Companies from the manufacturing sector faced fierce competitive pressure and unrelenting consumer pressure long before the advent of the latest economic crisis. With prices stagnating or even declining, products and services need to be integrated ever more seamlessly than before. These services begin back at the pre-sales stage, where advisory services increasingly need to cover a product's range of uses and its scope for development. Service and support are affected in equal measure. For many manufacturing companies today, service, repairs and satisfied repeat customers account for the lion's share of earnings.

That's why it's crucial for you to know your customers well enough to be able to say what these customers want now - and what they will want in future. You need to be able to assess which potential customers might be interested in new products - and what price they are willing to pay for what products or services.

Do you know what services your customers expect you to deliver, and what add-ons you can offer or arrange in order to increase the value you create with your products? Can you say which of these add-ons you can offer yourself at a profit, and which ones you will need a strategic partnership to deliver?

How do you document and evaluate how satisfied your customers are with your products and services? How do you find out which customers have which requirements at what times?

Are you looking for answers to these questions? And do you believe - as we do - that only on this basis is it possible to create a comprehensive package that will satisfy both your existing and future customers? If, so, we need to talk.

Are you ready?