Listening to the Customer: How can we create more value for you?

We’ve just started an exciting new project in the last couple of weeks and have had some great workshops with the client’s exec & project teams. This client has an ambitious target of multiplying their revenues several-fold over the next few years.

The systems transformation we’re planning will be a fundamental building block to help with achieving those goals. So much so that it’s probably impossible to achieve the lofty goals without a systems overhaul.

The interesting part about this situation is the mindset shift that’s required. You rarely achieve a 5x or more revenue uplift by incremental changes like ARPU increases or the oft-used up-sell and cross-sell techniques or small market share gains. They all certainly help. However, this level of growth needs entirely new revenue models, efficiency gains, new product lines and potentially even new business models.

The new systems will therefore need to adapt to this re-framing. They need to cope with whatever transpires over the next 5-10 years when the new core systems will still be in operation. This requires:

1. Speed – Can it identify insights quickly? Can it deliver services better and faster than before?
2. Friction reduction – Can it reduce friction across all dimensions of the customer experience to ensure amazing word-of-mouth?
3. Flexibility – Can it adapt to any products / networks? Can it cope with entirely new pricing models? Can it accommodate interesting partner models or bundling? Can it work seamlessly across current and future channels?
4. Scale – Can it support dynamic, possibly near-limitless growth, because we know 5x+ will require scaling across multiple dimensions!
5. Machine Assistance – Can it leverage algorithms to facilitate scaling, efficiency, delivery speed, etc? Can it facilitate opportunity identification in a world of ever-shortening arbitrage possibilities?

In short, these aspirations require a next-level of value-add for customers, a value gain that can’t help but generate a gravitational pull that inspires new customers to sign on.

And that very thinking is what today’s article is about.

It triggered me to consider, what must Passionate About OSS (PAOSS) do to add far greater value for our clients? Not just past and current customers, but how do we create so much value that others are drawn to us to help them achieve their aspirational targets too? How do we help them get more clients, overcome challenges, generate new revenue streams, stand out in this highly competitive landscape, find investors, help stimulate mutually beneficial partnerships and much more?

As much as I might try to internalise these questions, the real answers will come by listening to customers.

So…. the floor is all yours!

• What are your biggest challenges?
• What are your biggest targets?
• What’s holding you back from those growth and other goals?
• What would add immense value to you if a company like PAOSS could provide something that isn’t currently available / achievable?
• Are there any innovative technologies or methodologies you wish existed in the market that could solve your problems more effectively?
• Do you face any limitations in terms of resources and talent (skill-sets, time, budget, personnel) that hinder your growth or problem-solving capabilities?
• Are there any aspects of your business that you struggle to scale? What specific support could help you achieve scalability?
• What kind of partnerships or collaborations would be most beneficial to your business? Are there any barriers to forming these partnerships?
• Are you looking to enter new products, markets or regions? What support do you need to successfully expand your footprint?
• Even better – what are the challenges facing the industry at large?

Some people reading this will be past and/or present customers, some will be “long-time readers, first time callers” and others will be entirely new to this blog roll that talks about the OSS/BSS and telco industries.

Whichever category you fall into, your feedback is invaluable to us! We are committed to better understanding your needs and the needs of the industry. We’ll continue to report on those needs here and attempt to provide solutions that truly make a difference.

How can we help create greater value for you?

You can either provide direct feedback via the contact form below. Or if you wish to provide feedback for community commentary and collaboration, please provide your thoughts in the comments section below.

And don’t forget to ask all these lines of questioning to your customers too!!