Customer focus

Many companies today have a customer focus (or customer orientation). This implies that the company focuses its activities and products on consumer demands. Generally there are three ways of doing this: the customer-driven approach, the sense of identifying market changes and the product innovation approach.

In the consumer-driven approach, consumer wants are the drivers of all strategic marketing decisions. No strategy is pursued until it passes the test of consumer research. Every aspect of a market offering, including the nature of the product itself, is driven by the needs of potential consumers. The starting point is always the consumer. The rationale for this approach is that there is no point spending R&D funds developing products that people will not buy. History attests to many products that were commercial failures in spite of being technological breakthroughs.[3]

A formal approach to this customer-focused marketing is known as SIVA[4] (Solution, Information, Value, Access). This system is basically the four Ps renamed and reworded to provide a customer focus.

The SIVA Model provides a demand/customer centric version alternative to the well-known 4Ps supply side model (product, price, place, promotion) of marketing management.
Product     →     Solution
Promotion     →     Information
Price     →     Value
Place     →     Access

The four elements of the SIVA model are:

1. Solution: How appropriate is the solution to the customer’s problem/need?
2. Information: Does the customer know about the solution? If so, how and from whom do they know enough to let them make a buying decision?
3. Value: Does the customer know the value of the transaction, what it will cost, what are the benefits, what might they have to sacrifice, what will be their reward?
4. Access: Where can the customer find the solution? How easily/locally/remotely can they buy it and take delivery?

This model was proposed by Chekitan Dev and Don Schultz in the Marketing Management Journal of the American Marketing Association, and presented by them in Market Leader – the journal of the Marketing Society in the UK.

The model focuses heavily on the customer and how they view the transaction.

Human Resources Management

MBA program offers courses developed in association with five of the world’s top business schools: Columbia, Stanford, University of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon and The London School of Economics. The Human Resources Management specialization provides you with advanced skills and professional confidence in managing an organization’s human resources

Health Care Administration

MBA program offers courses developed in association with five of the world’s top business schools: Columbia, Stanford, University of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon and The London School of Economics. The Health Care Administration specialization explores how health care managers can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their organization’s operations and health care delivery

Global Management

MBA program offers courses developed in with five of the world’s top business schools: Columbia, Stanford, University of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon and The London School of Economics. In the Global Management specialization, students study how to understand and work within organizations as they participate in the global

Accounting and Information Systems

MBA program offers courses developed in association with five of the world’s top business schools: Columbia, Stanford, University of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon and The London School of Economics. In the Accounting and Information Systems specialization, students study how to use information systems and advanced accounting techniques to identify business opportunities and manage business processes. Courses and course areas in this specialization include:
Advanced Information Systems Risks and Controls
Advanced Assurance Topics
Data Mining