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Last week we talked about a recent study Forrester Consulting did for Microsoft on customer relationships and innovation.
Related Forrester research on innovation discovered a similar bottom-line orientation: Half of all managers chose cost reduction as a key reason to innovate. Further, only 41 percent of respondents listed innovation as one of their top two strategic priorities, well behind customer relationships (75 percent) and operational excellence (52 percent). Business managers may perceive the value of innovation, but they do not yet see it as part of a strategic approach.
Because customer interactions are valued so highly, they are outsourced less often than is commonly believed. Spending on IT and human capital is not yet fully aligned with the high priority placed on customer relationships. What would your answers be to these questions?