Essay
The term customer integration ‘dates back to the mid-1990-s when several researchers in management theory began to work on the belief that new technologies, increased competition, and more assertive customers’ can make companies move towards improving of the product quality (Murschetz, 9).
Customer integration serves to improve customer satisfaction as it makes the company more responsive to the customer demand. Moreover, it increases level of loyalty from the side of the customer and helps the company reach the desired level of profitability as a result.
If you really want to get paid back without any delay, you should work hard to cement your relationship with customers what sometimes turns out to be really challenging. You have got to become more flexible, available, trustworthy. In other words, you have got to integrate marketing and supply chain management strategies (Madhani). Successful implementation of the strategies can be of real help for those companies interested not only in the profit growth, but in gaining competitive advantage as well.
According to Sakun Boon-itt, Chee Yew Wong (2010), supply chain integration presupposes ‘collaboration of functional departments, suppliers and customers to link and coordinate information flow and processes’ (Boon-itt, Wong).
There is absolutely no doubt that customer satisfaction and financial performance are interdependent. But how to minimize expenses, meet customer requirements, satisfy customer needs and provide successful functioning of marketing, production, logistics, distribution and sales departments?
References
Murschetz, P., (2012). Customer Integration and Web Interactivity. A Literature Review and Analysis of the Role of Transaction Cost in Building Value Webs. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/5374316/Customer_Integration_through_Web_Interactivity._A_Theory_Building_Exercise_of_the_Role_of_Transaction_Costs_to_Impact_on_B2C_Relations_in_News_Publishing
Pankaj M Madhani, (2011). Marketing and Supply Chain Management Integration: Strategic Implications for Enhancing Customer Value Proposition. International Journal of Electronic Customer Relationship Management Vol. 5 Iss. 2. Retrieved from http://works.bepress.com/madhani/92/
Sakun Boon-itt, Chee Yew Wong, (2010). The Moderating Effects of Technological and Demand Uncertainties on the Relationship between Supply Chain Integration and Customer Delivery Performance. International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management. Vol. 41 No.3, 2011. – pp. 253-276.
