Four Takeaways from PTC’s Acquisition of Servizzio

In July, PTC announced the acquisition of Servizzio, the leading service-specific consulting and training provider. A surge of positive feedback welcomed the announcement and further strategic investment from PTC in Servigistics. The timing of this acquisition is advantageous to Servigistics' clients who gain exclusive access to Servizzio’s toolkit, proven to elevate service planning maturity. An informational webcast hosted on July 27 offered more visibility into PTC’s strategic acquisition and elaborated further on how Servigistics directly benefits.

Let’s explore four takeaways from this discussion, as well as the acquisition in general.

1. PTC’s acquisition of Servizzio extends the value offering beyond industry-leading technology to cover people and processes.

Servigistics is the industry-leading service parts management solution. Reports from IDC and Blumberg Advisory Group add context. Servigistics’ advanced data science platform delivers cutting-edge artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced optimization algorithm innovations that far outpace other vendors.

 “For an organization to fully realize the potential value of their enterprise technology investments, they must successfully address their people, process, and technology,” said Steven Caldwell, Vice President of Servigistics Solutions, PTC. “Servizzio significantly enhances our capabilities to ensure our clients are successful in all three dimensions, particularly the people and process.”

Ensuring that service parts planners can best utilize the cutting-edge service parts management functionality is critical to delivering best-in-class service levels. The Servizzio toolkit, now exclusive to Servigistics clients, guides planners and management to gain the knowledge needed to develop optimized processes, and drive their service planning teams to deliver the best results for their customers.

2. PTC acquires exclusive access to Servizzio’s toolkit, curriculum, and best practice database and retains the top talent of both founding partners.

PTC now owns the Servizzio intellectual property, including Service Planning Academy, Service Planning Essentials, Service Planning Academy Virtual Classroom, strategic and change management consulting, and performance assessments and health checks. This is a treasure trove of industry-specific best practice resources and consulting guidance. Servigistics has incorporated these offerings into the Global Client Enablement Program. “Ultimately, our goal is to make clients into successful clients. Successful clients deliver results for their customers,” said Traci White, Founding Partner of Servizzio and current Global Client Enablement Director for Servigistics Solutions.

These resources are proven to elevate service planning maturity. The summary of materials includes:

• Service Planning Academy – a four-day instructor-led training aimed at implementation teams, super users, and practicing planners.
• Service Planning Essentials – a two-day instructor-led training aimed at planners. All topics in Academy are covered with a little less comprehensive detail. Ideal for very large planning teams who require a shorter time commitment.
• Performance Health Checks – an assessment of your current planning people, process, and technology against best-in-class and recommendations for improvement with time, effort, and impact estimates.
• Enablement Consulting – process and change management consulting that leverages your Servigistics implementation and best practice approach to drive improvements. It can be done as a result of a Performance Health Check, with a technology deployment, or as part of a planning transformation.

Acquiring exclusive access to Servizzio’s curriculum, best practices database, and methodology is of high value to PTC and Servigistics clients. However, retaining the talent and expertise with Traci White and Dr. Sanjay Jagdale is a distinct differentiator. Here's a bit more about their impressive backgrounds: 

Traci White - the self-described “supply chain geek”

White brings more than 20-plus years of specialized service supply chain experience. After graduating from Boston University, she started working as a planner for Teradyne, and then was a consultant for both Kinaxis and SAP. White started as a customer using Servigistics technology, having implemented it at Avaya while leading their global field logistics team, and at LTX-Credence, when she ran their worldwide logistics organization, including spare parts and aftermarket service. With an MBA from Babson College and certification in Prosci’s ADKAR change management methodology, Traci’s experience is balanced as a service planner, system implementer, strategic consultant, and passionate service supply chain professional.  

“Clearly, Servigistics has the best functionality in the marketplace. With Servigistics as the enabling technology, we can maximize success in aligning people and processes. This acquisition makes sure Servigistics clients extract the most value and success,” said White.

Dr. Sanjay Jagdale – the professor and consummate professional

Dr. Jagdale has been implementing supply chain planning solutions for customers in various industries since 1997, starting with MCA Solutions, Servigistics, and now PTC. He has contributed on both sides of the software product – on the R&D side and the software architecture side. On the R&D side, designing algorithms for forecasting and inventory optimizations. On the software architecture side, helping to architect solutions and implementing software for many aerospace and defense customers and high tech, medical device, and industrial equipment.

Before 1997, Dr. Jagdale was a University of Arizona professor in the Systems and Industrial Engineering department. There he taught undergraduate and graduate courses and served on dissertation committees for Masters and Ph.D. candidates. This academic experience proved valuable with Servizzio, helping develop a software-agnostic curriculum for a “Spares Planning 101” program to benefit practicing planners, providing them with a comprehensive perspective of planning spares. This work has brought conceptual service supply chain planning education to spares organizations.

“It makes perfect sense for PTC, Servigistics, and Servizzio to get together and address our clients’ needs jointly and synergistically. Servigistics clients can derive ongoing benefit and value from the investments they have made in their planning organization,” said Dr. Jagdale.

These Servizzio programs have already coalesced beautifully into the Servigistics Global Client Enablement Program, with both White and Jagdale assuming leadership roles.

3. Servigistics clients benefit from the Servizzio acquisition throughout the entire client lifecycle.

Clients implementing Servigistics can benefit from their implementation team attending Service Planning Academy. Enablement Consulting during a deployment will align people and process planning and design to realize the desired results.

Performance Health Checks can assess how clients measure up to best practice and make recommendations for improvements, including time, effort, and impact estimates. These recommendations span people, processes, and technology.

Image: Summary of Servigistics’ client enablement offerings as a benefit of the PTC acquisition of Servizzio.

The Servizzio toolkit and offerings are currently available. Reaching out to Traci White is the best method for inquiry.

4. The Servizzio best practice curriculum gains momentum through broader distribution exclusively through the Servigistics client base with PTC's investment.

This acquisition makes sense considering that many Servigistics clients were already benefiting from the Servizzio offerings. Organizations already engaging with these offerings include Komatsu and Hitachi Vantara and other organizations in commercial aviation, high tech, industrial equipment, and medical devices.

“After attending Service Planning Academy, the knowledge gained by our planners allowed us to make better use of Servigistics capabilities that improved our forecasts and service levels,” said Randy Smith, Material Manager, Komatsu America’s Ripley Parts Operation.

Servizzio’s best practice consulting and service planning curriculum gains momentum with broader distribution, exclusively through the Servigistics client base with this acquisition and PTC investment. There are plenty of organizations to capitalize on since Servigistics’ client base is larger than all other enterprise service parts management vendors combined.

“Acquiring Servizzio positions us well for even closer engagements with our clients, helping to ensure their success. We are defined by the value we bring to our clients,” said Leslie Paulson, General Manager, Servigistics, PTC.

With PTC’s strategic investments and support, Servigistics continues to deliver maximum value. More evidence of Servigistics’ undisputed leadership in service parts management. No other vendor has anywhere near the solution maturity, technical capabilities, financial stability, growth potential, and intellectual capital present in PTC and Servigistics.

Servigistics technology thrives

Servigistics continues its rich legacy of innovation with more than 50 calendar years of expertise, over $1 billion in R&D investment, and recognition as the industry leader in every analyst report written in the past 35-plus years. A laser-focus on technology innovation and a customer-focused approach will benefit from expanded coverage for people and processes to ensure that Servigistics continues its leadership position.

PTC’s continued strategic investments in Servigistics have paid off, delivering rapid technology innovation and impressive client ROI’s, some exceeding 900%. The acquisition of Servizzio further strengthens Servigistics and positions it well for strong impact within PTC’s broader investment strategy. Jim Heppelmann, President and CEO of PTC said, “Servigistics plays an essential role in PTC’s ambitious growth strategy. Their track record of impressive technology innovations coupled with a client-focused philosophy is a model within PTC we strive to emulate.”

With pleasure, we welcome Servizzio to the Servigistics family.