Table V Required manufacturer actions... | Emerald Publishing

Table V

Required manufacturer actions based on challenges customers face

Customers’ operations and readiness	Requirements for manufacturing company as service supplier
Varying customer adoption processes, depending on the service, customer, previous service purchases	Need to understand the service purchase from customer’s viewpoint; recognize how big/small, easy/difficult, normal/special the purchase is and act accordingly
Multiple, varying decision makers, depending on service, customer company, previous service purchases	Need to understand who in the customer company are those interested in purchasing this service and how they are deciding; based on this, contacting the right people with the right arguments, specified to fit their interests
The decision criteria (on service procurement and supplier selection) among customers may be product-oriented	Need to understand customer’s decision and supplier selection criteria and turn service benefits to match the criteria; alternatively, use time and effort to get customer to understand why some other aspect must be taken into account with a certain service
Cybersecurity: wariness of sharing data and opening connections to customer’s facilities (needed for some advanced services)	Need to ensure that security of information and connections are handled extremely carefully; show this to customers and convince them; value customers’ trust and act reliably, to fulfill expectations
Laborious tasks: customers perceiving tasks dealing with preparation of service context and supplier relationship as too laborious, challenging	Recognize importance of tasks through which customer prepares service context and manages supplier relationship; must understand current customer situation and changes needed; must consider how customer can be supported in these tasks or how the need for these tasks can be minimized
Adjustment in customer organization: customer organization may need adjustment in processes, cultures, mindset and traditions	Must understand culture and habits of customer and consider how the service can be better aligned with the customer’s world. Identify ways to support customers in needed change or offer pilot solution or simplified version of the service, to initiate learning. Start with customers who seem more ready and familiar with the advanced services

Customers’ operations and readiness	Requirements for manufacturing company as service supplier
Varying customer adoption processes, depending on the service, customer, previous service purchases	Need to understand the service purchase from customer’s viewpoint; recognize how big/small, easy/difficult, normal/special the purchase is and act accordingly
Multiple, varying decision makers, depending on service, customer company, previous service purchases	Need to understand who in the customer company are those interested in purchasing this service and how they are deciding; based on this, contacting the right people with the right arguments, specified to fit their interests
The decision criteria (on service procurement and supplier selection) among customers may be product-oriented	Need to understand customer’s decision and supplier selection criteria and turn service benefits to match the criteria; alternatively, use time and effort to get customer to understand why some other aspect must be taken into account with a certain service
Cybersecurity: wariness of sharing data and opening connections to customer’s facilities (needed for some advanced services)	Need to ensure that security of information and connections are handled extremely carefully; show this to customers and convince them; value customers’ trust and act reliably, to fulfill expectations
Laborious tasks: customers perceiving tasks dealing with preparation of service context and supplier relationship as too laborious, challenging	Recognize importance of tasks through which customer prepares service context and manages supplier relationship; must understand current customer situation and changes needed; must consider how customer can be supported in these tasks or how the need for these tasks can be minimized
Adjustment in customer organization: customer organization may need adjustment in processes, cultures, mindset and traditions	Must understand culture and habits of customer and consider how the service can be better aligned with the customer’s world. Identify ways to support customers in needed change or offer pilot solution or simplified version of the service, to initiate learning. Start with customers who seem more ready and familiar with the advanced services