Case Study Guide for this episode of the show about for "Solve A Big Problem" at Navarro Discount Pharmacies with Jose and Luis Navarro in Miami as seen on Small Business School, the series on PBS member stations. The best little television show about the American spirit.

The Case Study Guide

last update: January 2007

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customers are your motivating force

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Use Technology To Dazzle Customers

Embrace technology for the sake of the customer. No matter what business you're in, technology has had or could have an impact on it. You owe it to your customers and yourself to thoroughly investigate the alternatives available and to make the traditional cost benefit analysis in determining whether to implement more technology solutions in your business.

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Key Ideas from this Episode

1.		Do What You Know
2.		Do A Lot With A Little
3.		Pour Your Earnings Into The Future
4.		Speak Your Customer's Language
5.		Hire People Who Want To Move Up
6.		Inspect What You Expect
7.		Change To Meet Demand
8.		Increase Profit Margins With Private Labels
9.		Enroll The Next Generation In The School of Hard Knocks
10.		Put Others Ahead Of Yourself
11.		Be A Team Player
12.		Develop Core Beliefs
13.		Use Technology To Dazzle Customers

Topic for Discussion: How can technology in your business improve your customer's experience with your business?

Answer: Technology has its biggest impact at two specific times in the sales cycle: the customer order point and the delivery point. Make a list or draw a flowchart of what a customer does in placing an order with your business. This is a customer who has already made the buy decision, and knows what (s)he wants.

How arduous is the process? How long does it take? Can you make it easier and/or faster with an automated phone order system or a website allowing for online ordering? If so, what would be the cost and the anticipated benefit? What are your competitors doing? Work through this analysis for both the sales order process and your service delivery model and then act on the results of your analysis. Technology is here to stay. You don't have to be the first to "cross the chasm" but it will probably hurt your business to be the last. Careful analysis and evaluation of alternatives will position you well in maintaining or improving your competitive advantage through the use of technology.

You think about it: What should be your next technology implemention?

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