Relationships with customers as a determinant of the innovation process in the enterprise

Summary : The purpose of this article is to show the relationship between the use, by the company, of specifi c method of acquiring knowledge from the outside, the formation of mutually benefi cial relationships with customers (relationship marketing), and their realization of the innovation process. The idea of relationship marketing and Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) is to build long-term relationships with the environment, in particular with customers, in order to increase the profi tability of the company as well as cost reduction. Relationships with customers (more CRM) are an effective tool for gathering information for the innovation process, both at the stage of invention innovation (increase the innovative capacity of the organization) and at the stage of diffusion of innovation (innovative activity). The condition for the effectiveness of personalized marketing include: close contact with the customer, control, and continuous analysis of their course as well as information technology and databases. The results of extensive empirical studies allowed for positive verifi cation of the given argument. The use of customer relations is benefi cial to the process of innovation, and ultimately leads to offer customers innovative product tailored to your expectations. Companies are aware of the fact that customers are an important source of knowledge in the innovation process, and the human factor plays a leading role in creating innovation. The focus on relationships with customers is especially important for small and medium-sized businesses that have limited fi nancial resources (inter alia in the area of conducting research) in terms of identifying new and costly innovative solutions.