The empowered customer: Productivity enhancements in a digital era

Microsoft Dynamics

As global employment prospects lag behind a slow economic recovery, customers in many parts of the
world are more cautious and better informed than ever. They have access to a wealth of information
about the products and services they seek, much of it obtained from trusted sources almost
immediately. Yet businesses have moved slowly to exploit emerging technologies and information
sources like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. As a result, customers often seem better informed
about the products and services they buy than companies are about their customers. This imbalance
presents a big challenge to companies struggling to avoid commoditisation and it could grow into a
competitive disadvantage as customers demand more personalised service.