IIMS Journal of Management Science
issue front

Muthu Krishna V1, Swathipriya Dhavala2, Siddharth A3

Article Information Volume 5, Issue 1 January-June, 2014

1Muthu Krishna served as a Quality Consultant at Ford Technology Services India at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He holds a Bachelors in Engineering (Electronics) degree and currently pursuing Masters in Management from ABV-IIITM, Gwalior, MP, India. He can be contacted at pavanapura@gmail.com

2Swathipriya Dhavala is an External-Quality Consultant in the IT wing of Ford India, Ford Technology Services India, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. She has worked with major IT service sector companies and has an expertise in Java technology applications, business analysis, metrics and sourcing strategies. She can be contacted at d.mechanical@gmail.com

3A Siddharth works as an Assistant Manager, Product-Marketing, Applied Research International Simulations, New Delhi, India. Research in the field of marketing is one of his key business interests. He can be contacted at a.siddharth1986@gmail.com

Abstract

Our paper proposes that, building client insights and developing value proposition in the production and strategicservices should focus entirely on customers. Feedback from customers is applied over maximising business operations decisions. Business environment is becoming complex and competitive with frequent diversification of products and services. Operations management is so far seen as a back-end business responsibility and often overlooked in studies dealing customer preferences and choices. In our research work, we argue that, complicated business environment and sensitive business process in contemporary market establishments are forcing a need for detailed investigation of relationship between operations management and customer centricity. Operations management concepts increase the ‘Serving to the Delight of Customers’ modelled working. Accommodating wider spectrums consisting complex productions, service industry, energy sectors or eRetailing, the models of strategic consumer-centric operations management are equally applicable and practicable.

Keywords

Customer centricity, Business mileage, Customer Experience Management (CEM), Process utilities, Management innovations

JEL Classifications: L15, L21 D02 D91

References

Akamavi, R. K. (2005). ‘Re-engineering service quality process mapping: e-banking process’, The International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol.23, No.1, pp. 28–53.

Alam, I. (2011). ‘Key customer characteristics for customer-oriented innovation in Australian financial services industry’, Journal of Services Research, Vol.11, No.1, pp. 41–60.

Arnold, T. J., er Fang, E., and Palmatier, R. W. (2011). ‘The effects of customer acquisition and retention orientations on a firm’s radical and incremental innovation performance’, Academy of Marketing Science. Journal, Vol.39, No. 2, pp. 234–251.

Bogers, M., Afuah, A., and Bastian, B. (2010). ‘Users as innovators: a review, critique, and future research directions’, Journal of Management, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 857–875

Blank, S. and Dorf, B. (2012) The Startup Owner’s Manual. California: K&S Ranch.

Cook, L.S., Heiser, D.R. and Sengupta, K. (2011). ‘The moderating effect of supply chain role on the relationship between supply chain practices and performance: an empirical analysis’, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol.41, No.2, pp. 104–134.

Dabholkar, P. A. and Overby, J. W. (2005). ‘Linking process and outcome to service quality and customer satisfaction evaluations: an investigation of real estate agent service’, International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 10–27.

Davis, R., Buchanan, O.M. and Brodie R. (1999). ‘Relationship marketing in electronic commerce environments’, Journal of Information Technology, Vol.14, No.4, pp. 319–331.

Ernst and Young No. EG0117 1303-1050264 ‘The journey toward greater customer centricity’ www.ey.com/.../ Customer_Centricity_Paper_29_April_Final_US.pdf

Evangelist, S., Godwin, B., Johnson, J., Conzola, V., Kizer, R., Young-Helou, S. and Metters, R. (2002). Linking marketing and operations: an application at Blockbuster, Inc’, Journal of Service Research, Vol.5, No.2, pp. 91–100.

Engelseth, P. and Felzensztein, C. (2012). ‘Intertwining relationship marketing with supply chain management through Alderson’s transvection’, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol.27, No.8, pp. 673–685.

Foss, N., Laursen, K. and Pedersen, T. (2011). ‘Linking customer interaction and innovation: the mediating role of new organizational practices’, Organization Science, Vol.22, No.4, pp. 980–999.

Fuchs, C. and Schreier, M. (2011). ‘Customer empowerment in new product development’, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Vol.28, pp.17–32.

Fuxiang, L. and Yuhui, Y. (2011). ‘Study and explores on CRM based on the supply chain integration’, Management Science and Engineering, Vol.5, No.1, pp. 01–09.

Goldstein, S. M., R. Johnston, J. Duffy and J. Rao (2002). ‘The service concept: the missing link in service design research?’, Journal of Operations Management, Vol.20, No.2, pp. 121–134.

Gibbons, R. and Henderson, R. (2012). ‘Relational contracts and organizational capabilities’, Organization Science, Vol.23, No.5, pp. 1350–1364.

Griffith, J., Elson, B. and Amos, D., (2001). ‘A customer–supplier interaction model to improve customer focus in turbulent markets’, Managing Service Quality, Vol.11, No.1, pp. 57–66.

Huffman, T. R. and Skaggs, B. C. (2010). ‘The effects of customer-firm interaction on innovation and performance in service firms’, Journal of Business Strategies, Vol.27, No.2, pp.151–175.

Katerina Jirinova and Karel Kolis. (2013). Research of customer-centric approach and involvement of customers into innovation process across Czech SMEs. Presented at the 7th International Days of Statistics and Economics, Prague, September 19–21, 2013.

Kotler, P. (2009): Marketing management (1st pub.). Harlow ; New York: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Lado, A.A., Paulraj, A. and Chen, I.J. (2011). ‘Customer focus, supply-chain relational capabilities and performance: evidence from US manufacturing industries’, The International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol.22, No.2, pp. 202–221.

Lin, R. J., Chen, R. H. and Chiu, K. K. S. (2010). ‘Customer relationship management and innovation capability: an empirical study’, Industrial Management + Data Systems, Vol.110, No.1, pp.111–133.

Magnus Holmén and Sara Fallahi (2013). Business model innovation and organizational inertia: costly signals, capabilities and users, DRUID Academy 2013 at Comwell Rebild Bakker, Rebild/Aalborg. Magnusson, P., Matthing, J. and Kristensson, P. (2003). ‘Managing user involvement in service innovation: experiments with innovating end users’. Journal of Service Research, Vol.6, No.2, pp.111–124.

Morrison, P., Roberts, J. and Midgley, D. (2004). ‘The nature of lead users and measurement of leading edge status’, Research Policy, Vol.33, pp. 351–362.

Mousavy, S. K., Rad, B. S., Bujarpor, M. and Mashali, B. (2012). ‘Customer relationship management (CRM) and study of its effect on competitive advantage’, Life Science Journal-Acta Zhengzhou University Overseas Edition, Vol.9, No.4, pp.4167–4173.

Sampson, S. E. and Froehle, C. M. (2006). ‘Foundations and implications of a proposed unified services theory’, Production & Operations Management, Vol.15, No.2, pp. 329–343.

Schniederjans, M.J., Cao, Q. and Gu, V.C. (2012). ‘An operations management perspective on adopting customerrelations management (CRM) software’, International Journal of Production Research, Vol.50, No.4, pp. 3974–3987.

St John, C.H., Cannon, A.R. and Pouder, R.W. (2001). ‘Change drivers in the new millennium implications for manufacturing strategy research’, Journal of Operations Management, Vol.19, pp. 143–160.

Venkatraman, N., Henderson, J.C. (1998). ‘Real strategies for virtual organizing’, Sloan Management Review, Vol.40, pp. 33–47.

Wise, R. and Baumgartner, P. (1999). ‘Go downstream: the new profit imperative in manufacturing’, Harvard Business Review, Vol.77, No.5, pp. 133–141.

Zomerdijk, L. G. and Vries, J. D. (2007). ‘Structuring front office and back office work in service delivery systems’, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol.27, No.1, pp.108–131.

Zott, C. and Amit, R. (2010). ‘Business model design: an activity system perspective’. Long Range Planning, Vol.43, pp. 216–226.


Make a Submission Order a Print Copy