by Jon Zalinski at Mountain Scanners
1. Customer Service
2. Technology
3. Quality
4. Cost Management
5. Delivery
If you were to improve these 5 areas of your organization, you would gain a competitive advantage. I would venture to say that customer satisfaction and sales would would go up.
I will add some ideas to each of these 5 areas.
1. Customer Service- Ask your customers. They will tell you. For example, I currently do business with my local bank, but every time I need a new service they make me fill out another application for that service. It would be nice if the form was already filled in with my critical information so I can move on with my day. I know that they have my critical information already.
I can buy something on Amazon with one click. This should be easy to fix.How about having a live person pick up the phone?
How about a follow up call from a supervisor just to make sure everything is OK with the service that was provided.
2. Technology- Use of technology can go a long way with your customers. Can you answer a customer's question on the same phone call? Can you automate an information path electronically? Maybe, improve speed with transactional business. Are there ways to eliminate the number of key strokes in repetitive data entry duties. Maybe the use of technology would allow for collaboration across the company. Come to find out, that you have an expert in the wrong department, or you get more thorough input to help you make a vital company decision.
OK, how about one click to purchase something.
Or even better signing a contract on your smart phone.
3. Quality- There has been a big push to de-value products or services in price. But the in doing so the have also de-valued their products or services. An advantage would be to ADD to the quality of your products or services. Here are some call out words that should make you think about your organization. Testimonials, satisfaction guaranteed, try before you buy, years in business, here is our mission, on time, paperless, friendly, helpful, relationships, trust, on time, certified, and at your service.
4. Cost Management- You have made your big cuts and you are now running as skinny and you think you can. Where else could you streamline costs? Spend on technology to save in payroll productivity and materials of paper and ink. Manage your records digitally so you do not need to save the paper files in storage facilities. Spend a little more here to save a lot more there. A robot that is purchased to help in a factory has and upfront cost but a long term reward. These are the kind of cost management strategies I am thinking of. Immediate cost management has passed. So what is your strategy to manage your costs in the long term. If you could streamline your internal fixed costs with a long term mentality and things do pick up Win Win for you.
5. Delivery- What if you could deliver something faster, or process something quicker. How about being on time or even early. If your competitors are delivering products or services can you beat them? How about a bank that process your new service with just a signature...what if the signature came off of your smart phone. How about automating the way you process your orders, no paper, all digital, and by doing so orders were entered and delivered earlier than your competitors? This would also shorten the cycle of production to payment.
Well the purpose of this was to inspire you to think about your industry and how your company can gain a competitive advantage within your industry by adding VALUE.
I hope you also understand that this VALUE perception must be from the "point of view" of your customers.
