6 Ways to Transform Process and the Customer Experience (at the Same Time)

Steve Towers Keynotes

Where do I start?

I was keynoting a conference in Europe recently, and senior executives in the room were getting the rationale behind moving Outside-In. However, there seemed to be two perplexed groups in the place.

One was what a refer to as the ‘traditional process guys’, and the other ‘the customer is first people’, and interestingly they both asked the same question “Where do we start?”

My honest and most direct answer is “You do not have a choice. You have got to start where you are and go from there!” OK, I get what you’re thinking, how could they take that away and begin to transform their organizations?

So, I walked them through TWO distinctly different ways to navigate to Outside-In working and practice, depending on your mindset, enterprise history and maturity. For the two categories of customer in the room, the NEEDS are the same, just the way they navigate to achieving them is different.

What are the Results?

From a results perspective, both approaches focus on winning the triple crown, that is Improving Service, Growing Revenues and Reducing Complexity (and hence lowering costs).

ApproachProcess EngineeringCustomer First
FocusProcess is the starting pointStarts with Customer Needs
ScopeReengineering the ProcessesAligning everything to Customer Needs
IntentionBuild out from Process to Department to Division to EnterpriseArticulate Successful Customer Outcomes and Remove the complexity of things that do not contribute to it
BenefitsLocal wins building to business-wide transformationImmediate delivery against Triple Crown benefits
Executive Buy-inSlow burn, however when they see the benefits and ‘get it’ the support is significantStarts at the strategic level so influences everything the organization does
RecommendationIf your remit is just ‘improving processes’ this approach will get you their steadily, however, the challenges facing traditional business are seismic so is there time? So, make immediate gains but push hard for more quickly.By demonstrating the value of ‘customer first’ in terms of the triple crown the enterprise can align quickly and effectively. Importantly avoid the ‘soft and fluffy’ sentiments expressed by many in the customer experience world.

How can I Implement?

Back in 2006 the BPG launched the CEMMethod™ and built out an approach, using the 50+ techniques based on global next practice from companies like Virgin, Zara, BMW, Zappos, Apple and Emirates. Since then more than 3,000 companies in 116 countries have become accredited and certified to transform their processes and organizations.

Now in version 11, the choice you make in deployment is based on your ambition and remit within the enterprise.
If you are a leader needing to embrace the digital customer ‘Customer First’ leaps out as the main option. Alternatively, if you are in a traditional process-based business (lean, six sigma, BPM etc.) the more conservative ‘process engineering’ approach may be preferred.

You can access the following resources that will help you make an informed choice:

CEMMethod™ – review its potency and pedigree:
www.cemmethod.com

Outside-In The Secret of 21st century companies (free access): http://bit.ly/StevesOIBook

The Accredited Customer Experience Program 2018-19: https://www.bpgroup.org/acxp1819.html

The Certified Process Professional Program: https://www.bpgroup.org/certifiedprocessprofessional.html

I look forward to guiding you to transformation when you are ready!

Eleven – One of the funniest Moment of Truth Videos ever

Frequently asked for and always very funny is this short comedy sketch of a couple of guys trapped in an elevator/lift certainly not designed with Successful Customer Outcomes in mind. You will never experience elevators in the same way again 😉


Join us to learn the Secrets of Apples, Googles, Zara, Zappos and Amazons success

Certified Process Professional Masters & Champions (CPP-Master) Program

An internationally recognized program with proven track record delivered by been there and done it coaches more than 150 times, in 57 cities with delegates from 108 countries.
The program, now in its tenth year, utilizes the BP Groups approaches and framework to help you and your organization win the triple crown – simultaneously reduce costs, grow revenues and enhance service.
Producing Immediate and sustainable business results across any industry and sector.

Become a qualified CPP-Master and demonstrate your professionalism http://www.bpgroup.org/book-class.html

Moments of Truth – the truth, and nothing but the truth

Richard Normanns idea from the 1970’s is alive and kicking 🙂



Certified Process Professional Masters (CPP-Master) Program
Orlando USA March 16-20, Denver USA March 23-27, Dubai UAE Apr 12-16
An internationally recognized program with proven track record delivered by been there and done it coaches more than 130 times, in 52 cities with delegates from 105 countries.
The program, now in its tenth year, utilizes the BP Groups approaches and framework to help you and your organization win the triple crown – simultaneously reduce costs, grow revenues and enhance service.
Producing Immediate and sustainable business results across any industry and sector.

Become a qualified CPP-Master and demonstrate your professionalism http://www.bpgroup.org/book-class.html

Start trusting people (it works)

Rather than trying to prevent all errors, we should assume, as is almost always the case, that our people’s intentions are good and that they want to solve problems.

From Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

Certified Process Professional Masters (CPP-Master) Program
(Warwick UK Sep 15-19, Edmonton Canada Sep 22-26, Las Vegas US Sep 29, Sydney Australia Oct 27-31, Brisbane Australia Nov 3-7, Dubai UAE Dec 7-11, Orlando US Jan 22-23, Denver US Jan 26-30, London UK Mar 2-6)
www.bpgroup.org/certification-by-city.html

An internationally recognised program with proven track record delivered by been there and done it coaches more than 130 times, in 52 cities with delegates from 105 countries.
The program, now in its tenth year, utilizes the BP Groups approaches and framework to help you and your organization win the triple crown – simultaneously reduce costs, grow revenues and enhance service. Producing Immediate and sustainable business results across any industry and sector.

Become a qualified CPP-Master and demonstrate your professionalism.
www.bpgroup.org/certification-by-city.html

Moment of Truth at Starbucks

Starbucks actively manage every single moment of truth to ensure the experience they create is optimal and aligned with the successful customer outcome.

It isn’t some corporate slogan about the customer at the heart, it is literally  


When we are fully engaged, we connect with, laugh with, and uplift the lives of our customers – even if just for a few moments.” 
http://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information/mission-statement

Certified Process Professional Masters (CPP-Master) Program
(Warwick UK Sep 15-19, Edmonton Canada Sep 22-26, Las Vegas US Sep 29, Sydney Australia Oct 27-31, Brisbane Australia Nov 3-7, Dubai UAE Dec 7-11, Orlando US Jan 22-23, Denver US Jan 26-30, London UK Mar 2-6)
www.bpgroup.org/certification-by-city.html

An internationally recognised program with proven track record delivered by been there and done it coaches more than 130 times, in 52 cities with delegates from 105 countries.
The program, now in its tenth year, utilizes the BP Groups approaches and framework to help you and your organization win the triple crown – simultaneously reduce costs, grow revenues and enhance service. Producing Immediate and sustainable business results across any industry and sector.

Become a qualified CPP-Master and demonstrate your professionalism.
www.bpgroup.org/certification-by-city.html

The power of Thankyou – 8 million times over

Do you trust your bank or would rather use a mattress for your hard earned dosh? Here’s one financial company going the extra mile to say thank you to some of their well deserved customers. How to turn a Moment of Truth into the Moment of Magic! #TDThanksYou

It looks like this is a trend in Canada – remember the Westjet Christmas giveaway? That is topping 36 million hits now. The TD Trust video has chalked up 8 million views in a little over a week.
Wow. Go enjoy people being thanked – it is a cutie.

6 Tips for Understanding Customer Needs, even when they don’t know themselves (includes video 4 mins)

Get your hands on SCO’s. What are they? How can they help?

Upcoming events with 42 techniques in Customer Experience Management Method
http://www.bpgroup.org/certification-by-city.html

Orlando – London – Denver – Bangalore – Dubai – Brisbane – Sydney – Singapore – Dubai – Amsterdam – Cape Town – in 2014-15


Join with me @stowers

Scrap the IVR. Talk to customers.

Aside from the product placement this is about removing those pesky IVR’s forever.
Great illustrative video of a lousy (and frequent) poor customer experience.

The Road to Hell is Paved with good intentions

We start with what is now a classic denial strategy and will progress over the coming weeks to review misconceptions that seek to stop you on yourjourney to Successful Customer Outcomes.

‘The company has to get its own processes right first’.

In the context of Outside-In this is clearly a major mistake. As the
Southwest Airlines and Apple examples demonstrate you fix the internal processes by understanding and acting on “the Customer Experience is the process”. In doing so everything changes internally to better align to successful customer outcomes. That reduces complexity, removes costs, improves service and grows revenue.

Now if you brief is ‘in the box’ and does not yet extend to the Customer Experience the approach should be around optimization through understanding the causes of work ­ moments of truth, breakpoints and business rules. Even though this is at best sub optimization (recall the US banks Customer query process) it will take you to a much better place with significant performance improvements as you highlight and eradicate the ‘dumb stuff’.

Often times this has to be the starting point as, by definition, the way inside-out works is by the sub division of labor. You can only see theimmediate walls around you and looking beyond maybe beyond your brief. Do not lose heart. Go with Optimization (and if necessary stealth) as you
introduce through existing projects the concepts of moments of truth, breakpoints and business rules. You will catch the eye of those responsible for the numbers as the changes you introduce go way beyond the traditional expectations.

From the desk of James Dodkins.

You get what you measure – how do you know you are not just doing busy work?

Measure dumb stuff and don’t be surprised when you get poor results.
Too many people focus their attention on measuring and fixing what already happens. Often times what happens doesn’t need to and you should stop doing it.
Make sure your measures contribute to the achievement of a Successful Customer Outcome.
Watch – Successful Customer Outcomes (SCO) http://bit.ly/1flfSmm