The Customer-Centered Enterprise: How IBM and Other World-Class Companies Achieve Extraordinary Results by Putting Customers First [Hardcover]

Harvey Thompson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 10, 1999

IBM's battle plan for attracting new customers--and keeping them for life. IBM--history's most remarkable organization--stays on top by constantly honing and refining its marketing strategies. One vital strategy, however, remains constant: The customer must always come first. The Customer-Centered Enterprise is the only in-depth exploration of IBM's battle-tested Customer Value Management (CVM)--the revolutionary program that makes the customer's viewpoint paramount in every corporate process and management decision.

In today's environment of similar or identical products, CVM's battle-tested techniques will help any company differentiate itself, retain its customers, and grow. Actual examples and case studies show how IBM and other companies have used CVM to align their organization capabilities with customer expectations--experiencing unqualified marketing success.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Harvey Thompson (North Tarrytown, NY) is the Principal of Worldwide Customer Value Management for IBM. He has spear-headed the development and deployment of management techniques applied in IBM and leading corporations across the globe.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (December 10, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071352104
• ISBN-13: 978-0071352109
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,624,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for those who want sustained market advantage, March 6, 2000

By 

Tom Stachura (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Customer-Centered Enterprise: How IBM and Other World-Class Companies Achieve Extraordinary Results by Putting Customers First (Hardcover)

Mr. Thompson has developed a framwork that is a formula for success in the new century. His principles call for developing a clear understanding of your high-value customers and then aligning all processes and infrastructures in order to deliver value at each interaction. Not only does he define what to do, but each chapter concludes with a management discussion on how to operationalize the principles.

As a Management Consultant, I provided a copy of this book to an Executive Vice President of a top 5 US financial institution. She was so impressed with the book that she ordered copies for each member of her senior leadership team. Better still, this team is committed to using this roadmap to differentiate the company in the marketplace.

The book is well-organized, full of real-world examples and actionable. It has immediate application in any area that is charged with driving significant organizational results - marketing, finance, information technology, etc.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read!, May 29, 2001

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Customer-Centered Enterprise: How IBM and Other World-Class Companies Achieve Extraordinary Results by Putting Customers First (Hardcover)

The person with the cash in hand is the real boss, according to Harvey Thompson, proponent of Customer Value Management (CVM). You can make your company more customer-driven using CVM, which he developed at IBM and then implemented at other U.S. and international companies. Thompson identifies the customer's vision of ideal value, and tells businesses to use that as their guiding star. If you can integrate the best customer value in every system, your company can retain customers, sell more and increase profits. This is not a new theme, but Thompson takes it a little deeper than most as he discusses ways to strategically incorporate CVM, from top management to the front desk. If we were telling him about his reading customers, we'd ask him to shake some dust off the dense, academic language, but otherwise we... recommend to most business leaders this solid book about strategic customer management.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Holisitc approach!!, October 15, 2000

By 

Alejandro A. Poleri (Buenos Aires Argentina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Customer-Centered Enterprise: How IBM and Other World-Class Companies Achieve Extraordinary Results by Putting Customers First (Hardcover)

Mr. Thompson really shows us the whole meaning of Customer Value, teaching about the linkages between customer targeting, process, organization and technology. The way he drives us in the real world while he focus on what is important (high ROI) and what is less important, is a very valuable driver to the correct use of the scarce resources (human, assets and dollars) to sustain and growth the business dramatically. This metholodogy, applied with success in IBM and in many other companies around the world, demostrates that is not a mere theory but a real life experience. Strongly recommended to be used as an educational material and as a base in a your methodological project approach. World class reading.