Customer Focused Organization

1. Background

IIn a grradualllly evollviing,, sophiisttiicatted busiiness enviirronmentt,, orrganiizattiion lleaderrs arre

rrequiirred tto perrffectt ttheiirr acttiiviittiies and become ffocused on ttheiirr exiisttiing and pottenttiiall

custtomerrs.. The assumpttiion iis tthatt tthe morre we know aboutt ourr custtomerrs'' needs and

desiirres,, tthe betttterr we can adaptt ourr prroductts,, serrviices and iintterracttiions tto ttheiirr

sattiisffacttiion.. Therrefforre,, tthe managerriiall objjecttiives iin generrall,, and tthe marrkettiing

diirrecttiions iin parrttiicullarr,, arre shiiffttiing ffrrom tthe prroductt tto tthe custtomerr.. Butt does tthe

orrganiizattiionall sttrructturre supporrtt such a shiifftt – ffocusiing allll tthe company''s efffforrtts on tthe

custtomerr?

Many orrganiizattiions arre underrgoiing iintterrnall sttrructturrall changes,, shiiffttiing ffrrom a prroductt--

ffocused sttrructturre tto a morre custtomerr--ffocused one.. Offtten,, iitt iis tthe marrkettiing diiviisiion

tthatt iis tthe ffasttestt tto rreorrganiize wiitthiin tthe new sttrructturre,, ffollllowed by grraduall

rredeplloymentt off ottherr diiviisiions who supporrtt tthe marrkettiing acttiiviitty.. Somettiimes,,

howeverr,, iitt iis tthe serrviice deparrttmentts who llead tthe sttrructturrall ttrransfforrmattiion..

Thiis arrttiiclle rreviiews tthe orrganiizattiionall changes ffrrom tthe busiiness needs perrspecttiive,,

and wiillll dettaiill tthe iissues tto be consiiderred when consiiderriing an alltterrnattiive orrganiizattiionall

sttrructturre..

2. Typical Organizational Structures

A cllassiicall and ttypiicall orrganiizattiionall sttrructturre iis a prroductt--ffocused one,, iin whiich each

grroup off prroductts iis handlled as an iindiiviiduall uniitt iin tthe company,, operrattiing orr beiing

operratted by tthe salles diiviisiions,, as iillllusttrratted iin tthe charrtt bellow..

A Custtomerr--Focused Orrganiizattiionall Sttrructturre

By: Miichall...