“We need a printer.”
That is often the brief when I begin a conversation with customers.
But it is rarely really about a printer.
It is about:
- How quickly documents need to be available.
- Who is allowed to access them.
- Whether the system is secure.
- And how the solution integrates into the overall process.
With product thinking, we order a “printer”.
With systems thinking, we first try to understand why a printer is needed at all—and whether there might be a better solution.
For me, that is the crucial difference:
👉 Product thinking: “What do I want to buy?”
👉 Systems thinking: “Which process do I want to improve?”
Quite honestly, the original product idea is often only a symptom—not the real requirement.
The most interesting conversation begins when customers realise for themselves:
“That’s right—I don’t actually need a printer. I need a seamless flow of information.”
💡 My experience: Systems thinking broadens the horizon and opens up solutions that would never emerge from a purely product-based brief.
👉 What is your experience? Do customers often begin with a specific product request that turns out to represent a very different need as the project develops?
#Kardex #SystemsSales #SystemsThinking #ProcessInnovation