Giant Steps in Management: Innovations That Change the Way We Work

Chapter 5. Customer and partner interfaces

What is the best way to structure relations with customers and other partners? How should activities be distributed across the value chain? The purpose of innovations in customer and partner interfaces is to create the most value in these external relationships.

Introduction

This chapter examines management innovations in two related areas. First, we look at the various approaches firms have used for understanding, organizing around and serving their customers – in other words, the issues that are the primary, traditional concern of marketers and salespeople. Second, we look more broadly at the boundaries ...