| As any company or person working in the Middle East | | | | already here. |
| /Africa region will tell you, customer service can be | | | | More often than not, organisations already have the |
| extremely frustrating, or at times even none existent. | | | | necessary information on their customers, but do not |
| However as the region is experiencing an explosion in | | | | have the appropriate systems and processes in place |
| growth and Direct Foreign Investment DFI, the | | | | to utilise the available data. |
| government as well as companies are realizing more | | | | Business intelligence tools cover data quality, data |
| and more the importance of improving its customer | | | | analysis and information access. Deployed correctly, |
| relationship standards. | | | | business intelligence enables companies to gain timely |
| Market factors such as liberalization and increased | | | | and accurate insight into internal business operations, |
| competition, coupled with growing populations around | | | | as well as customers and suppliers. Ultimately, this |
| the region, mean that services and the concept of | | | | should lead to greater business profitability and return |
| customer service are coming under increased scrutiny. | | | | on investment (ROI). |
| In its deliberation around services, the Middle East can | | | | Worryingly, half the companies questioned still defined |
| look to European market analysis for some compelling | | | | their culture as product-led, despite professing the |
| trends. | | | | significance of their service business. |
| The independent survey by Association for Service | | | | Researchers found that only 30 percent of the |
| Management International (AFSMI), a not-for-profit, | | | | companies analysed are customer-centric and even |
| educational association for professionals in the | | | | fewer, 18 percent, are service-led. Yet according to |
| technology driven services industry, represents the first | | | | AFSMI, service now presents the primary opportunity |
| in-depth study of the European technical and | | | | for many businesses to develop and maintain closer |
| technology services industry or S-Business. | | | | relationships with their customers. |
| The term 'S-Business' refers to organisations that are | | | | It is clear that a customer-led approach is more of an |
| services-focused, services measured, and indeed | | | | aspirational desire than a business reality. The lack of a |
| services-driven, regardless of whether they also | | | | true customer-led approach to business may be due in |
| manufacture and sell products. | | | | part to the fact that service executives seem to have |
| The survey is based on detailed interviews with | | | | a poorer understanding of the value of CRM than their |
| influential service executives across Europe, of which | | | | colleagues in sales. |
| 70 percent either have decision authority over total | | | | The study found that only 24 percent of service |
| service business strategy or provide significant input to | | | | organizations view CRM as a significant driver of |
| strategic issues and decisions. Four areas critical to | | | | business development, whereas sales executives are |
| service success were investigated: strategy, financial, | | | | the main driver (50 percent) of CRM activities. As a |
| customer-centricity and efficiency/effectiveness. | | | | result, we find that CRM projects are often not |
| The research found that more than 70 percent of | | | | implemented across the entire business. |
| European companies surveyed are unable to | | | | According to AFSMI's research, while companies |
| determine customer revenue and profitability in | | | | increasingly recognise the importance of the service |
| real-time. As a result, there is little appreciation within | | | | department and its relationship with the customer, |
| these companies of the value each customer | | | | many businesses lack a true service culture and their |
| represents to their business and therefore how | | | | staff do not have the necessary management skills. |
| service and commercial responses should best be | | | | Top management struggles to recognise and |
| directed. | | | | understand the full value of service and how to |
| Most companies still respond to the customer that | | | | transform strategic policy into operational reality.The |
| shouts loudest, regardless of their value. The inability to | | | | evidence shows that when implemented correctly, |
| identify the truly valuable customer can be seriously | | | | CRM can be hugely beneficial. |
| detrimental to any business. Businesses could be losing | | | | A number of organizations in the Middle East, from |
| some quiet but highly profitable customers who are | | | | banks to telecoms service providers to automotive |
| walking away in silence and disgust. | | | | service centers are either considering or have |
| In order to rectify this problem, companies need to | | | | implemented CRM strategies, which reflects the new |
| achieve real-time business intelligence through better | | | | regional focus on service. |
| integration. However, AFSMI researchers found that | | | | The survey found that customer-centricity in many |
| two thirds of companies are struggling with this | | | | leading organisations came when service-centricity |
| 'because most company systems were not designed | | | | was supported by enterprisewide CRM systems and |
| for integration and certainly were rarely designed to | | | | processes. |
| accommodate the information-intense nature of a | | | | As this research demonstrates, with the right |
| service business system'. | | | | information at its disposal, the Middle East's emerging |
| Almost half the companies surveyed (45 per cent) still | | | | service industry can treat its customers in a more |
| consider the utilisation of information about customer or | | | | thoughtful, less haphazard way. In doing so, it can |
| product performance as poor, suggesting inadequacy | | | | maintain its customer relationships, keep them loyal to |
| of systems or processes or both. Yet the information | | | | the brand and see a healthy rise in revenue. |
| architecture to provide that business intelligence is | | | | |