Putting Your Customers' Needs First

• Biggest Mistakes Companies Make

o Systems as Solutions Buying, installing or upgrading a system (whether it be hardware or software or both) is often promoted as a solution to whatever corporate problem seems to be lurking its ugly head. Companies often spend enormous sums of money not to mention the time wasted in installing or upgrading a system only to eventually find out that the underlying cause of the problem persists or is not totally resolved. Frequently, by simply re-evaluating how a job or task is being done can lead you to a more economical and timely solution. Beware of Checklists It is amazing how many companies allow their employees to make important business decisions based on “simple checklists” rather than “in-depth” research. Companies often make comparisons by simply comparing themselves to other companies without thoroughly examining the details underlying the various elements being compared; therefore, they often fail to uncover why their competition surpasses them in execution and success when they both theoretically provide the same service. For example, one company might compare itself to another by declaring that they both offer EDI capability, they both offer web order entry, etc. However, a really-detailed examination might reveal that the other company supports many more EDI transaction sets and they support EDI order entry functions for non-stock items, air shipments, drop ships to end customers, special pricing options, etc. whereas the other company only supports the “bare essentials” thus their customer adoption of EDI is much less. Same issue for web order entry and other items being compared…examine the details by talking to your common customers to learn WHY your implementation is not as successful as those of your competition! One Size Fits All … conformity There is a lot to be said for “standardization” and it works for many companies because they are either small and serve a single market and group of customers or they operate on a larger scale but with similar product lines with common customers. However, large companies with diverse product offerings serving many different customer types and/or markets will have a more difficult time if they attempt to “force fit” a single operating structure onto their entire organization. While having common systems may seem like the ideal solution from an “internal perspective”, it may hinder your ability to serve your diverse customer base effectively in a variety of markets and countries. That is why it is almost always better to structure your organization from the customers’ perspective rather than from top down in your executive suite! o o