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.
