Physical Office Arrangements Can Reveal Much About "Customer Focus"

Does your physical office space reflect "Customer Focus" or not? I ask that due to a revelation I had recently, but would love your unofficial, field research on this one:

My theory is that businesses and organizations that truely live the "Customer Centric" lifestyle, will intentionally design their workplaces and all other touchpoints so the people that should be most involved with "Customer Experience" are located closest to the potential touchpoint interactions with customers.

Car dealerships are a great example. The sales reps cubicles/offices are right on the sales floor, by the main entrances of the store. Bookkeepers, HR, Mechanics in the back, right?

Now, In one of my past roles, the reverse was true. By the way, this was a firm that did "talk" about being "Customer Centric" however, here is how the home office of this firm was arranged (see if this applies to any you know):

Main Entrance Experience:

Nice, warm feeling colors, furnishings, Digital Displays representing examples of firm's work. Good Job on this touchpoint! Emotionally engaging space...

Inconsistent switchboard/front desk personalities, which run the risk of a bad impression...an example, would be replacing friendly receptionist with good phone and people skills with a grumpier one, just because they can type memos 5 WPM faster...

Finally, the 5 offices surrounding the Customer Entrance are as follows:
1. General Operations Manager
2. Accounts Payable/Receivable
3. CFO/HR
4. CEO
5. VP of Finance and Estimating

Okay everyone, did I list any Sales or Marketing offices within the proximity of where the customer enters this office?

No! The actual offices for these functions are several feet down a long hallway, well beyond ear shot of any Insightful discussions that the Receptionist may be having with a customer on the phone, or in the reception area. Shouldn't the Sales and Marketing functions be the closest to frontline interactions so they have a chance to glean some Customer Insights? Or, is it best for the bookkeepers and financial folks to share those Insights?

Sure, this whole situation may have evolved inadvertantly, yet it remains uncorrected...

So, your homework is to "walkthrough" your customer touchpoints to see how you are maximizing the Customer Experience and how you are setting up your team in charge of product development and business development to succeed.

Remember, your clients don't need, nor care, to see your accounting, HR, and other operations areas...They want what you sell...That's it...

Are You Using Update to Cooper's Stage-Gate Product Development Process?

Using a checklist or some type of process map is usually a good way to keep your team heading in the right direction with minimal roadblocks.

However, in this age of accelerated product/services development requirements to remain "relevant", are you keeping your Launch Team on the sidelines way too long until you are at the "Full Production gate" described in Cooper's process?

Joan Schneider, APR, of PR firm Schneider and Associates and author of, "New Product Launch: 10 Proven Strategies" contend that we should add a seperate gate to Cooper's respected process. This additional gate becomes the "Market Launch Stage Gate".

By creating a seperate distinct Gate, Schneider shows how companies can now engage external and internal Launch Teams/Product Developers much earlier in development process to achieve much higher market success rates.

Backed with research from Schneiders firm and Boston University, along with real world case examples, Investment inn this book, along with Cooper's, "Winning at New Products: Accelerating the Process from Idea to Launch" are must have companions for these teams...