Intermediary Customer Purchasing from the Product Producer

Guarantee Steps: The Guarantee steps include activities required for the Intermediary customer to keep the product or service in working order for the Final user

B. Resources: Reduce resources required for the use of the product

2. Time – Reduce the time the customer must spend with the product

a.
Reduce steps the customer must use with the product

NO.	SIC	YEAR	EXAMPLE
1	2086	2000	Wal-Mart is Cott's biggest customer. Cott offered its larger customers more regular telephone contact with more senior Cott executives.
2	3462	1996	Columbus McKinnon has developed a network of independently owned distributors staffed with company-trained professionals that includes over 150 hoist service centers, 26 repair parts distribution centers, and 17 chain service centers.
3	2389	2002	Levi takes longer than its key competitors to develop and deliver its clothing to stores. Three years ago the company delivered 60% of its orders correctly and on time. Now that number tops 90%.
4	7372	1999	Linux is the main rival of Microsoft's Windows and it may start in the laptop market. Linux is liked for its crash-proof performance and is popular with techies and programmers.
5	0000	1989	To get its agents to refer customers to Citicorp, the bank offers fast loan-approval service.
6	5144	1989	Green Eggs of Huntsville, AL scaled down operations, no longer selling to Cargill by the truckload. The company moved to sell smaller local markets which needed dependable service and timely delivery.
7	4141	2005	The first Chinatown buses appeared on Northeastern curbsides about 8 years ago, ferrying Chinese workers to restaurant jobs in nearby cities. Chinese students caught on and the buses became a hit. In search of more opportunity, some Chinese lines have moved uptown.
8	3669	2002	Prada is one of many retailers that has just begun tagging its merchandise with "smart tags," which track inventory and show product details on handheld computers. The smart tags are also visible at a farther distance, giving them a large advantage over the standard bar code system. The tags can also automatically inventory an entire building full of goods with marginal human supervision.
9	6300	2005	As agencies become much larger and increase their bargaining power, their product and service needs become more sophisticated. They seek carriers that are responsible and flexible, who minimize their paperwork and make fewer errors, and offer online processing and support. Meanwhile, policy pricing in the industry, while important, is becoming less differentiated and transparent.
10	7200	2002	Media Arts group is recovering thanks to new merchandising tactics and agreements with artist, Thomas Kinkade. Licensed art, which includes a variety of home decor items, is found in gift stores and Thomas Kinkade galleries. The company is changing the way licenses are granted, focusing on quality and fit with brand image. Retailers will sell coordinated sets to create a more cohesive mix.
11	2000	1998	Some of the most successful manufacturers have established separate operating groups targeting the most appropriate channels and tailored their offering, from product design to sales and marketing execution. The process of tailoring your offering to best serve them.
12	3949	2001	Callaway Golf is changing its company to accept orders in the winter rather than in spring, in order to get a better forecast of demand.
13	2095	2004	Starbucks employees used to have to dig into ice bins twice to scoop up enough ice for a Venti-size cold beverage. Engineers developed one-piece plastic "volumetric ice scoops," which ended up cutting 14 seconds off the average preparation time for blended beverages of about one minute. Efforts like this have helped Starbucks outlets increase their average yearly income by nearly $200,000, to roughly $940,000, since 1999.

<<Return to Guarantee Steps