A CUSTOMER-ORIENTED MANAGEMENT MECHANISM FOR IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF RAILWAY TRANSPORT SERVICES

This article develops a customer-oriented management mechanism designed to improve the efficiency of railway transport services. The study examines the theoretical foundations of customer orientation, drawing on market orientation theory, the service-profit chain, the SERVQUAL and Kano models, importance–performance analysis (IPA), and the European standard EN 13816 for public passenger transport service quality. It provides a comparative analysis of traditional production-oriented and customer-oriented railway management models, highlighting their key differences in strategic objectives, performance indicators, and managerial decision-making processes. Drawing on the performance indicators of Uzbekistan's railway transport sector for 2025 and the development targets established for 2030, the study identifies opportunities to improve the alignment between service provision and customer expectations. Based on these findings, a four-component customer-oriented management mechanism structured around the Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) cycle is proposed.