A Summary of: What the Hell Is 
Summary of: What the Hell Is “Market Oriented”
By Benson P. Shapiro
The article is talking about a company called “Wolverine Controller”. The recent results of this company had been poor for the Indianapolis-based producer of flow controllers for process industries like chemicals, paper, and food. Sales, earning were off and market share was down in all product lines. Therefore the company’s president and vice presidents had gathered in a meeting to analyze the situation and try to find a solution.
In the beginning of the meeting the president emphasizes the company situation and the seriousness of the problem. He also explains that the only way to survive is to be customer driven or market oriented. Then the marketing vice president understands market oriented and he tried to explain the real problem. According to him, the company lack of communication and interaction. During this meeting each vice president defended on his department, each vice president raises his department’s issues and no one do think of the company mission in a global view. Then the president starts to explain what is market oriented. According to the article, market oriented is a set of process touching on all aspects of the company and it has three characteristics make a company market driven or market oriented:
1. Information on all important buying influences permeates every corporate function. Hence, in order to be market oriented company needs to understand its market and the people who decide whether to buy its products or services.
2. Make decisions across divisions and functions. To make wise decisions that will positively affect customers, you need to open up the decision making process to ensure that no division’s contribution to the customer value equation is overlooked.
By Benson P. Shapiro
The article is talking about a company called “Wolverine Controller”. The recent results of this company had been poor for the Indianapolis-based producer of flow controllers for process industries like chemicals, paper, and food. Sales, earning were off and market share was down in all product lines. Therefore the company’s president and vice presidents had gathered in a meeting to analyze the situation and try to find a solution.
In the beginning of the meeting the president emphasizes the company situation and the seriousness of the problem. He also explains that the only way to survive is to be customer driven or market oriented. Then the marketing vice president understands market oriented and he tried to explain the real problem. According to him, the company lack of communication and interaction. During this meeting each vice president defended on his department, each vice president raises his department’s issues and no one do think of the company mission in a global view. Then the president starts to explain what is market oriented. According to the article, market oriented is a set of process touching on all aspects of the company and it has three characteristics make a company market driven or market oriented:
1. Information on all important buying influences permeates every corporate function. Hence, in order to be market oriented company needs to understand its market and the people who decide whether to buy its products or services.
2. Make decisions across divisions and functions. To make wise decisions that will positively affect customers, you need to open up the decision making process to ensure that no division’s contribution to the customer value equation is overlooked.