Structuring for customer success: How to stay ahead in a shifting market

You’ve just redesigned your organization to meet the latest customer expectations – only to find the market has shifted, again. Despite all the effort, it can feel like you're constantly playing catch-up. In a world of continuous change, having a flexible, customer-focused structure is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. 

Many businesses claim to be customer-centric, but true customer-centricity goes beyond offering great products and service. A Harvard Business Review study found that while 88% of organizations agree it’s important to have a consistent view of customers across all channels, only 31% have achieved it. Many still prioritize internal efficiency over customer needs. But companies excelling in customer experience see up to 8% higher revenue growth than their competitors. So, to succeed, businesses must rethink their structures and focus on building lasting relationships with customers. 

Customer-Centric Structures: The Need for Adaptability 

In the past, organizations were designed for efficiency. People were grouped by tasks, and processes were fixed. This worked when markets were stable and customer expectations simple. 

But this often led to silos. Departments operated separately, creating inconsistent customer experiences. Today’s customers expect fast, personalized service. To meet these needs, organizations must shift from rigid structures to systems that adapt quickly to customer demands. 

A customer-centric structure helps organizations respond quickly to feedback, identify trends and develop relevant products and services. It increases customer satisfaction, fosters loyalty and supports sustainable growth. By prioritizing customer needs, businesses stay competitive and strengthen customer relationships. 

Flexible Structures: What Do They Look Like? 

A customer-centric organization needs to be flexible, fast and focused on the customer journey. As customer expectations and markets change quickly, structures must adapt. Here are three key characteristics of flexible, customer-focused structures: 

• Customer-centric teams: Teams are structured around customer segments, journeys or specific needs, rather than products or internal functions.

  
  

  • For example, a bank might have separate teams for young professionals or retirees, while healthcare providers could organize teams around treatment areas like cardiology or oncology. This setup gives teams full ownership of their customer group and allows them to respond quickly to feedback and change.

    
    

• Empowered decision-making: Teams are not only cross-functional—they are trusted to act. With clear responsibilities and a shared goal, they can make day-to-day decisions without waiting for long approval chains. This speeds up delivery, increases accountability and enables faster responses to customer needs. 

  
  

  • For example, a pension provider team serving customers nearing retirement can adjust their communication independently. Based on participant feedback, they might offer personal consultations or simplify written communication—without needing approval from multiple departments. 

    
    

• Time for change: Jobs are often focused on running the day-to-day business. It’s important to free up time in an organizational design to give focus on improvement and change projects. Including short planning cycles and regular feedback helps teams to stay close to the customer, allowing for fast learning and continuous improvement. This also creates space for watching out for and responding to emerging customer trends, such as changing shopping behaviour or new technology expectations.

  
  

  • For example, a retail team regularly reviews customer feedback to rapidly implement improvements in the checkout experience, delivery options, or digital self-service tools like order tracking and easy online returns. 

    
    

How you can take steps towards true customer-centricity? 

Check out part 2 of this blog series. True customer-centricity requires more than surface-level changes. It requires a fundamental shift in organizational structure. Our Target Operating Model (TOM) framework helps your business make this transition by focusing on effective governance and structure. We create a blueprint for decision-making frameworks and reporting lines to align with customer needs. We help you build a future-proof structure that truly adapts to both your customers and your people.

Do you want to improve operational flow, dismantle silos and deliver a seamless customer experience? Let’s build a future-proof structure together. Reach out to

Vera van Deursen 

E: vera.vandeursen@igh.com

T: +31 613294732

Authors: Eva Sleeking, Veerle Willemsen & Vera van Deursen