The first 4-steps of the DMAIC process answered the questions: What is important, how are we doing, what is wrong and what needs to be done? We also considered the marketing funnel stages of Awareness, consider, prefer and evaluate. The fifth stage of the process in DMAIC is Control and in the Marketing funnel it is the commit or buy stage. This is where in Six Sigma we document the process and standardize meeting critical to quality (CTQ) issues.
This step involves taking the improvements and implementing them. We will document standard operating procedures, create process control plans, and establish a control process. The one final step in handing off the process or transitioning the process for implementation. However, it is imperative that we create an operation that is stable, predictable and meets the customer requirements. The implementation should be supported by documentation and project management to put all the work into practice. Another way of saying this is how are we going to guarantee performance.
In the marketing funnel it comes down to the basic decision to commit or buy the product or service. As I said in my last post, clarity is the number one issue that may prevent you from succeeding if your product/service meets the criteria for the root cause. Remember, customers want consistency. At this stage, you will see price and the confidence that you can deliver what you say becoming the greatest issues. If you believe price is the overwhelming issue, just think of how many times you have lost a job to a better known brand. Why? Security and your lack of ability to address the root cause with unquestionable clarity.
The Control process of Six Sigma can certainly teach us a few things. Creating an operation that delivers a stable and predictable outcome is the purpose of not only the Control stage but the entire DMAIC process. If you have identified predictable measures that the customer can visualize and satisfy the root cause of his problem, you are well on your way of obtaining commitment.
Another stage of Control is handing off of the project for implementation. How many marketing projects are not supported by sales or vice versa? Sales efforts can be undermined especially when the process does not provide predictable results. The ability to control this stage of the process may prevent you from caving into unreasonable demands that prospects may place upon you. However, most worries are not about the prospect but in the effort to close sales many organizations will take their eye off the target and take jobs that may or not solve the root cause or problem for the prospect. Seldom in that circumstance will you deliver the product or service that the prospect is hoping for. It may result in over delivering, which not only is wasted but to the prospect unclear and difficult to evaluate appropriately. Sales may look at this and determine that there is a greater degree of flexibility in the product/service than there is and/or that pricing could be adjusted because the next customer may not need all this. This is not a problem of your sales department, rather you having built the platform and handed off a poorly designed control phase. Build a process management plan for implementation and establishing ongoing measure and methods to be used for improvement is crucial to overall success.
Related Posts:
The Marketing Funnel using Six Sigma DMAIC Methodology
Most Marketing Systems are Out of Control.
If you control it well, it flows well!
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