Building Community
At the core of Silverchair's philosophy is the Silverchair Community, a diverse group of clients who benefit from our continuous investment in platform enhancements and from the breadth of new ideas collectively generated all the time. This community is not just a collection of clients but a vibrant ecosystem where ideas are shared, actions are taken, and future functionalities and integrations are collaborative conceived.One of the key mechanisms through which Silverchair engages with our clients is the Publisher Working Groups. These smaller, focused groups allow clients to discuss specific issues, share insights, and develop future roadmap concepts collaboratively. We have four themes for these groups (which rotate annually), and we actively encourage all of our clients to participate based on their interest. These groups offer a great way to ensure that every client's voice is heard and that the platform's evolution is guided by real-world needs and experiences.
Continuous Engagement
Another aspect that has impressed me this year is the commitment to ongoing communication: weekly, monthly engagements with clients over ongoing projects, proactive strategy discussions, meetings to compare long-term developments, chats over a good meal: we always find a good reason to cultivate this inquisitive culture and to give a voice to our customers.Silverchair's engagement with the broader scholarly publishing community is another pillar of our customer-centric approach. By serving on boards and working groups, participating in conference panels, and staying abreast of industry trends and strategies, you’re seeing us on the road a lot, and it’s by design. We know there is a whole lot to learn on the circuit and much to bring back to our client community.
Nothing Beats IRL
Last but certainly not least, Silverchair's commitment to our clients is perfectly exemplified by our annual meetings: Fall Forum and Platform Strategies (coming up in DC on September 24th and 25th)! These events bring together leaders in technology and publishing to share insights and strategies for navigating the ever-evolving landscape of scholarly publishing. The events feature open discussions with researchers, keynotes from industry thought leaders, and many networking opportunities. I’m particularly excited about Fall Forum (our client community meeting), because we will be sharing lots of information about our plans for 2025 and beyond, and our clients will get to vote and influence our roadmap first-hand!There is always more we can do and we are always looking for suggestions and feedback, but I have to admit that seeing such a strong commitment to engaging with our clients the way we all do every day has been very energizing. Being customer-centric doesn’t just happen; it’s a deliberate commitment that we all make, and I’m so glad to be part of a community that values it so much.