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TechTrends e-Newsletter I February 2003 Page 5 of 6 Winning at New Products-Increasing Revenues through Successful Product Development., Bloomington • Presenter: Dr. Robert Cooper, creator of the "Stage-Gate" product development process. Contact: Terresa Svoboda, 800-325-3073 April 17, 2003 Minnesota Technology, Inc. Technology Awareness Forum ISO Root Cause Analysis, St Cloud U:JersDectiv" Creating Customer Commitment Five Keys to Lasting Relationships By Kim Rock One key to success in business is to establish the operating philosophy the customer is king and that people are your greatest asset. As powe as that commitment is, weaving it into the fabric of your organization be a challenging task. ;t_ Here are five principles that will help guide you in the process: 1. Commit to certain beliefs. Organizations that stand the test of time have a top-down commitment to stat beliefs. These include respect for the individual, exceptional customer service, daily excellence. Beliefs and innovation come from getting people together and • brainstorming. Beliefs should epitomize the way you want to do business. 2. Communicate operating philosophy. Superior customer service tied to people-skill development is critical to organizational success. Managers-at all levels-need to communicate the operat philosophy throughout the organization. Several vehicles can help plug employ into the organization's commitment to the customer. These include: • Operating plans to provide a basis for how the organization does business • Education programs that convey the philosophy to employees • Regular meetings that help carry and reinforce the message through the r< • Company publications, bulletin boards, and other written forms of communication from management that reflect the operating philosophy • Management leading by example on a day-to-day basis (easily the most effective method of communicating an operating philosophy) • Performance plans that are written so each employee knows how this philosophy relates to his or her particular area of responsibility. 3. Train and develop every person. Quality and service depend upon an organization's training and development programs for all employees-both at the entry level and on a continuing basis. F to any training, make sure you have the right set of talent in your organization 4. Measure performance, supply feedback. One of the most critical jobs is setting priorities-narrowing tasks so the organi2 knows what's required. This means having a clear set of goals, objectives and IP measurements. Once in place, make periodic checks to see if these goals are b achieved. Many people set objectives, but few sit down to a day of reckoning. organization must continually check in with customers to ask, "How are we doi Every function within the organization exists to satisfy the customer, and this t http://www.minnesotatechnology.org/publications/techtrends/2003/February/printVersion.asp 3/5/2003