Transcending Customer Expectations!

 Customer experience is becoming the core aspect of every business organization. It is believed that in a rapidly changing world standing still is one of the fastest way to move backwards and there is always a lot of resistance to change.

Due to this continuous change the supply chain world is constantly getting disrupted inside out. The customer centric supply chain expects the business to have immediate, accurate and flexible product delivery at any quantity. The organizations are in a dilemma on how to balance between the cost and customer satisfaction. Overcoming these challenges would help organizations to open up opportunities to differentiate themselves in the crowded market and the best way to do that is by starting at the end of the supply chain, i.e by talking to your customers. One should always ensure the following three things

1. Deliver when the customer needs it: This can be achieved by
• Higher fill rates
• Extended facility hours
• Increased holiday coverage
• Align orders to urgency
• In case your customer is a reseller help them help their customers
2. Ship it right
• Make sure there are no errors in the product particulars while shipping
• It should reach your customers without damages
• The details of the products should be properly communicated to the customers
3. Provide accurate and timely information
• ETA accuracy
• Order tracking
• Technical supports on products
• Customer support throughout the product life cycle.
• Single window to address all grievances 

The customer should be the center of the business model and every department should come together to ensure customer satisfaction. For example, In an automobile dealership the OEM companies have to work closely with the dealership in order to ensure that the customer faces minimum downtime. This can be achieved by timely delivery of the products to the customer location.

Further the companies should create a visual model of what customer priority is and how are they going to apply it. The model should constitute parameters on how the following would be achieved.

1. Shorter order to delivery lead time by
• Expanded facility hours
• Added shifts
• Working holiday
• Guaranteed overnight delivery (4pm- last order, 7am(next day)- delivery)
2. Same day service
3. Good return policy 
4. Record feedback for continuous improvement

Supply chain ends at customers hands, so it is important to design a supply chain model that exceeds customer expectation.