Business components of a customer architecture

Keys to a customer-centric organization are outlined below:

* Customer attraction and promotional activities.

* Participative activities — chat rooms, Web events, portal to other related

activities, etc.

* Informative Web sites.

* Catalogs.

* Advertising campaign.

* Customer relationship management.

* Building and maintaining the customer relationship through information exchanges,

participation in related communities of interest, frequently asked questions,

applications, etc.

* Linking the providing organization, customers and suppliers to provide just-in-time

services.

* Consolidated services help desk.

* Web, mail, e-mail, toll-free numbers, fax, telephone, etc.

* Customer business architecture, components and processes.

* Order taking and processing.

* Inventory management.

* Billing and payment.

* Post-sales warranty support.

* Supplier management.

* Contracting processes.

* Customer information technology architecture, components and applications.

* Computing and communications infrastructure — applications, software and

hardware.

* Delivery.

* Virtual products and services via the Web.

* Physical "snail mail" delivery for tangible products.

* Kiosks.

* Storefronts.

* Follow-up/post-sales activities.

* Tracking and history.

* Warranty support.

* Policies and standards - contracting, warranties, security, privacy and

so on.

* Performance monitoring and oversight of customer activities and results.