In the customer service arena, we often hear references to the voice of the customer. It’s important to put their wishes as a priority when building lists for execution. It’s also critical that customer demands are built into the planning, manufacture and distribution process, but these elements are often overlooked in favor of economies of scale and lower cost of doing business.
This lower cost can come at a price, however. If margins suffer because a company is ignoring the voice of the customer, does it make sense to continue down this path? The writer of a recent Forbes piece doesn’t believe so. Customer-facing systems are redefining manufacturing today, focusing on building trust instead of transactions and investing in contextual customer intelligence.
In terms of application deployment, this focus is heavy on the use of Salesforce and its Salesforce1 platform. The company recently announced plans to focus on delivering solutions that solve issues within specific industries. In essence, the company is providing a blueprint for enabling manufacturers to navigate away from that traditional inward focus and instead embrace the customer’s needs, especially as they change so rapidly. Solutions built on this platform provide the speed needed to perform and will anticipate changes in customer business models to quicken the cadence.
The bottom line here is the company is pushing the importance for manufacturers to invest in people, processes and technology that deliver the long-term value necessary to support growth and profitability. For success, this requires application deployment in order to break down current silos that isolate customers from managers, engineers and executives who are making decisions on products and processing. By connecting both sides, companies can quickly redefine manufacturing processes and strategies based on insights gained from customers.
Such a change in strategy will require application deployment that supports these efforts, enabling the manufacturer to redefine workflows, processes and tactical approaches to getting the job done. The goal is to stay in step with customer demands in such a way that the company is not only first to market, but does so in a way that meets those customer demands head on. This requires greater visibility and flexibility across the entire production value chain. Ultimately, the manufacturer will shrink costs and increase customer wins.
Application deployment companies like UNICOM (News - Alert) can assist in the process, bringing solutions to the manufacturer that enable a strategic change to embrace the voice of the customer. When the end result is increased revenue, healthier margins and loyal customers, it doesn’t make sense not to make the change.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson