Patricia Seybold coined the term "Customer Ecosystem" in 2008. She defines it this way: "A customer ecosystem occurs when an entire network of individuals and organizations are intentionally (or serendipitously) aligned to help customers achieve their desired outcomes as easily as possible." These customers may be consumers, patients, students, or business customers in various roles. The members of the ecosystem include the brand/company/organization that customers interact with directly, as well as all of the entities that play supporting (or inhibiting) roles in the customers' scenarios. In order for the ecosystem to be truly customer-centric, all of the players need to be measuring and monitoring how well they are doing in a) helping customers reach their goals and b) helping customers avoid frustration, delays, unnecessary expense, and/or inconvenience.