Customer Innovation Research Articles

Cases Studies on Total Productive Management and Competitive Advantages

The purpose of business strategy is to achieve competitive advantages which includes higher efficiency, better quality, more innovation and faster customer response. In other words, the business strategy is to build unique capability of lower cost and/or differentiation. In production aspect, unique capability means better production power with better performance at 3M(Man, Machine, Material) of input and PQCDSM (Product, Quality, Cost, Delivery, Safety, Moral) from output. The Total Productive Management (TPM), a series of improvement activities focused on reduction of equipment loss, is a tool to establish business competitive advantages. In this paper, several domestic companies who won the Japan TPM Award have been studied. It is found that there is a strong cause‐effect relationship between TPM and competitive advantages because: (1) TPM can change employees mindset effectively; (2) TPM can upgrade employees capabilities; (3) TPM can lead to excellent productivity.

Can Sustainable Development and the Market Co-exist?

Abstract This article looks at Shell vision of sustainable development which is based on three essential and inseparable building blocks — the creation and maintenance of economic wealth, environmental improvement and social equity. All three must be integrated and balanced for long-term success, and all three underpin the Shell approach to global markets. The process of moving towards a sustainable future is under way, but the rate of progress depends on customer choice, innovation and investment — in other words, on market forces. If governments set targets and provide a good framework, companies like Shell will take the chances and offer solutions that support sustainable development. Then the markets will decide. Shell companies see support for sustainable development as a key element in continuing business success. This article discusses some of the ways Shell works with a wide range of partners to seek ways of achieving the best balance between economic, environmental and social considerations and between short term and long-term benefits. On this basis, the market supports the aims of sustainable development and Shell companies intend to play their part by providing, responsibly, efficiently and profitably, the energy the world's growing populations will need and want in the 21 st century.

A Customer Value Perspective in the Nonprofit Marketing Context: Expanding the Means-End Chain for Multiple Stakeholders

ABSTRACT Very little of the current research on nonprofit marketing adopts a customer value perspective. This paper will (1) briefly outline the special customer value challenges faced by nonprofit organizations, such as multiple stakeholders and a lack of marketing orientation; (2) describe the innovative customer value approach developed by Woodruff and Gardial (1996); and (3) offer a model applying the Wood-ruff/Gardial approach in the NPO context, including research propositions.

Creating New Services Based on the Formation of a Strategic Community with Customers: A Case Study of Innovation Involving IT and Multimedia Technology in the Field of Veterinary Medicine

This paper discusses the management processes for forming strategic communities by means of strategic partnerships between businesses and customers. It considers the introduction into these strategic communities of the knowledge and core competence of customers with a high degree of learning experience with respect to the products and services provided by the businesses. This creates new products and services and at the same time extends the results of the strategic communities to many other associated customers. The innovation of a telemedicine system in the field of veterinary medicine in Japan is taken as a case study. Here a strategic community of business and innovative customers developed new systems using IT and multimedia technology. The results from the strategic community were extended to many other related customers in a chain of community creation, and the new systems were widely proliferated throughout the whole of Japan.

Innovations in Customer Service: The Key to Business Success

In today's competitive business environment, organizations gain success through innovative customer service, the one that is difficult for competitors to imitate. Managing customer service spans the entire organization and focuses on the customers' value expectations. With rapid developments in information technology and telecommunications, customer service is getting increasingly differentiated with the prime aim not only to match but to exceed customer expectations. The paper highlights issues and suggests new ways to gain service differentiation, so as to succeed despite the aggressive competition.

Effects of strategic human resource management on strategic vision

It is pertinent for organizations that operate in a highly competitive environment to pursue a strategic vision. This study explores the effects of strategic human resource management (SHRM) on the implementation of a strategic vision. Other constructs of importance in the model include leadership, commitment and organizational structure. A total of 400 questionnaires were sent by mail to organizations of various industries and the total number of respondents was 104. Leadership was found to be significant in eight out of ten of the hypotheses, thereby indicating that the leadership of an organization plays an extremely important role in the achievement of a vision. Also, SHRM functions such that HR planning, recruitment and selection, rewards and compensation as well as training and development have significant effects in the achievement of different visions. For the vision of regional growth, leadership and organizational structure was found to be significant. Where market growth is pursued, leadership, reward system, commitment, training and staffing are significant. In the case of a strategic vision of mergers and ventures, only leadership was found to be significant. The only significant factor in the vision of low cost and productivity is planning. For a vision of customer focus and innovation, leadership and selection are the significant factors. Where innovation and product development are pursued, only planning is significant. For organizations that pursue cluster visions, the factors that are significant include leadership, commitment and selection.

Market Strategies for the Commercial Exploitation of Shape Memory Alloys

Recent research and development in the area of shape memory alloys (SMA) continues to yield novel and unique results. The strategic and market issues addressed in this paper seek to recognise the potential of shape memory alloy actuators and their future role in product design. The paper considers current market conditions through life cycle analysis and recognises that the diffusion of shape memory alloys into mainstream design usage will only come about through the successful targeting of innovative customers. For this to occur, the differentiating material function of shape memory must be promoted and perceived as adding value to the product function. Consideration is given to the commercialisation of SMA actuators and the role of an R&D/Market interface. The paper states that for SMA actuators to become commercially viable the physical and mechanical properties of commercially available shape memory alloys must be consolidated and future R&D focused on design properties relevant to applications.

Dialogue with Customers: Secret to Innovation Strategy

Enterprises are discovering a rededication to customers in ways rarely practised other than by the entrepreneurial firm. However, quality and restructuring methodologies have returned executives to their own raison d'etre by positioning customers at the heart of business survival. At the same time, cross-boundary alliances are demanding new partnering techniques with all stakeholders, including customers. New initiatives are commonplace, but are generally without an understanding that something is fundamentally different between customer satisfaction and the success of your customers. This article introduces the concepts in ways that are easily practised. Simply stated, treat your customers as sources of knowledge, not someone to whom you solely deliver products and services. By practising value-system (rather than value-chain) strategies, companies can take advantage of the business opportunities afforded by a collaborative economy. Similarly, by defining Strategic Business Network (SBN's) rather than Strategic Business Units (SBU's), companies can leverage all available knowledge sources. Most importantly, a symbiotic relationship with consumers, customers or clients can help a company envision products and services for unarticulated needs and unserved markets. Companies which are practising new ways of interfacing with customers are realising significant business results. A profile of customer innovation at Steelcase North America provides an illustration of this new partnering relationship.

Support strategies to foster adoption of interorganizational innovations

The authors develop strategies that suppliers can use to foster the adoption of interorganizational information systems innovations, The strategies focus on adoption support to overcome innovation adoption barriers, accounting for the effect of the innovation on ongoing supplier-customer transactions. Modeling a dimension of the customer (organizational innovativeness) and a dimension of the innovation (radicalness) they derive optimal supplier strategies for when the supplier can differentiate individual customer innovativeness and when it cannot. In the former case, knowledge of individual customer innovativeness results in a triage model-some customers adopt without support, some require support to adopt, and some do not adopt and should not be supported. A lack of knowledge of customer innovativeness results in an undifferentiated strategy directed at all customers. Knowledge of customer innovativeness increases overall adoption and supplier profits and lowers adoption support to those customers that receive support in both cases.

Customer - Focused Patient Meal Service Delivering Patient Meals With Service Innovation

LEARNING OUTCOME: To examine the components of the Patient Host Program, an innovative customer focused model for patient meal service delivery, implemented to improve customer satisfaction.The Patient Host Program was developed to improve customer service while increasing efficiency. This model includes six major components.1) A team was formed and the department was restructured into teams by job functions. All team members are crosstrained within their team.2) A one week, rotating spoken menu was implemented. Recipies were developed, preparing the food one way for all diet modifications. The alternate menu contains short order and individually portioned items.3) The Patient Hosts have direct accountability to customers, taking meal orders before each meal, assembling and passing trays.4) The diet office and menu printing costs were eliminated. Current diet lists and nourishment labels are computer generated prior to each meal.5) Staffing is adjusted according to patient census and Ten hour shifts assure continuity of care through all three meals.6) Constant communication within the department and interdepartmentally assures the success of the program.The success of the program is measured by patient satisfaction with a 10 question survey vehicle. Satisfaction measured 87% prior to implementation. After one year, satisfaction consistently exceeds 96%.

The 100% satisfaction guarantee: Ensuring quality at Hampton Inn

AbstractFor many companies, improving quality standards and keeping customers satisfied are key concerns in maintaining a competitive position in the marketplace. But these intangible goals often can be difficult to achieve in practice. For the Hampton Inn hotel chain, the solution has come in the form of an innovative customer satisfaction guarantee, which not only helps the company ensure quality and satisfaction on an ongoing basis, but also makes definite contributions to the bottom line.

Organizing for Collective Action: The Political Economies of Associations.David Knoke

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsOrganizing for Collective Action: The Political Economies of Associations. David Knoke Arthur L. StinchcombeArthur L. Stinchcombe Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Sociology Volume 96, Number 5Mar., 1991 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/229679 Views: 1Total views on this site Citations: 1Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1991 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Depeng Zhang, Fuli Zhang, Mengfei Lin, Helen S. Du Knowledge sharing among innovative customers in a virtual innovation community, Online Information Review 41, no.55 (Sep 2017): 691–709.https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-08-2016-0226

Bringing Innovation to Market: How to Break Corporate and Customer Barriers

ENCOUNTERING THE BARRIERS The Need to Innovate Corporate Barriers to Innovation Customer Barriers to Innovation Measuring the Barriers BREAKING THE BARRIERS The Slow and Steady Strategy The Grab and Grow Strategy The Pick and Protect Strategy The Migrate and Maintain Strategy Putting It All Together Index.

Fluorescent pigments in combination

The surge of interest in speciality colourants in recent years shows no signs of diminishing despite the scarcity of some of the dyestuffs and pigments necessary to achieve unusual effects. Such an upward trend may be common to many industries, but suppliers of daylight fluorescent pigments have not been the slowest to develop new effects for innovative customers. Shortly after the introduction by Sterling Industrial Colour Ltd of its FLARE 920 Series of high strength polyamide based daylight fluorescent pigments for blow moulded plastics, it was discovered that this range could be combined with other speciality colourants to achieve startling effects, not only in plastics but in a variety of other applications. Previously fluorescent pigments were used alone and against a white background for best effect in inks, paints and plastics because the slightest contamination was known to reduce the fluorescent effect. But the exceptional strength of the FLARE 920 range permits its reduction with pearlescents and/or opaque whiteners in all these and other applications.