GUESTAUTHOR–BUSINESSSTRATEGY
thecreditcrunch
andhard-heartedness,tohavea andthat’strueinavitalsense
deeplyingrainedandeven eveniftheorganisationemploys
Ourresearch
almostinevitablyencounter
whenyoudo(awellknown
instinctiveknowledgeofhis thousands,ortensofthousands
customersandwhatthey ofpeople.
suggeststhat
departmentstorechain,for
example,recentlydiscoveredto
wanted.Hecouldbeinfuriating, Marketconditionshave
inmanylarge
itssurprisethatabout15per
hewasrude,hetendedtokeep grownmoredemandingandso centofitscustomerslivedin
everythingheknewabouthis havecustomers.Inasense,they organisations, councilhousing),thenextthing
organisationinhishead,hewas knowtoomuch.Theyknowthey
hopelessatsuccessionplanning, canchangefromyourwebsite
onlyabout
istogetalignedtoyour
customers;tomakeyour
butheknewhiscustomers,and toacompetitor’sattheclickof
hegotresults. amouse.Theyknowtheworldis
20percent
organisationtrulyfocused
arounditscustomers.
Wouldhisapproachwork a24/7one,sowhy(theythink)
ofactivity
Itisatoughprocess;you
today?Well,leavingasidethe shouldn’ttheyenjoya24/7
factthathe’dprobablyspend serviceineverything?‘IfIcan isdevoted
mayneedexternalhelpfrom
specialistswhoarelesscloseto
mostofhistimedefending do24-hourbankingwhycan’tI
himselfincourthearingsor talktomycouncilatany
tocustomers’
yourorganisation(andhence
lessemotionallyinvolvedwith
employmenttribunals,probably time,too?’
interests.
it).Youneedtobehonestwith
not.Theworldofbusinesstoday Andyes,bytheway,itisn’t yourselfandwillingtochange
requiresorganisationstohavea onlylargeprofit-making radically.Thisisnotimefor
flexibilityandbroadmarket organisationsthataremassively adheringtofalseassumptions
knowledgethattendstorequire affectedbythevitalneedto oroutdatedmantrasaboutwhat
organisationstobeledby becomecustomer-centric:public yourorganisationshouldlook
inspiredteamworkratherthan sectorbodiesaretoo.Thetruth likeorhowitshouldberun.
Victorian-styleentrepreneurs. isthatweallare. Youmayfind,asmany
Customercentricityis Thecustomer-centric organisationsdo,thatthe
arguablymoredifficultto mindsetdeservesnotonlytobe ‘efficiencies’putinplaceare
achievethanit’severbeen. appliedtobusinesslife;it actuallydesignedtobenefit
Globalisationandthe belongsineveryaspectofour yourorganisationratherthan
proliferationofcross-sectoras lives.Afterall,doesn’tbeing yourcustomers.Ifso,it’s
wellascross-bordercompetition interestedinandfocused unlikelyyou’llbeabletoachieve
placebiggerburdenson aroundtheagendaofpeople thechangesyouneedunless
organisationsthanhasever withwhomyouwanttoforge yourethinkandevendismantle
beenthecasebefore. anykindofrelationshipmake theseefficiencies.
Asaresponsetothis,large goodsense? Bethorough.Really
organisationstendtoberun meanbusiness.
moreandmorebyintellectuals Becomingcustomer-centric Remember:every
withMBAs.EvenwhatMBA Workoutwhoyourcustomers day,everyhour,
actuallystandsforsaysitall, actuallyare–inbusinessthat’s everyminutethat
really.MasterofBusiness notalwayseasy.Thedifficultyof youarenot
Administration,notMasterof achievingitexplainswhymany customer-centric
WinningandRetaining organisations,bothinthe youarebleeding
Customers. privateandpublicsector,are awayprofitability
Incidentally,Ioftenwonder stillsobadatfurnishing thatcouldbeyours.
whetherbeinganintellectualis themselveswithasingleviewof Doyoureallywant
necessarilyanadvantagein customers,orwhymost tokeepon
business:itmayhelpyoutoget organisationstendtohave doingthat?
amentalhandleontheactivities structuresthataresilo-based
ofacomplexorganisation,buta andessentiallydesignedaround
Hardcastle-likeinstinctive theneedsoftheorganisation
gut-feelforwhatcustomers ratherthanthecustomer.
wantismoreimportant. Whenyou’veworkedout
Businessisnotakindof whoyourcustomersare,
StephenHewettishead
sophisticatedgameofchess;it’s andrecoveredfromthe
ofcustomercentricity
morelikerunningamarketstall, shocksyouwill atCharteris.
www.dmi-news.com May2009 37
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