Excellence exists concurrently as both an oft-cited desirable quality, and an elusively-defined buzzword on the lips of ambitious CEOs and entry-level employees alike. In this post, I will break down specific areas of excellence in three different companies, cutting through corporate jargon to provide clarity to an overused word. In a crowded and fast-paced global market, every company must seek to provide value to their customers. As we start this course in marketing, what better concepts to pair than excellence and value? Value is the core of what marketing does and seeks to provide (Tanner & Raymond, 2014) and so, let us look at how L.L. Bean, Amazon, and * create value through excellence in operations, value, and customer experience.
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They manage a global business operation with the express mission to be the world’s most customer-centric company (Amazon, n.d.). To achieve this, they overcome massive logistical hurtles and model true operational excellence. DeCesare (2015) wrote in the Journal of Commerce, following a tour of an Amazon fulfillment center in San Fransisco, that that the inner workings of Amazon are nearly completely hidden from public view, but truly demonstrate what he calls the “three pillars of operations excellence: People, Processes, and Technology.” Amazon cares for their people by treating them with dignity and creating a vibrant, employee-oriented atmosphere in their fulfillment centers (DeCesare, 2015). When Amazon workers are satisfied, they are more effective in meeting deadlines and accomplishing incredible logistical feats. DeCesare (2015) notes his second “pillar” as Processes, how the fulfillment operations at Amazon are both fast and efficient, handling year-round demand-fluctuation with capability and economy. His third pillar recognizes Amazon’s commitment to cutting-edge technology in operating with excellence. Innovating fulfillment and delivery techniques, Amazon can keep up with a global demand for nearly any product imaginable with incredible speed. It’s no wonder that Amazon’s supply chain was rated best in the world by Gartner
They manage a global business operation with the express mission to be the world’s most customer-centric company (Amazon, n.d.). To achieve this, they overcome massive logistical hurtles and model true operational excellence. DeCesare (2015) wrote in the Journal of Commerce, following a tour of an Amazon fulfillment center in San Fransisco, that that the inner workings of Amazon are nearly completely hidden from public view, but truly demonstrate what he calls the “three pillars of operations excellence: People, Processes, and Technology.” Amazon cares for their people by treating them with dignity and creating a vibrant, employee-oriented atmosphere in their fulfillment centers (DeCesare, 2015). When Amazon workers are satisfied, they are more effective in meeting deadlines and accomplishing incredible logistical feats. DeCesare (2015) notes his second “pillar” as Processes, how the fulfillment operations at Amazon are both fast and efficient, handling year-round demand-fluctuation with capability and economy. His third pillar recognizes Amazon’s commitment to cutting-edge technology in operating with excellence. Innovating fulfillment and delivery techniques, Amazon can keep up with a global demand for nearly any product imaginable with incredible speed. It’s no wonder that Amazon’s supply chain was rated best in the world by Gartner