Exit Polls: Summit Delivers

As expected, the sun was shining in San Diego last week. But for 74% of delegates, the 4th Annual Smart Services Leadership Summit exceeded expectations. And I'd have to include myself in that group.

Highlights abound - many of which will be available shortly via online video clips - but here are a few that come to mind:

• North of 230 delegates in attendance. This volume alone speaks to the rising tide of Smart Services in industries ranging from healthcare, to consumer products, to industrial equipment.
  
  
• Spot-on reminders from Dr. Mary Jo Bitner of Arizona State's Center for Services Leadership to design service and sales processes from your customer’s point of view and to "co-create" services with your customers.
  
  
• Spurring words from Jim Sweeney of CardioNet regarding the power of disruptive innovation to not only redefine quality standards in an industry but to give birth to wildly successful business models.
  
  
• The rigorous customer-driven business case - as presented by ABB Power's Bart Gaskey - that's critical for OEMs to succeed at commercializing Smart Services.

Too many others to mention in detail, but contributions from John Deere, Medtronics, NACCO Materials Handling, Gardner Denver, Navistar, Peek, and the other speakers and panelists combined to delight, challenge, and energize the throng in attendance.

For those of you who couldn't make it, hope to see you next time around. For those of you who were there, post a comment and share your own Summit insights and experiences!