Today, we’re at an inflection point in the global business environment. We are all contending with survival through a period of unprecedented economic volatility. Learning from previous downturns, I think it is safe to say that many forward-looking companies realize that the ‘do nothing but cut costs’ approach to managing business is not really going to help them survive for too long.
However, determining what to do in order to survive and emerge stronger is by no means a trivial undertaking. Businesses and consumers alike are forced to reducing spending. In addition, the Internet has driven a tectonic shift in power toward consumers, who now directly influence business models as well as the design and delivery of products and services. As a result, companies are trying very hard to find ways to protect market share today so they can emerge stronger with a base of loyal customers who champion their brand.
Whatever strategies companies embark on, there is a compelling case today for ‘Clarity’. Clarity of insight, strategy, ownership, processes, and measurements. Clarity to help your employees and partners execute to perfection in the most optimal way. Clarity that can be delivered to all the right people at the right time. Consider some examples:
- How impactful would your marketing department be if they knew which customer segments are the most profitable to pursue based on profitability and availability of your products?
- Wouldn’t your sales rep be ‘oh, so thankful!’ if he or she knew some facts about a customer’s ability to make prompt payments before even embarking on an opportunity?
- How satisfied would your customers be if the invoice they receive matches the initial offer your company made to them – including costs such as taxes, shipments, etc.?
- How much more money you could make if you knew when your customers’ service contracts were expiring and if you could automatically renew them?
I believe that SAP and our partners have the unique combination of expertise and tools to deliver this clarity – quickly and effectively. I welcome your thoughts, and also encourage you to explore further and engage with us in this exciting journey.
Thanks,
Vinay Iyer, Vice President, SAP Enterprise Marketing, CRM Solutions
vinay.iyer@sap.com
[...] Admittedly, this problem is not an easy one to solve. Many companies have tried but few have succeeded. Those that have succeeded have developed processes and use tools that provide clarity and transparency to their employees and partners who are serving their customers. Let’s use my case to elaborate on this point. If the company that I dealt with has the right processes and tools, then the contact agent that I spoke to would have known who I am after the brief identity verification. She would have known where I live and my contact information. Using the tool provided by her company, the contact agent would have been able to capture information about my burner problem, its make and model. With the symptoms that I provided, the tool that she uses should have been to able guess the cause of the problem and the corresponding solution. It should have identified the most likely parts and their availability. With this information, the tool should have also ensured that the appointment is set up appropriately by the agent while she is talking to me. Soon afterward, the service order would then be assigned and passed on (in completeness) to the qualified technician. And it would not matter whether or not the technician is an in-house resource or one from an external partner. And on the date and time of the service, the technician would have been able to repair my burner. This is what it means to have clarity. [...]