Integrated customer management (or its acronym, ICM ) is a business strategy for improving support by sharing information between discrete departments. ICM has three business principles: alignment, agility, and customer-centricity . The phrase “integrated customer management” was coined by Amdocs in 2004. In the communications industry, the phrase appears to be more common. For example, when reporting on the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona in February 14, 2005, the Financial Times printed the headline: “Vendors unveil systems for the real world; Integrated customer management and boosting revenues are the main issues for operators. ” [1]
Motivation for integration
Communications, media and entertainment industries (eg, wireline, wireless, broadband cable, and satellite service providers). The customer experience is emerging as the primary service providers can stand apart from competitors. The goal of integrated customer management is to align people, processes and technology to enable service providers to deliver the customer experience, rather than having an unplanned result.
Principles
Alignment
All people, processes and systems must be aligned to meet both business goals and customers. For example, bundling products is a good example of an initiative that deals with lines of business and / or departments. The product development, marketing and sales departments, and wireless services must work in conjunction with the company. Beyond this, customer service, accounting and other functions must make possible these. Alignment allows customers to perceive and interact with their service providers as one company, not as disparate lines of business.
Agility
In industries where the pace of change has greatly accelerated, service providers must be able to quickly and easily react to changing market conditions and customer demands. Nimble niche players (eg, a former utility, wireline service company versus VoIP provider; a traditional financial institution versus a credit card company). Agile organizations can change direction when it makes sense for them to be so-and-so when they are asked to do so, or by inflexible business processes or IT infrastructure.
Customer-centricity
In the past, ostensibly due to the original utility status of many communication service providers, the customer experience was not a primary concern. Providers sought only to make their products available, not necessarily easy to access or use. Therefore, the customer experience has been primarily driven by the product of an efficient and effective service. Today, consumers have more patience and patience with a slow, frustrating or otherwise unfulfilling customer experience. Whether they are interacting with a customer service representative, responding to an advertised offer, or simply ask for a quote. Therefore, service providers must put the customer at the center of their business. Customer-centricity means making the business easier for customers to do business with. It also involves understanding customers’ needs and desires and mapping processes and resources to meet them.
References
- Jump up^ FT.com / Home UK / UK – Vendors unveil systems for the real world