Today's IT solutions are more complex than ever, with enterprises navigating how to introduce new capabilities like cloud, mobile and Internet of things to a foundation of traditional technology. Maintaining an open and clear line of communication with an IT partner can make all the difference in this process, assuring the best chance of success for both parties. Also, a good partner should help its client organization bring specific skill sets in-house, becoming more self-sufficient and capable of developing at pace.

For this episode of the CCS Insight podcast, I was joined by IBM's Natalie Denyer, Director of Client Engineering, and Chris Oldacre, Customer Success Director. We also spoke to Clive Howard, chief technology officer at Huozhi, a provider of a humanitarian fintech platform. Clive is also an associate analyst at CCS Insight.

You can also find the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Our discussion unpacked the cooperative relationship between IBM's Client Engineering and Client Success teams, and how the company's approach has adapted over the decades to keep up with the demands of the ever-changing IT industry.

The podcast episode explores:

• What a fit-for-purpose customer success operation or programme looks like in today's complex IT environment.
• How best to measure success in a partnership engagement, embracing open and clear communication inside a customer organization, but also between partner and client.
• What are the core tenets of IBM's approach to customer success and the standout features that can address ever-evolving customer demands.