The State of Customer Centricity
Recently MIB Trieste School of Management had the pleasure to host compelling seminar by Professor Seán Meehan, a distinguished expert in Marketing and Management and Dean of Faculty at IMD Business School and Member of MIB’s Academic Advisory Board.
The lecture sparked a thought-provoking discussion on the challenges and importance of customer centricity in business today. The event explored the paradox of ‘Customer Centricity’ — simple in concept but difficult in practice, with few companies successfully implementing it long-term.
Professor Meehan emphasized that while customer centricity is a key driver of superior business performance, many companies fail to maintain it as they expand, and internal processes become more prioritized. He shared insights from his background in family-run businesses, where customer focus is paramount, and contrasted these experiences with the practices of larger, often more bureaucratic organizations.
Drawing on real-world examples and his own academic research, Meehan discussed how companies often lose touch with their customers as they grow, becoming more internally focused and regulated, which can detract from customer engagement. He also highlighted the importance of understanding how operational shifts can influence a company's ability to stay customer focused.
The seminar not only addressed the "what" and "why" of customer centricity but also ventured into the "how," with Prof. Meehan providing actionable advice on fostering a customer-centric culture within organizations, regardless of their size. He argued that a genuine commitment to customer centricity could lead to sustained profitability and growth, a stance supported by various business case studies and theoretical models presented during the discussion.
This engaging session at MIB Trieste School of Management has sparked a renewed interest in customer-centric strategies and their implementation in modern business operations, suggesting a move towards more dynamic and responsive business models that prioritize customer satisfaction alongside operational efficiency.
The lecture sparked a thought-provoking discussion on the challenges and importance of customer centricity in business today. The event explored the paradox of ‘Customer Centricity’ — simple in concept but difficult in practice, with few companies successfully implementing it long-term.
Professor Meehan emphasized that while customer centricity is a key driver of superior business performance, many companies fail to maintain it as they expand, and internal processes become more prioritized. He shared insights from his background in family-run businesses, where customer focus is paramount, and contrasted these experiences with the practices of larger, often more bureaucratic organizations.
Drawing on real-world examples and his own academic research, Meehan discussed how companies often lose touch with their customers as they grow, becoming more internally focused and regulated, which can detract from customer engagement. He also highlighted the importance of understanding how operational shifts can influence a company's ability to stay customer focused.
The seminar not only addressed the "what" and "why" of customer centricity but also ventured into the "how," with Prof. Meehan providing actionable advice on fostering a customer-centric culture within organizations, regardless of their size. He argued that a genuine commitment to customer centricity could lead to sustained profitability and growth, a stance supported by various business case studies and theoretical models presented during the discussion.
This engaging session at MIB Trieste School of Management has sparked a renewed interest in customer-centric strategies and their implementation in modern business operations, suggesting a move towards more dynamic and responsive business models that prioritize customer satisfaction alongside operational efficiency.
