What do CEOs now demand of their COOs? The reinvention of customer-facing processes for moments of truth. Did you ever wonder about the replacement for Apple's legendary CEO, Steve Jobs? It was the COO, Timothy Cook. What? The chief operating officer became the CEO of one of the most profitable companies in history? Cook joined Apple in 1998, and is credited with pulling Apple out of manufacturing by closing factories and warehouses around the world. This helped the company reduce inventory levels and streamline its supply chain to match the efficiency of Dell, dramatically increasing margins. Cook has been quoted as saying, "You kind of want to manage it like you're in the dairy business. If it gets past its freshness date, you have a problem." Cook exemplifies the new reality of "intelligent business operations" in the customer-driven enterprise that operates in the "now." This book connects the dots between the COO and the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in a way that is unusual and powerful. The book asserts that the primary role of the modern COO should be that of delivering customer experiences that delight! While traditional back-office functions will certainly not go away, the book encourages COOs to pivot and also focus on the front office. This expanded role is made possible by the many principles and technologies discussed in the book. This new-found ability to leverage smarter process management can transform your business into a dynamic, real-time, customer-driven enterprise.
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