This diagram represents the perpetual flow of information and other resources between a supplier of a product (goods or services), and the customer/consumer of that product, with the four flow arrows referred to as the "Customer Focus". This document takes the Supplier’s viewpoint.

Under this concept, the basis of all Supplier operations is the Customer and their Requirements.

Focusing on the Customer requirement draws the Supplier towards continuous improvement, because the Customers will expect always higher quality products as time passes.

This continuous improvement is at the heart of quality and improvement movements. Note that the models in this document are not absolute "right answers" for the supplier, but are a start point for facilitating the improvement of the supplier’s enterprise.

The first phase of Customer Focus measures the Customer satisfaction with their current environment, including satisfaction with those products provided by the Supplier. The Supplier's potential requirements come from the Customer's needs that fall into Supplier mission/purpose areas. It currently doesn't matter what source the Customer is using to get these needs met. It is up to the Supplier to strive to satisfy them, if it is within their mission/purpose area. With aggressive efforts at "Exceeding Customer Expectations", the Supplier will evolve towards being the "Supplier of Choice" by its entire potential Customer base.