Good Enough For Me?

Most manufacturing companies pride themselves on their technological leadership and prowess, often boasting that their products are the "best-in-class."

?Is the Claim Really True?

We believe that this orthodoxy faces three significant challenges:?

1. Technology Gaps:

As technology innovation cycles shrink and knowledge dissemination becomes universally democratic, there now remain just a handful of industries globally, where there exists a significant gap in technological leadership between the players in that industry.

For the rest, the gaps are either fleeting and the “catching up” is fairly rapid, or the gaps are just perceptions that are propagated.

2. Outcomes Matter More Than Features

Building a platinum-plated product with the latest bells and whistles is admirable, but customers don't necessarily share this enthusiasm. They are more focused on "total" outcomes rather than just the products themselves.

Manufacturers believe that having an "awesome" product is foolproof and all they need; but what goes on in the customers’ minds is, "I need compressed air at a specific price, with certain maintenance costs, and reliable support for the next 30 years in the most friction-free manner possible".

The customer is focused on their context and the entire outcome, while the manufacturer is infatuated with their cutting-edge product.

Result? Customers will keep buying from you until an alternative that meets the outcome comes along.

The irony? That alternative may not even be on your current competition radar!

3. Obsession with Products Over Experience

This relentless focus on creating the "infallible product" leads organizations to be singularly product-centric, often to the detriment of other crucial aspects. Even customer outcomes are translated into product-centric terms. This obsession shapes the company's processes, systems, culture, and training, defining it as an "Obsessive Product Brand."

This product-led obsession leads manufacturing companies to believe that an "unbreakable" product, good after-sales servicing, and polite support staff, are all there is to provide a "superlative experience".

They couldn't be further from the truth.

The present and future demand an "Experience Brand."

These aren't just labels; they represent a fundamental shift in the business ecosystem.

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Why Are Manufacturing Companies So Product-Focused?

There are two main reasons:

1.???? Tangibility: In the manufacturing realm, the tangible nature of products dominates the enterprise's focus. This tangibility overshadows other aspects, leading to an inherent difficulty in dealing with abstractions. An experience mindset, creating behavioral shifts, and understanding experiential contexts, all require a healthy interplay of the tangible and the abstract.

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2.???? Cultural Mindset:? A Fortune 500 manufacturing CEO once famously said, "Experience and engagement are such touchy-feely things; how does one even begin?". Herein lies the nub of the problem: the challenge of shifting from a product-centric mindset to an experience-focused approach.

It's about more than just selling a good product; it's about creating an entire journey that customers love. From seamless purchasing processes to top-notch support, every interaction matters.

Your customers are looking for partners who get this and deliver outcomes, not just products.

So, here's the challenge: are you content with just being good enough, or are you ready to lead the change toward a new era of customer-centric manufacturing?

The choice is yours.