I have spent important time thinking, analyzing and developing a simple and straightforward model that defines the components that make the difference in those customer-oriented companies and in improving the quality of the products and services that are developed.
Achieving a Customer-oriented company and improving Quality is not decreed, it is not enough to repeat and proclaim it, it really requires dedication, effort and time because the process of cultural transformation, the internalization of it by all employees in each level of organizations, and the commitment of Senior Management and all its employees to Quality and Customer Satisfaction are crucial factors in the model and it takes time to assimilate and implement it.
These aforementioned aspects break down the myths and paradigms that have been deeply rooted in companies up to now, it requires investing in the training and preparation of people, the main “asset” of any company, and in a more efficient Reward System that rewards team achievement. and stimulate creativity and innovation. If you are not convinced of this, it is time to do it and take a step forward in considering people the most important asset of the company.
There are other influential and supporting aspects of the model, not less important, but less soft and systematic, such as Structure, Processes and Strategy. These elements must be perfectly aligned and oriented to produce and repeat the best experience for the Client through the use of the high-quality Products and Services that are developed. Remember that every product involves a service that is what makes it possible for the whole provided to be greater than the parts, a general concept of systems.
Before continuing to develop and detail the aforementioned aspects, I will show you graphically the model with the factors and interrelationships that influence customer satisfaction and quality improvement.
Business model of customer satisfaction
As observed in the Model, the Business Culture is constituted by the predominant Leadership in the Company and its Organizations, its Policies which include Norms and Procedures, the Principles and Values that govern the performance, the Mission and Vision of the company.
Business Culture is the guiding factor that defines the attitudes and actions that characterize the company, and provides the sense of direction that guides decision-making. In the cultural transformation, the commitment of Senior Management is fundamental because they must model to be examples to follow within the company, that is, the words, what is said must be aligned with what is done. Senior Management and middle management must be Enabling Agents, committed to change, must ensure that all the elements that make up the Model and their interrelations are clearly and precisely aligned and documented, without ambiguity, and duly trained personnel to manage the relationship with clients, improve processes and service quality, and understand the portfolio of Products and Services.
In the Model it is observed that the Structure, the Processes and the Strategy must be aligned and oriented to service quality and customer service. A Customer-oriented Structure is organized by Processes, Products or Services and fosters the Customer-Supplier relationship (internal and external), identifies and documents who their Clients and Suppliers are, and the way they are related, provides freedom to the Points of Contact o Service Providers who are the face of the customer to make the decisions that lead to Customer Satisfaction with the balance in the appropriate use of resources without detriment to the assets of the company.
The Processes oriented towards the Quality and Satisfaction of the Clients identify and document the Products and Services, the Clients and Suppliers, the Inputs, define the Indicators of Quality and Management of Entry, Processes and Exit, the behavior of the Indicators, collects information, measures are taken, controlled and acted upon to correct any deviation or to improve the current performance of the process, improve the quality of products and services, and improve the quality of inputs through the negotiation of agreements. service with providers.
The Strategy should be aimed at improving the satisfaction of Current Clients, improving positioning in the markets through improving the quality of Products and Services, attracting new Clients and markets, and improving the quality of life of their employees, and the skills required to improve their performance.
Information Technology and Automation are intended to leverage Processes through data collection, storage, processing, and generating accurate, timely and up-to-date information to support Decision Making. These Automatic Technologies and Systems must be interconnected and cover the information needs of the organizations, to monitor, measure and act on the Inputs, Processes, Products and Services, Suppliers, Clients and Behavior of the Markets and Competitors. They also assist in Self-Training, Formal Training, and the Staff Reward System.
The implementation of this model must be carried out in Cascada through the creation of Transformation or change Teams, and it is recommended to undertake them with the advice of external Consultants to avoid any omission caused by the authority's dependence on internal Consultants in the Structure.
The Teams must include the formal and informal Leaderships identified at all levels of the organizations, these teams must be trained and aligned to achieve the necessary cohesion.
The Transformation or Change Teams must attack several fronts simultaneously. A Cultural Transformation Team must be defined which will work at a very high level to achieve the Commitment of Senior Management and Middle Management with the change, train them on the Methodology and new Model to be implemented, jointly design with Senior Management the Dissemination Strategies and communication to manage Resistance to Change. This team must also identify, document and review the current Business Culture, define the aspects that must be included and those that must be eliminated, document, design the promotion and dissemination of the new Culture.
Another Team should be in charge of designing, documenting and implementing the new Organizational Structure and managing the transition appropriately to reduce impact and resistance.
The Process Team has the responsibility of reviewing, re-designing and documenting the Business and Work Processes in order to eliminate the waste constituted by those activities that do not add value to the Process and the Business. This Team is also responsible for defining, documenting, collecting and measuring the Quality and Management Indicators.
It is very important that each Team is attentive to identify emerging leaderships, and the entities that offer resistance to give them due and personalized attention.
As can be inferred, the implementation of a Customer-oriented Business Model requires commitment, dedication and time. It is a continuous cycle where the Quality and satisfaction of the Clients is monitored, measured, controlled and actions are taken on the processes to improve the performance of the indicators.
