development, and systems integration. While IBM can develop application for most business needs, it has "packaged" its expertise into major application areas: wireless operations (such as smart cards, RFID, cell phones, PDAs, tablets, embedded solutions, and telematics); enterprise integration; portals, content, and e-commerce; customer "touch points" (including stores, call centers, catalogs, and Internet, intranet, and extranet sites) ; security and privacy services; and learning and development (IBM has over 270 professionals worldwide who design and develop training for classroom or technology-based delivery in such subjects as demand portals, ERP, CRM, and data translation).
Global Business Services (GBS) provides professional and application outsourcing services, including systems integration and applications management, across a broad swath of industries, business processes and functions, enterprise needs, and LT platforms (hardware and software). The company's functional expertise consists of multiple service areas including change management, people management, and workforce management, CRM, SCM, and financial management.
One might think that IBM consultants would mostly recommend installing new technology. That's not necessarily so. That might be the default approach in operations strategy consulting, where new IT is often used to automate or otherwise optimize core processes, reduce cycle time/complexity, and integrate functional business processes. However, IBM consultants also offer non-technology but systematic consulting, such as Lean Sigma/Green Sigma and business process reengineering. Under the category of CRM services, IBM offers a variety of services and service disciplines. For instance, business intelligence (BI), is one of the key supporting disciplines of IBM's IOD initiative. BI can be many things, such as data analytics, business performance management (BPM), data warehousing, BPM dashboards, and key performance indicators. It can also be applied to many needs, including planning, forecasting, identifying risk, managing compliance (financial, safety, and environmental), monitoring operational effectiveness, predicting sales, and detecting financial and credit fraud, and other risks that can be identified and often predicted for further action. To implement BI, GBS typically first focuses on a client's business processes and the decisions BI supports, using a systematic plan involving assessing business needs and processes, available and needed information within the client enterprise, and then the technology to support those needs and processes.
Other CRM disciplines include contact center optimization, outsourcing services (including marketing, sales, and warranty and problem/detection resolution), CRM process design, LT implementation (such as Siebel CRM OnDemand; portals and e-commerce services; and infrastructure services readiness assessments), and marketing evaluation.
Many of the consulting practices for CRM can be applied to other disciplines- with the particular slant of the individual discipline. There are also unique practices. For instance, IBM Warehousing and Distribution consultants in the SCM practice offer Distribution View (DView), a state-of-the-art warehouse management system. The SCM practice is, not surprisingly, a broad discipline that includes supply chain planning and optimization, freight and logistics, PLM, procurement, asset management, and the aforementioned distribution/ warehousing management.
The GBS Financial Management practice helps CFOs and finance organizations design and implement financial processes and the underlying technologies. This practice covers accounts payable processes, order-to-cash processes, BPM, business risk and compliance management, finance operations improvement, Sarbanes- Oxley requirements and systems, and IT for financial management. GBS enterprise expertise covers several areas: business analytics, IOD services, enterprise innovation (business transformation), and various micropractices, such as SOA design, implementation, diagnostics, and management.
GBS has nearly 3,500 consultants worldwide. Interestingly, the segment's change strategy practice is a global business with 80% of practitioners concentrated in 10 countries. All seniorlevel GBS SCM consultants, for example, possess a minimum of nine years of supply chain experience across various industries. Many of the consultants have published; several hold patents in areas related to SCM. More than one out of every four team members holds a Masters or higher degree in SCM-related fields (operations research, industrial engineering, applied mathematics, etc.), and more than 200 hold doctorates in relevant fields. All application consultants attain vendor certification status in one or more supply-chain applications. Within the SCM practice, over 750 Asset Management consultants are based in over 30 countries.
IBM's Financial Management Consulting Services has more than 4,100 financial consultants worldwide, and has had over 400 engagements with companies over the past three years. The consultants have worked with 75% of the global Fortune 50 and 80% of the Fortune Top 50. This services group is the number-one SAP Consulting Provider and a leading integrator of Oracle/Hyperion applications.
Systems and Technology segment provides computing systems, including computer hardware, servers, data storage (disk, tape, optical, and networkedbased storage systems), semiconductor technology and products, engineering and technology services, business applications, and systems (hardware and software) for retail stores.
