售后服务流程，一个新的主战场

Post-SalesSupportProcesses:TheNextCompetitiveBattlefieldHAMMERANDCOMPANYMarch2001©HammerandCompany2001AllRightsReservedtableofcontentsExecutiveSummary1Introduction:TheSearchforCompetitiveAdvantage2Thetraditionalbasesofcompetitiveadvantagenolongersuffice;thesearchisonfornewopportunitiesfordifferentiation.Post-SalesSupport3Post-salessupportprocessesareanemergingkeytostrategicadvantage.TheCrisisinPost-SalesSupport4Post-salessupportprocessesareinverybadconditioninmostorganizations.OpportunitiesforTransformation6Theadventofnewtechnologyisenablingthereengineeringofpost-salessupportprocesses,leadingtodramaticimprovementintheirperformance.partsinventorymanagement8fieldcrewscheduling9complexsystemmaintenance10inter-organizationcoordination11follow-onsales12KeyThemes13Thekeystoreengineeringthesupportchainaredynamicresourcemanagement,fact-basedplanningandmanagement,end-to-endvisibility,andcollaboration.TechnologicalDesiderata14Technologyistheenablerofnewpost-salessupportprocesses,anditmustbeselectedwithlong-termconsiderationsinmind.TurningOpportunityIntoAction15Therearespecifictechniquesthatacompanycanemploytoharnessthepotentialofitspost-salessupportprocesses.Summary17Thetimeforactionisnow.ExecutiveSummaryIntoday’shighlycompetitiveenvironment,acompanythattransformsitspost-salessupportprocesseshastheopportunitytodifferentiateitselffromitscompetitorsandestablishaleadershippositioninitsindustry.Post-salessupportprocessesperformtheactivitiesthattakeplacefollowingthesale,delivery,andinstallationofaproductorservice.Thepurposeoftheseactivitiesistosup-portthecustomerintheuseoftheproductorserviceandtherebyensurecontinuingcustomersatisfaction.Typicalprocessesinthisarenaincludeinquiryresolution,partsinventorymanagement,fieldcrewscheduling,equipmentmaintenance,andfollow-onsales.Theseprocessesareextraordinarilycriticalinthattheyhaveanenormousimpactoncustomersatisfactionandtherebyoncustomerretention,andalsoinfluencefollow-on,highmarginrevenueopportunities.Sincetheseprocesseshavebeenlargelyneglectedinmostorganizationsandconsequentlyperformquitepoorly,transformingthemrepresentsamajoropportunityforcompetitiveadvantage.Newtechnologyisnowenablingthetransformationoftheseprocesses.Companiesinindustriesrangingfromaircraftenginesandelectronicstoelectricpowerandautoinsur-ancehavealreadyharnessedthepotentialofnewtechnologiestoachievedramaticimprovementsintheperformanceoftheirpost-salessupportprocesses.Whileeachofthesesituationsisdifferent,certainthemesrecurinvirtuallyallofthem:dynamicresourcemanagement,fact-basedplanningandmanagement,end-to-endvisibilityofprocessandinformation,andcollaborationacrosscorporateboundaries.Turningtheseconceptsintorealityrequiresmorethantechnology,however;italsodemandsanimple-mentationstylethatgetsmovingquicklyandbuildscredibilitythroughearlysuccesses.Thosecompaniesthatmovefirstandmoveaggressivelyinreengineeringtheirpost-salessupportprocesseshavetheopportunitytoopenupamajorgapbetweenthemselvesandothersintheirindustries.Thetimeforactionisnow.1Introduction:TheSearchforCompetitiveAdvantageThetraditionalbasesofcompetitiveadvantagenolongersuffice;thesearchisonfornewopportunitiesfordifferentiation.Inthecontemporarybusinessenvironment,ithasbecomeextraordinarilydifficultforcompaniestofindabasisforcompetitiveadvantage.Levelsofqualityandserviceonceconsideredexceptionalarenowtakenforgranted,whilerock-bottompricesaremerelytheticketofadmissiontothecompetitivearena.Norcanleadingedgeproductsguaran-teeacompanylong-termadvantage.Asproductlifecyclescontinuetoshorten,productsturnintocommoditiespracticallyovernight;atthesametime,eachdaycustomersdemandmorethantheydidthedaybefore.Asaresult,manycompanieshavetriedtodifferentiatethemselvesbyrigorouslypursu-ingoperationalimprovementsinsuchareasasorderfulfillment,newproductdevelop-ment,andprocurement.Whilesuchprocessimprovementscanyieldenormousperformancegains,theyhavenotturnedintothestrategicdifferentiatorscompanieshadhoped.Thereasonisthattheseinnovationsarenolongerdistinctive;theyhavebecomecommonplace.Operationalimprovementsintraditionalareasarenowcompetitivenecessitiesratherthanbasesofcompetitiveadvantage.Consequently,competitiveadvantagemustbesoughtinpartsofthevaluechainthatthusfarhavebeeneitherover-lookedorunderaddressed.Post-salessupportisoneareathatoffersbusinessestheprospectofsignificantcom-petitiveadvantage.Longignoredbymostcompanies,post-salessupportactivitieshavetraditionallybeenfragmented,poorlylinkedtootherpartsoftheenterprise,andgivenlittlemanagementattention,otherthaninthecontextofeffortstoreducecosts.Yetbyreengineeringpost-salessupportprocesses,companiescansignificantlyimprovetheircustomerretention,operationalperformance,andcompetitivedifferentiation.2Post-SalesSupportPost-salessupportprocessesareanemergingkeytostrategicadvantage.Post-salessupportcoversalltheactivitiesthattakeplacefollowingthesale,delivery,andinstallationofaproductorservice.Thepurposeoftheseactivitiesistosupportthecustomerintheuseoftheproductorserviceandtherebyensurecontinuingcustomersatisfaction.Someofthemaj