It is clear the work force, interacting with customers and suppliers, turns customer needs into products and services, develops, collects, and analyzes the data that are used in the measures that improve the processes. The work force is recognized to be the determining factor in success and failure and to be the competitive edge. Management serves the work force in the matured organization. In the matured organization bringing customers into the organization is intense work. Contact with customers is continuous.
Executive responsibility includes interaction with peers at customer organizations.
Lessons learned from these interactions are shared at the executive levels and communicated to everyone. Planning and designing include customers. All organizational components converge and participate. Customers are part of the team, as are suppliers. A matured organization is customer-driven.