know your customer

摘要

Success in business, whether in construction, engineering or consumer markets, is always underpinned by a deep understanding of the customer. It is this premise which puts customer satisfaction at the centre of ISO 9001:2000's focus and makes top management responsible for making sure customers' needs are being met. The standard understands that all organisations have several categories of what it calls 'interested parties'. These include, among others, customers and end-users, and suppliers and partners. It is important for a company to recognise the role of its suppliers in its own success. Suppliers support the company's commitment to issues like time and cost. They will need to be as focused on the final end user as anyone in the supply chain.