CUSTOMER RELATIONS

7 April 2003

Kartavya/Abhi,

CUSTOMER RELATIONS

Please go thru enclosed article. There are useful lessons to be learnt.

One lesson is that we did NOT design our order execution system (OES) keeping in mind the needs of our Customers. Perhaps our focus (while designing OES) was too much on compiling a hell-of a lot of “Historical data / statistics / Trends” over a period of next 2/3 years so that in course of time OES can also become a powerful “PRO-ACTIVE MARKETING TOOL”.

Idea was that, 2/3 years down the line we could use OES as a powerful.

DATA-MINIG TOOL

This is why, in OES, we are trying to “capture” (Thru data entry & thru mouse-clicks) a lot of these captured data are not really required for executing the current search assignment and may appear as so much waste of time/ effort!

It is possible that some of these DATA CAPTURE may be “slowing down” our order execution process.

But it is too early to jump to such conclusions, when we have used OES, for barely 2/3 months so far.

We must use OES very thoroughly for all executive search assignments (-excluding those from CADILLA, as we discussed in our recent meeting) for next 3/8 months and then only make.

-    A list of “conclusions”

-    A wish-list of what we need to incorporate in version 2.0 of OES.

By that time we may have entered over 100 search –assignments (-and even closed most) in OES. So, we would also have GOOD compilation of HISTORICAL Statements. That should enlighten us on what “Trends” are emerging.

Eg:

·     How much “Business” did we get from each customer? Who was best/who was worst?

·     What was “Average” billing/highest billing/lowest billing? – and from which customers?

·     Who (which client) gave us “Repeat” business & how much ? who gave us just one solitary assignment & never came back? Why? What went wrong?

·     Are there any clients worth black-listing? Worth pursuing vigorously?

·      What “assignments” (-and from which clients) were

-    Easiest to fulfill – in terms :- in times of “ time –taken”

-    Toughest to fulfill :- in times of “ time –taken”

How much of this “Easyness/Toughness” depended upon

-    Caliber/experience/aggressiveness of the consultant who handled these assignments

-    Availability (Member/Non-Member database) of suitable executives

-    Internal “indecisiveness” of client

-    External help/assistance that we managed (eg. Jyoti Agarwal).

In fact the “HISTORICAL” Statements of OES (as different from “OPERATIONAL”) reveal these trends. It is over job to “Interpret” & draw conclusions & develops an action plan for future.

OES contains 30/40 “Historical Statements & have written down some 10 pages of such “TRENDS”! Please remember that by faithfully implementing OES, we are in effect, creating a

DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM

If you have any problem in use of OES, please contact me immediately. Not using OES is NOT an Option.

It’s simply better business too has every step in the business process using the same system with information flowing immediately and smoothly to all stakeholders.

FULFILLMENT SYSTEM:

OES is a Fulfillment System” and we are a “Service Company” Integration improves billing accuracy by eliminating the need to enter or transfer data between systems. We depend upon TALLY as well as OES.