http://ceistar.ehclients.com/index.php/site/index/ en debra@drwdesign.com Copyright 2010 2010-06-24T20:25:32+00:00 http://ceistar.com/site/clients/ http://ceistar.com/site/clients/#When:20:25:32Z Partial List of Clients We have done major high-level projects for each of the following companies. Most have valued our work so highly that they asked us to take on additional projects. As a result, the average length of time we have served these customers is more than three years. 2010-06-24T20:25:32+00:00 http://ceistar.com/site/results/ http://ceistar.com/site/results/#When:00:13:06Z Several examples from different industries, each reflecting the essential role of the customer in breakthrough innovation: An international seed company saw its customer as the farmer who planted those seeds. But in looking at the value chain in which the company operated, we knew there were many customers downstream from the farmer (mills, storage, feed lots, manufacturers, dairies, retail outlets, etc.) who were beginning to work together in new ways. Those customers had a variety of needs that were often different from the farmers’ needs, and which had major implications for the company’s products. Based on that, the company has revised its concept of customer, and is actively working with downstream partners to guide it in creating seeds with different characteristics that meet their needs. These new products and relationships are positioning the company for a far more successful future. A software company had fallen victim to a common trap – that of having internal people design what they wanted to create, or what they thought the customer would want, without really knowing what was important to customers. Our discussions with current customers, past customers and potential customers revealed large gaps between internal perceptions and customer wants and needs. This resulted in a prioritized set of opportunities for new services and software features. A pharmaceutical company had designed web sites intended to meet the needs of one of its customer groups (doctors who are “Opinion Leaders”) – but these were not being used. We learned what was really important to these doctors, and created a complete rework of a pilot website and a model for all other company websites. We also identified three major opportunities for the industry: documenting the ROI for Opinion Leaders, reengineering the process by which they are identified and managed, and forming an industry coalition to speak with one voice on matters that are threatening market share and viability. A food retailer had targeted its store brand at purely price conscious shoppers who did not pay as much attention to quality. Knowledge we gained from customers identified the opportunity to move the store brand more upscale, with a guaranty to equal national brands at lower cost. This was more in line with the target market of the chain, and fit better with the customers who contributed most to the chain’s profit. Once changed, market share and profitability of store brand soared. Additional Examples from Our Work Experience US Grocery Industry. Consultant and facilitator to leadership team that planned and led collaborative joint industry effort – Efficient Consumer Response (ECR). Work included help with building alliance of leaders of 125 retailers, distributors and manufacturers; developing structure, assessment, strategy, detailed plan, monitoring, problem-solving. Results were many – cost savings from waste removed and re-engineered processes, set of industry best practices tested and documented, frequent partnering between new allies, etc. Kroger. Consulted on strategy and problem solving at corporate, division, merchandising, manufacturing and functional levels. Guided work on private label product determination (categories, quality levels, branding, etc.); facilitated sessions to determine store of the future; guided early partnering with manufacturers. Created program to foster innovation and build leadership throughout the company. Analyzed differences between best and worst stores, identified critical variables, and designed program to upgrade store productivity. DuPont. Co-designed a unique assessment / strategy formulation / project implementation methodology, and co-led its use with leadership of 13 strategic business units and functions. Focus was on the value chain and downstream customers. Included evaluation of current strategy, systems and processes, culture, assets, competition, etc. Workshops included evaluation of strategy by leadership team, and development of a new strategy. Opportunities were identified and prioritized, projects undertaken to capitalize on these. Also conducted analysis of IS outsourcing plan, identified critical deficits, and consulted on plan to correct these to reduce outflow of best minds. Consulted on formulation of U.S. region; consulted on evolution of key business unit from U.S. centric to a true global approach. Ford. Consulted on reengineering of design-build process, resulting in higher quality, shorter cycle time and smoother innovation. Guided creation of triage process for design-build, delineating and documenting the flow for all-new, major and minor vehicle builds. Consulted on design-build process of major new, highly successful car line. National HMO. Consulted on 24 month turn-around. Include development of new strategy and roll-out to organization. Guided in-sourcing of previously out-sourced core process, with no slip in customer service when switch thrown to re-activate. Guided work to determine major shift in physical facilities; implementation of new health care systems; new understanding of and focus on customers; and major improvements in most shared services. Created core group of 25 internal consultants to carry on the work. 2010-06-07T00:13:06+00:00 http://ceistar.com/site/touchpoints/ http://ceistar.com/site/touchpoints/#When:01:22:14Z Most work done in an organization to provide value to a customer happens in a core process. Improvements in how work is done typically come as a result of process improvement, problem solving, or both. A process consists of a series of phases and/or steps. Because the purpose of a process is to add value for the customer, it is the customer who defines the quality of the output. The (right) customer can often evaluate the output at various phases of a process. Take, for example, the core process that creates a car. Phases of the design/build core process include concept, design, engineering, manufacturing, piloting, launch and use. Customers at each phase can help inform direction. In the design phase, for example, customers can evaluate alternative drawings overall, as well as each component (such as a taillight). The same is true not only of any product, but any service as well. We call each of the places at which invaluable customer input is used a Touchpoint. Problem solving goes on constantly in an organization – as part of improving a process, in creating a work-around to an inefficient process, to solving some unanticipated problem that becomes important. Even creativity is a special form of problem solving. While few companies regularly bring in customers to help with problem solving, we have often found doing so to be a critical step towards a breakthrough solution. The more important the problem, the greater the benefit of getting customer input. Often just getting customer evaluation of the impact of the problem is enough to convince stakeholders the problem needs to be solved. Problem solving ideally consists of three phases – problem, solution and implementation. Each phase (and for big problems, within each phase) is an opportunity for customer input. Here are potential Touchpoints for a large problem. We’re not suggesting that customer input should be sought out for every problem – but that the bigger the problem the more likely customer input will be helpful at some Touchpoint. 2010-05-15T01:22:14+00:00 http://ceistar.com/site/services/ http://ceistar.com/site/services/#When:21:40:37Z We help organizations connect with, learn from and communicate with customers in powerful ways – for innovation, better quality, efficiency and speed. (We think of “customers” as any company downstream from yours that adds value or anyone downstream who uses your products / services.) Results you can achieve with a Customer-Centric approach Better quality. Since quality is determined by customers, knowing what customers want and what they perceive is critical to improving quality. Better knowledge. Customer wants and needs, customer perception of your products/services and concepts. Immediate response to questions, with opportunity for dialog. More efficient use of resources. Make the right changes and improvements, based on StarCustomer™ input at key points of your core processes. Innovation. Innovation leader P&G gets 50% of its innovation from outside the company. Getting less means wasting a precious resource. Marketing support. Studies show the most trusted reason to buy is recommendations from friends. StarCustomers™ and a virtual community can become a hub of networked supporters. Our approach We provide services and technologies that will help your organization achieve any or all of the results listed above. We tailor the approach to deliver the type of input and relationships you’re looking for; we can set up the approach and manage it for you or turn it over to you – or advise you in setting up your own approach. We can deliver a range of services from customer insights to a full-blown customer-intimate relationship. Over 25 years we’ve perfected a model for finding the right customers, setting up processes for them to provide appropriate input, and motivating them to deliver. We can also help your organization understand and implement what it takes to tap into this invaluable resource. Two aspects of our work include…. StarCustomers™ All customers are not created equal. We seek out knowledgeable customers who will actively and positively participate (about 3% of the population), have the desired demographics, and find a balance of those who are analytical and creative, depending on what your organization is looking for. Virtual Community Our unique model, being used by one of the most innovative companies in the world, includes an extremely active online community. Components include a website with a guided discussion Forum, user-generated photos using the company’s products, detailed user demographics and online statistics, integrated survey module, product testing and feedback (with opportunity for company to observe real use and interact with customers), dashboard for monitoring key metrics, and more. 2010-05-14T21:40:37+00:00 http://ceistar.com/site/starcustomers/ http://ceistar.com/site/starcustomers/#When:17:59:58Z All customers are not equal. “Scale-free Networks” consist of hubs (customers in this case) who are connected to a disproportionate number of others. Moreover, some people have a disproportionate influence over what others think, how they vote, and what they buy. Some excellent research puts these “Influentials” at 10% of the population. Our own experience has revealed, and research confirmed, the overlap between connectors (hubs), and Influentials. These extremely well-connected and highly influential people are only 3 to 5% of a given population. We call these people StarCustomers. Finding them is both an art and a science, and we are continually improving our ability to locate them, and to list their support in linking to others. StarCustomers™ can be a wonderful source of innovation and feedback, as their connections with others enable them to speak for a much broader audience. Because of this link to so many others, they are also able to synthesize what they hear, and reveal new insights. These StarCustomers™ can also link your company outward to customers and non-customers. If you have a good story to tell that isn’t reaching enough of the right ears, this may be the answer you’ve been seeking. 2010-05-14T17:59:58+00:00 http://ceistar.com/site/about_cei-star/ http://ceistar.com/site/about_cei-star/#When:00:16:13Z We specialize in helping companies find and create synergies with external sources – customers, non-customers, and partners in the value stream. For over 25 years, principals of CEI-Star, LLC have been helping leaders across a wide range of industries discover, capture and implement ideas from this rich source of innovation. We define “customer” to include any person, unit or organization downstream in the value chain of any product and/or service. We believe that only through consistent and meaningful customer engagement is it possible to create and maintain business processes that meet customer needs, anticipate customer wants, and give relevant meaning to services and the business that provides them. We have never failed to uncover major opportunities within the customer community. We deliver key results quickly – usually within 90 days.The Partners Kai Dozier Over the past 25+ years Kai has had great success helping companies solve the most challenging problems and create breakthrough innovations. Examples are shown in the “Customers and Results” section. As a success indicator, nearly all companies have invited Kai to continue help on a series of additional (and ever-more difficult) challenges. Kai has developed a unique problem-solving methodology that underlies all of his work. Many of the companies with which he has shared this model have implemented it with critical teams. Industries in which Kai has worked include auto; food and general merchandise manufacture, distribution and retail; technology; managed care; government; consultancies; and associations. Kai has led hundreds of projects with leaders from all types of organizations. Most notably, he consulted with leaders of 125+ companies over 7 years to reengineer the grocery industry value chain. He has developed strong, dynamic models for strategy development and innovation that have been used by a wide range of companies. Primary areas of expertise Innovation, driven by customer wants and needs Strategic planning and company alignment Value chain partnering Result-oriented projects and problem solving Kai’s unique combination of skills and approach include: A passion for knowing and serving customers in ways that delight them, by creating innovative products, services and business models. A balance of focus on continuous improvement and step-change. A rare ability to guide successful change, grounded in a deep understanding of organizations as living systems, processes and what it takes to improve them, quality, leadership and problem solving. The ability to make the complex understandable. The ability to work equally well with leaders and with others at all levels. A strong determination to set goals, measure progress and demonstrate results. Kai lives on and manages a wildlife refuge outside Charlottesville, Virginia with his wife Jan, two labs and a menagerie of wild creatures. He uses this eco-system as a lab for continuous learning about systems and change. Email Kai at kai@cei-star.com. Phone: 540.832.5500. Jason Capelle Jason is a creative, resourceful, and tenacious leader focused on customer satisfaction, measurable results, and financial success. He has a proven record of timely and profitable management of complicated programs and projects. He is a highly skilled problem solver with an adaptable approach based on common themes that underlie every problem. Elements of his approach include defining the problem, what is at stake, the environment in which the problem exists, and the current and future states; identifying the gaps between the current and future states; then formulating an actionable strategy. Underpinning this is his ability to create and articulate a motivating vision, build high performance teams, and lead those teams to successful action. Jason has worked with a variety of commercial and government leaders to solve a number of complicated program management, innovation, and business process challenges. He has a sterling reputation for dedicated service to his customers. Primary areas of expertise: Program Management Result-Driven Project Execution Innovation Strategic Planning Process Evaluation Jason lives on a small farm near Barboursville, Virginia (outside of Charlottesville). Jason’s farm is a continually changing entity with a growing focus on self sufficiency. Jason has a strong interest in land conservation and smart growth/new urban initiatives as well as serving his local community in various non-profit causes. Email Jason at jason@cei-star.com. Phone: 434.760.0992. 2010-05-09T00:16:13+00:00