Customer outcomes: Cornerstone of exponential growth

Helping B2B technology companies evolve toward a customer outcome-centric strategy

Increased adoption of cloud-based technologies has changed expectations for the B2B customer experience. Customers are shifting from evaluating technology providers solely on the basis of product features to more nuanced criteria of how the provider’s product can enable them to maximize business outcomes. As cloud technologies and as-a-service models lower barriers to switching providers, technology producers must focus on how their products and services can help customers realize their business goals. This will enable technology providers to expand their customer relationships and convert customers into brand advocates.

Visualizing an integrated customer-outcomes acceleration system

Our market experience, research, and data show how leading organizations are increasing their focus on customer outcomes. The framework shown here illustrates an integrated system that closes the vision/execution gap and identifies the elements needed to craft and operationalize a customer-outcomes strategy that integrates key functions across the organization. The system can be visualized as a “customer-outcomes galaxy,” with customer outcomes being the center around which everything else revolves.
 

To achieve a customer outcome orientation, a provider should deliberately construct an organizational system that addresses the following questions:

1. Value: What are the customer's desired outcomes?
2. Customer journey: How will the customer's journey be proactively orchestrated toward outomes, at each step?
3. Collaboration and experience: How will internal and external stakeholders come together to translate customer insights into action and deliver outcomes?
4. Enablement: What foundational systems, process, talent and operational models must be put into place to enable an outcome-based approach?
5. Company impact: What are the dimensions of value that the provider—in return— can capture for themselves?

Ready to explore what the shift to customer outcomes means for your organization? Download the full report or fill out the form below to connect with one of our experts for a 10-minute chat.