Back to Search Start Over

Staple yourself to an order

Authors :
John J. Sviokla
Benson P. Shapiro
V. K. Rangan
Source :
Long Range Planning. 26:153
Publication Year :
1993
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 1993.

Abstract

The executive who wants to delight customers-and thereby grow the top line-is apt to think big: Invent a breakthrough product; provide an extraordinary service. That's great work if you can get it, but the more humble jobof making sure customers aren't excessively annoyed by the company's order management processes may be more urgent and more relevant to future growth. Every time an order is handled, the customer is handled. Every time an order sits unattended, the customer sits unattended. Yet, to most senior executives, the details of the order management process are invisible. When managers take the time to track each step of the cycle, they come into contact with critical people like customer service representatives, production schedulers, order processors, and shipping clerks. Managers who "staple themselves to an order" will not only move horizontally across their own organization, charting gaps and building information bridges, but will also see the company from the customer's perspective. There's no better way to alter that perspective, improve interdepartmental relations, and -over the long haul- improve financial performance.

Details

ISSN :
00246301
Volume :
26
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Long Range Planning
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........582b80daad9632097fe1e56896c6df71