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Á La Carte Customer®

Insights on the A La Carte Customer® for business leaders from Silicon Valley based business consultant and configuration management expert, Dave Gardner.

Hoax or cover-up | corporate-speak
Business Execution

Whether It’s A Hoax Or A Cover-Up, It Doesn’t Matter

Is it a hoax or a cover-up? Sometimes it doesn’t matter. The word “hoax” has been used to dismiss factual situations. “Hoax” means “a humorous or malicious deception.” Characterizing something as a hoax can also be a means of covering up a legitimate concern that needs to be addressed. A hoax or cover-up can actually be a legitimate threat to the future of a business.

By Dave Gardner, 4 months4 months ago
What Executives With Configurable Products & Services Want
Á La Carte Customer®

What Executives With Configurable Products & Services Want

What executives with configurable products & services want for their businesses, employees, and customers.

-Increased market share
-Delighted customers
-Improved quality
-Improved operating margins
-Differentiation/Competitive advantage
-Lean the business–eliminate waste
-Happy employees

By Dave Gardner, 4 months4 months ago
The Downside Of Bundled Products And Services | A La Carte Customer
Á La Carte Customer®

The Downside Of Bundled Products And Services

The downside of bundled products and services? What happens when a consumer is limited to buying in bundles? Friction! Friction means the buyer is looking to replace you. Offer A La Carte Customer® business model instead.

By Dave Gardner, 5 months4 months ago
The Worst Business Paradigm For Highly-Configurable Products
Configurable Products and Services

The Worst Business Paradigm For Highly-Configurable Products

If you wanted to start a company that offered highly-configurable products, the worst business paradigm you could select would be engineer-to-order (ETO).

By Dave Gardner, 6 months4 months ago
2 Action Steps For Durable Competitive Advantage During Economic Crisis
Á La Carte Customer®

2 Action Steps For Durable Competitive Advantage During Economic Crisis

There is conventional thinking for durable competitive advantage during normal economic conditions, but I’ve added 2 action steps for durable competitive advantage during economic crisis, like this Covid-19 economic crisis.

By Dave Gardner, 6 months6 months ago
We Offer It, You Buy It; Take It Or Leave It Revisited 1 We Offer It, You Buy It; Take It Or Leave It Revisited
Á La Carte Customer®

We Offer It, You Buy It; Take It Or Leave It Revisited

A decade ago, I wrote an article in Fast Company called We Offer It, You Buy It; Take It Or Leave It. Here’s how I kicked off that article: Does the headline of this article represent an attitude that customers are drawn to? It sounds like a customer strategy taken Read more…

By Dave Gardner, 9 months ago
The Problems With Off-The-Rack CPQ Software Solutions
Á La Carte Customer®

The Problems With Off-The-Rack CPQ Software Solutions

The problems with off-the-rack CPQ software solutions are in what the software doesn’t address. The vendor application you chose is a small part of the solution.

By Dave Gardner, 12 months11 months ago
configuration and the back office black hole | Dave Gardner | Configuration Manangement Consultant
Á La Carte Customer®

Configurability And The Back Office Black Hole

Configurability and the back office black hole happens if no guidance is offered in the ordering process. Imagine going into a restaurant that merely tells you they serve “food.” They provide no insight into the type of food they serve. They simply ask you to tell them what you want. Read more…

By Dave Gardner, 12 months11 months ago
getting configurable customer orders right
Configurable Products and Services

Getting Configurable Customer Orders Right

Getting configurable customer orders right: “We are having problems getting the right parts delivered to support installation of the customers’ orders.”

By Dave Gardner, 1 year1 year ago
Only buy what you need
Á La Carte Customer®

Only Buy What You Need

If you watch television, it’s likely you’ve seen the commercials featuring Limu Emu and Doug promoting Liberty Mutual’s car insurance. The listener is told you can “customize your car insurance” by “only buying what you need.” What Liberty Mutual is doing isn’t unique, but positioning themselves as being able to Read more…

By Dave Gardner, 1 year1 year ago

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