PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN THE ICT INDUSTRY: CRITICAL ENABLERS OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Because of the recent introduction of several touchpoints that place purchasing power completely in the customer’s hands, product development directly impacts how a customer experiences an organisation. The purpose of this study was to identify a course of action to overcome the factors affecting customer experience during product development. The research setting was a leading telecommunications firm in South Africa. A quantitative approach was undertaken through an online survey questionnaire. A sample of 120 individuals participated in the study. The findings indicate that system capacity takes precedence over customers. There also appear to be concerns with the significance of the roles of change management, customer experience, and project management functions in product development. It is stressed that customers need to be more actively involved, that an efficient change management tool should be adopted and socialised, and that the principles of the strategic transformation programme management process should be considered.