Purchasing and purchasing decision making.
Generally speaking, purchasing illustrates a rather delicate balance of determining needs, finding the proper solution as well as evaluating the internal and external organizational impact. The Five stage model theorizes that five predetermined steps occur or should occur during this process which includes problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post purchase behavior. The underlying assumption is that by understanding those steps, marketers acquire a better insight of purchasers and end users which in turn may assist in devising a more effective marketing campaign.
At World Consulting Group the process is slightly more customized to fit the organizational philosophy and mission. The most significant customization of five stage model at World Consulting Group is the determination of any given problem. At World Consulting Group this process is an on going standard operating procedure in which needs are determined and examined by all stakeholders on a weekly basis. The main difference is that instead of awaiting problems, World Consulting Group associates anticipate and predict potential needs before it becomes a problem. The team suggestions are reviewed by all decision makers on a weekly basis and undergo a collective reexamination on a monthly basis.
The other steps including information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision and post purchase behavior occur similarly in a collective manner. The philosophy beyond such collective action is twofold: first and foremost, encouraging all out internal feedback in combination with incentive based suggestions, comparison and analysis allows for the greatest possible collection of information sets that ultimately allows for a neutral and purely economic and efficiency based decision making.
The second important reason is illustration of neutrality and integrity. In the management consulting industry, many third party vendors attempt to influence the decision making and recommendations of individual management consultants in order to have a better chance of getting new business. Hence, at World Consulting Group we do not have any preferred vendors that are recommended based on their incentives for World Consulting Group as an organization or individual team members. Each project is evaluated, re-evaluated, compared and contrasted until the most viable recommendations are compiled. There are no preferential treatments for any vendor. Such actions are simply devised to benefit our clients by not only assuring them of our neutrality, but also of the integrity of World Consulting Group and its subsequence reports and recommendations.
Ultimately, though the theoretical basis of the Five Stage Model is established and philosophically sound, each organization has to modify it for their own use based on industry, individual organizational setup and dynamics, as well as potential requirements for particular end users.
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