Designing the Customer-Centric Organization: A Guide to Strategy, Structure, and Process

by Jay R. Galbraith

Designing the Customer-Centric Organization offers todayâ??s business leaders a comprehensive customer-centric organizational model that clearly shows how to put in place an infrastructure that is organized around the demands of the customer. Written by Jay Galbraith (the foremost expert in the field of organizational design), this important book includes a tool that will help determine how customer-centric an organization is- light-level, medium-level, complete-level, or high-level- and it shows how to ascertain the appropriate level for a particular institution. Once the groundwork has been established, the author offers guidance for the process of implementing a customer-centric system throughout an organization. Designing the Customer-Centric Organization includes vital information about structure, management processes, reward and management systems, and people practices.

Genres: Business, Leadership

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Raman Chopra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book, i wouldn't say an eye-opener as many of the ideas shared in this book have made it to mainstream business today and hence, i was familiar with some. I believe most people who have been working in multi-nationals would concur. Considering that the book was originally published in 2005, i would say the content would have taken many by surprise and would have immensely helped people transform their strategies to the right direction.

The book is based on an assumption (which was right-on in the day) that most organisations are product centric while claiming to be customer centric. This is a complex issue, as most organisations develop products based on customer requirements and test them to fulfil those requirements, and hence state that the product is based on what the customer needs and we cater to those needs, ergo, we are customer centric. The author has made a case on the underlying "principle" that customer do not seek products anymore but have moved on to seek 'solutions' (many products working in harmony, easing the work for the customer). Like, instead of selling printers, sell a bundled package of a printer, toner, paper and servicing for a year; this is a "complete solution", as it provides everything which i customer would look for.

Whilst this has become mainstream today, it was indeed a new principle back in the day when this book was authored. The companies that time focused only on making better, cheaper and faster printers. So this was indeed an eye-opener.

The author has provided many case studies to support his stance, of major companies, and how they have transformed the way they do business and hence, grown larger, manifold than their competitors in a short span of time.

There are some great points and advice in this book, while much may not be directly applicable (if you just pick up the words) to your domain or may have already been implemented in your firm, i for one would say that you would definitely gain insight and understanding into becoming truly customer centric.

Even though most companies pride themselves today in being customer oriented and focused, you will find areas, which have degraded or digressed from their original intentions due to corporate bureaucracy or simply because of misinterpretation of the actual goals. This is where this book helps, it gives you a glimpse of what it means to become a true customer centric company, and how in the onset, that may seem to take you away from your expertise, your clientele, and most importantly, the main source of revenue for your firm. How it may require you to make changes, changes which may even shake the core and architecture of your firm, but how they are necessary to keep in pace with the world. In today's world, competition moves at break-neck speeds, if you do not correct your course as-and-when-needed, however frequently that is, you would be replaced by someone who is willing to take the chances and willing to fulfil the intermediate needs.

A good read, re-iterated a lot of what i knew, clarified a lot of points discussed in 'corporate agendas and strategic planning meetings', while bringing abstract ideas into proper words making the whole idea much clearer. I would definitely recommend it.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Galbraith Star Model is about the most important part of this book. It is not an easy read, unless you have a passion for reading stereo instructions. Talks about being customer centric vs product centric..could be interesting if this is of interest to you.

I read this for a class I had.

[Kim Williams-Czopek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of how to define and develop a services company and how to think about growth strategies and differentiation. All services companies should read this. And I mean all.