B2B: back to basics – driving shareholder value

In the face of an uncertain, even down‐turning, economy, many executives are finding the pressures of improving shareholder value have replaced the intense pressures of the dot‐com era. The prosperity of the 1990s raised the bar in terms of shareholder expectations. Acronym‐laden, technology‐based strategies established new concepts of silos. Customers have become obsessed with self‐determination and control. In business‐to‐business (B2B) operations, success will depend on developing interdependencies within the entire food chain of companies that serve the ultimate consumer. The authors suggest a Return on Customer (ROC^TM) measurement that can help business executives maximize their efforts to meet customer needs.