Creating value for customers with a systemic view

No lack of convincing

Many are convinced that the current complexity of our socio-economic society, the complexity in the management of enterprises, and the rapid changes in technology create a need for another way of thinking in order to provide sustainable solutions to customer needs.
Many are convinced that it is important to have customer focus and to consider him as a partner of the organization.
Strategies has to be developed by looking from the outside and not from the inside out.
Many are convinced that cooperation is necessary in order to create customer value through innovation. So we are seeing alliance programs, and other cooperative ventures .
Many also believe that decisions must be supported by objective data and facts from as many sources possible
But what tells us the reality in connection with our customer relationship and the creation of value?

• Most organizations are still structured in departments, with hierarchical structures and little connectivity with the customer.
• Lots of information about customer requirements, satisfaction ... are still found in silo’s . Decisions are therefore made in isolation without considering their the impact on the entire organization.
• Customized action are not centrally coordinated.
• Customer satisfaction surveys are usually only made annually.
• Sometimes it is not clear who the customer is: internal client? Distributor? End -user?

Our linear thinking, the search for faults in a cause-effect relationship, and the hierarchical structures of companies are still deeply established.
Yet this has been changed by the insertion of the supply chain principle, the lean philosophy, balanced scorecard and value stream mapping, to name a few.
Business Models as the Baldrige Award and EFQM are putting emphasis throughout the organization. to see and connect to the whole through feedback loops.
But in practice, the complete interrelation between the elements are not addressed.
Sustainable value for customers is not the sum of all values in isolation from each other, but the continued value creation through the dynamic interaction of all elements of the organization.

How can we achieve this?