Customer

Many companies are currently caught in a strategy of operational excellence (OpEx) due to rising cost pressure. Digital companies as well as innovative disrupters are challenging more traditionally aligned companies through innovative business models. Whereas the cost-oriented companies are focusing on new customer acquisition through systematic price cuts, digital leaders have learned that success lies in retaining customers and gaining their loyalty.

The first major step in digital transformation thus calls for a departure from a purely cost-oriented business model towards one that is customer-centric. The second step leads not only to a better understanding of the customer, but also offers new options with respect to digital business models.

Dynamic and disruptive forces mean companies are facing major challenges. A "last-man-standing" strategy or staying in one's ostensible comfort zone of operational excellence over the long term is as unproductive as is trying to directly assume a digital leadership position. By contrast, our approach supports our clients across the entire transformation process towards the ultimate goal of arriving at the business model of a platform leader. Using the latest technologies, for example from Salesforce or Microsoft, we implement concepts such as Customer Lifetime Value in order to structure your business model in a customer-centric manner.

Customer centricity requires not only an exact understanding of the customer, but also major operational flexibility of processes in order to satisfy needs as best as possible. Customer-centric companies must therefore optimise the customer experience across all channels and touch points with the customer. Even though this has been known for many years now, there is still a large empathy gap between customers and companies. Those companies that can close this empathy gap can gain a key competitive edge, which has a direct impact on EBIT.

As a result, companies tend to kick off transformation programmes on a grand scale. However, in this regard, the objective should not be to design and set up digital technologies in prestigious "lighthouse projects"; rather, the goal is a paradigm shift, which covers a number of facets throughout the entire company: from digital business models and strategies ("customer intimacy") and customer-centric control models, all the way up to a change in the corporate culture; for instance in terms of a customer-first mentality, but also includes digital technologies, such as Salesforce or Microsoft.

To this end, we encourage establishing a closed feedback cycle with the customer. The closed-loop approach – listen, analyse and act – which combines both traditional topics such as marketing and sales with subjects such as X and O data and analytics. We are there for you as your competent contact for all matters and challenges involving customer and digital transformation. We are glad to advise you on the following topics:

• Customer strategy & innovation
• Customer interaction 
• Customer marketing
• Customer sales 
• Customer service
• Customer experience
• Customer data
• Customer planning
• Customer analytics
• Customer controlling
• Customer lifetime value
• Customer transformation