In recent years, I’ve heard more and more companies describe themselves as “service centric.” It’s become almost a default phrase, and in many cases, the intent is genuine. The shift toward prioritizing service as a strategic driver is real, and it’s encouraging to see organizations thinking beyond products.
But every time I hear someone say it, I find myself hoping they’re putting more than just lip service behind the claim. So, what does it truly mean to be service-centric, and how can organizations assess their progress toward this goal?
Becoming truly service-centric isn’t just about new language or lofty goals. It’s about rethinking how you create, deliver, and measure value across your entire business. And that’s not something that happens overnight.
Here are seven practical ways to gauge where you are on the journey and what it takes to move beyond good intentions into real, sustainable change.
You’ve validated your service growth opportunity with data and real customer input.
Too many organizations skip straight to vision without doing the work of confirming the actual opportunity. What are your customers really struggling with? Where’s the white space you can fill? Benchmarking and customer interviews, not assumptions, are what give this step teeth.
Real talk: If you haven’t talked to customers about their goals, not just your offerings, you’re not ready to move forward.
You have a clear service vision and strategy – and it’s not living in a PowerPoint.
Having a slide that says “we want to be a service leader” isn’t the same as having a cross-functional strategy you’re actively executing on. Can everyone in your organization articulate what service-centricity means for your company? Can they see themselves in it?
In last year’s Stand Out Service Trends report, 37% of leaders said service is already a significant source of revenue and profit, while 19% described it as their company’s primary growth engine. That is exciting, but when we dig into how this is accomplished, it becomes clear how much effort is involved.
Your leadership team is aligned, and your culture isn’t stuck in product mode.
Nearly three-quarters of the Stand Out 50 leaders group, recognized for driving meaningful service transformation, described change management as challenging with 23% calling it very challenging and another 48% saying it’s somewhat challenging. For many, this is the toughest part of the journey.
It means unlearning product-first habits and rethinking how value gets created and measured. It also means getting every function: sales, finance, HR, product, rowing in the same direction.
You’ve built governance that keeps things moving, not just checking boxes.
Big vision without structure? Recipe for chaos. Real progress comes from treating your service transformation like the companywide business initiative it is with sponsors, steering groups, measurable milestones, and accountability.
You’ve redesigned your organization to deliver outcomes, not just outputs.
If your structure still mirrors a product company, your customers may feel the friction. Breaking down siloes, aligning functions around customer experience, and even creating roles focused on customer success are all part of delivering service at scale.
Despite rising customer expectations for outcomes, only 26% of leaders in the Stand Out report said they currently offer outcomes-based services like guaranteed uptime or performance. That gap between customer desire and current reality, for many between intent and execution, is exactly what this checklist is meant to spark dialogue around.
Your tech foundation is future-ready and business-driven.
You can’t deliver modern service with a Frankenstack of legacy tools. You need a scalable, integrated platform that supports visibility, predictability, and personalization. That doesn’t mean AI everything on day one but, it does mean building a digital foundation that can flex as you grow.
Only 15% of leaders said they have a fully future-ready service management system in place, and 59% said their current system is capable but not ideal. That’s a red flag for any organization hoping to scale personalized or proactive service.
You’re investing in people as much as technology.
A lot of transformation energy gets spent on systems, but if your people aren’t empowered, it won’t stick. Are you capturing tribal knowledge? Are you enabling your techs with tools that actually help them? Are you supporting frontline adoption with real change management or hoping a training video will do the trick?
59% of leaders say that between 11–25% of their workforce is likely to retire in the next five years, but only 37% have a truly effective system in place to capture their knowledge. That’s a problem we can’t afford to ignore.
Final Thought: Progress Over Perfection
Even the companies leading the charge know that this journey is one that is ongoing. And that’s okay; service-centricity is a moving target. It’s not something you arrive at. It’s something you commit to, revisit often, and build into the fabric of how you work.
And if you’re not sure where to start? might be a good place to begin the conversation or get inspired by listening to the stories of companies like Rolls-Royce, Canon or Husky.
