Many companies are aware of their customers, but few know the customers themselves or how to get new ones. Leaders in the field of customer management knowledge goes beyond the transaction data, using a combination of methods, and they are not afraid to solve complex problems. The authors report results of a survey of 24 leading firms and describe the seven practices that leaders share. Companies surveyed - including Harley-Davidson, Procter & Gamble, and Wachovia Bank - to take concrete and successful initiatives around customer management knowledge. Under the practice, two results stand out: First, firms are beginning to rely on data from actual interaction, such as sales and service. They are looking for creative ways to incorporate data from these interactions in knowledge. Second, even the most ambitious companies store data from different approaches separately. They do not accept the concept of an integrated data warehouse. The authors go on to represent the practice of the leaders in the field of customer management expertise. "Hide
by Thomas H. Davenport, Jeanne G. Harris, Ajay K. Kohli Source: MIT Sloan Management Review 13 pages. Publication Date: December 1, 2001. Prod. #: SMR060-PDF-ENG