INFOR
INFOR Blog
4.15.15
Redapt Manufacturing a Retailer Mindset The customer always comes first, that’s the notion in which businesses live by and thrive on. However, customer demand is constantly changing and posing quite a challenge for manufacturers who must adjust and rework their current operational model. What it comes down to is customer centricity: directly involving consumers in the manufacturing process. The culture of manufacturing will be forced to adapt to collaboration with the customer in order to meet their expectations, as manufacturers must begin to think like retailers and follow their practices. Customer-‐centric manufacturing is a smart business move, according to the customer experience index 200, customer-‐centric companies have a higher valuation on average than their competitors. Currently, consumer preferences are providing the basis of manufacturing decisions, which is not only impacting B2C businesses but also B2B (Korak). Use Customer Feedback Wisely Customer expectations continue to increase as they expect greater availability, quicker delivery, and enhanced quality that doesn’t involve a higher price. All of these factors lead towards a manufacturing shift to a customer-‐ centric mentality. Channeling their inner-‐retailer allows manufacturers to use customer feedback that can seriously assist in day-‐ to-‐day operations and allow customer expectations to be effectively met. The customer dictates how manufacturers must adapt. Working alongside customers helps manufacturers to solve specific problems (delivery timing, product quality, etc.) as well as ones that are more generalized. Manufacturers are now in the position to have customer data facilitated to them directly. This gives manufacturers the ability to truly find out how their customers are using their products and also demographic information in order to perform smarter processes. With this analytical mindset, manufacturers begin to think and act like retailers because of their capability to capture consumer statistics (Ciotti). Creating a Direct Line of Communication Customer perspectives can go a long way in terms of deciding the most effective manufacturing methods for the future. Being able to converse directly with consumers creates new business opportunities due to the fact that customers are willing to help co-‐design products and solutions. Customer-‐centric manufacturing is using the customer as a basis for innovation, and centering their demands as a foundation. When manufacturers act like retailers, they are able to segment customers as well as find new customers based on the consumer information that is found (Hussey). Becoming a customer-‐centric manufacturer is as much of a cultural shift as it is an intelligent move towards modernizing, and noticing how analytical information can help manufacturing processes improve. Customer expectations shape a culture where manufacturing processes are consistently changing due those anticipations. Instead of just adding customer-‐centricity into the mix of business goals, manufacturers must begin to have a customer mindset, rethinking the way operations are handled because of changes in competition and customers. Essentially, the point is that the marriage between manufacturers and customers can result in a
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Redapt blissful partnership as long as the manufacturer takes advantage of analytics. The incorporation of customer-‐ centricity in manufacturing will allow businesses deliver products faster and increase the quality of operations.
WORKS CITED Creating a Customer-‐Centric Company that People Love http://www.helpscout.net/blog/customer-‐centric/ Customer-‐Centric Manufacturing: The Big Opportunity http://www.manufacturing.net/articles/2013/02/customer-‐centric-‐manufacturing-‐the-‐big-‐opportunity The consumerization of manufacturing http://www.automationmag.com/software/erp/4778-‐the-‐ consumerization-‐of-‐manufacturing-‐how-‐it-‐systems-‐help-‐manufacturers-‐respond-‐to-‐the-‐call-‐for-‐customer-‐ centric-‐processes
TSL Marketing
plan develop manage www.tslmarketing.com
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• Canada
Proprietary and Confidential ©2015. TSL Marketing. All Rights Reserved
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Ireland
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Australia
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Singapore
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India
443.718.4300
