Quidgest got a CAB in 2010

Have you ever tried to meet with a group of senior managers of client companies to discuss the latest IT trends, business priorities and strategic orientation of the company? If not, you might not know about the Customer Advisory Board (CAB).

After a period of using various tools (such as the Ombudsman) that strengthen its client relationships, Quidgest now has also set the strategy for using a CAB which goes further than a typical client relationship. The CAB of Quidgest will be a forum sharing ideas. It will stimulate discussing innovation topics and an opportunity to evaluate market trends. We will have a more reliable overview of the reality, thanks to the input of our clients and of potential partners whose representatives are also invited to CAB meetings. In these meetings they could share their thoughts on management, services, business priorities, strategy as well as discussing business trends and future trends.

However, it is not just a mere focus group. One of the objectives of the CAB is to involve key decision makers of company´s best clients in business process management activities. Through this strategy, a company can anticipate a client’s needs, analyze the performance of new products, refine sales strategies and customer loyalty. A CAB is "a sounding board for the CEO and the executive team could test ideas and business plans in cooperation with the leaders of its most strategic clients." The CAB consists of approximately 10 representatives of client companies. These representatives are especially those who are involved in strategic management. The board meets two to three times per year and these meetings are lively as open discussion sessions are included in the agenda. The recommendations made by the CAB should be integrated in a company´s business strategy and the members of the Advisory Board expect them to be applied. Hiring an external moderator and defining an agenda to facilitate discussion between representatives of client companies and your company´s executives are some of the recommendations that should be followed to ensure a well-functioning of the CAB.