Two faces of integrated solutions in BT in the UK: the case of BT 21st century network (BT 21CN) and BT Global Services

This paper elaborates on the value stream approach used by Davies (2004) in order to analyze the provision of integrated solutions from the perspective of a service provider (BT in the UK) to large business customers. It shows how BT, as a large service firm, is moving from a product or service-centric to a customer-centric organisation, and how BT is taking advantage of integrated solutions in two different settings: BT 21st Century Network (BT 21CN) project and BT Global Services (BTGS). It shows how integrated solutions of suppliers of high technology capital goods are further integrated into BT’s network, where BT assumed the role of prime integrator. On the other hand, the case of BTGS providing integrated solutions to large business and government customers is analyzed. BTGS has been emerging as a major force in BT’s recovery, after a major crisis in the beginning of 2000’s, offering managed services and solutions to multi-site organisations with operations in Europe. As opposed to the prime integrator role usually played by the supplier side, BT decided to be the prime integrator of BT 21CN, which has major implications on how BT is taking advantage of learning as prime integrator. This paper also shows that the value stream is extended when the end customers are large business ones. The more complex the customer, the higher the likelihood of offering integrated solutions. So, integrated solutions does not occur only in the interface ‘manufacturing-services’, but also in the interface ‘service provision-large complex customer’.