By John Durante
For more than a generation, the brass ring of American business culture has been to do it “cheaper, better and faster” than the competitor. This pursuit has played out in dozens of ways both big and small. Six Sigma , strands of globalization, Friedman’s “flat world” and even the debate about American immigration policy are tightly linked to this mother of all business ambitions. Marketing and business communication has done its part to establish this sentiment as a “common good” ideal. Alas, as we enter a new decade in 2010, we may now be learning that like all things once thought wonderful, the lifespan of “better, cheaper faster” (BCF) is waning.
To be sure, BCF has a rightful place in many parts of the American business economy. But it can’t singularly define what is successful or desirable for an entire economy —especially in the B2B sectors. The monolithic thinking behind BCF production is fertile breeding ground for disengaging creativity, creating “commoditized” products and services and eroding legitimate points of competitive distinction. Providing anything that might be deemed “value added” (presumably the heartbeat of B2B operations) is increasingly difficult. Clients become underwhelmed and vendors grouse about the loss of margin. In a BCF world, some type of dumb-downed or narrowly applicable end product or service is indeed produced more cheaply and rapidly than what preceded it, but questions mount about how much “better,” or valuable, or even relevant it is!
The new year and the new decade gives all of us who toil in B2B businesses a landmark opportunity to change the BCF scorecard. It’s in the vested interest of B2B companies to get off this merry-go-round and establish a new approach that signals the delivery of client value. I advocate a shift from BCF to what we at WordWrite might term “smarter, comprehensive and authentic” (SCA). These ideals self-define what makes (or at least can make) a B2B enterprise highly valued again by a client. To be “SCA” implies study, analysis and tailored delivery of client solutions in relevant day-to-day business contexts. It also implies a sincerity of purpose in arriving at these conclusions. It is real. And, it is really needed if B2B companies wish to again be widely viewed as helpful business partners.
We’d love to know, in today’s economy, as you approach a new year and a new decade: how relevant is BCF to your business?
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John Durante is senior marketing associate for WordWrite Communications.
