09/05/2007
The carbide expert CERATIZIT is becoming ever faster
New: ’QuickService’ allows a variant configuration in record time |
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”It is our duty to deliver standard products rapidly”, says Markus Leuprecht from the business segment tool makers and rods at the carbide expert CERATIZIT. But Leuprecht wants even more for his customers. “We need to provide the maximum; an ever increasing number of customers needs tailor-made products. Nevertheless, in the ideal case the delivery should arrive at the customer's as fast as the standard programme will allow. In the business segment tool makers and rods, Leuprecht reacts to this challenge with QuickService, which allows fast individualisation by means of the so called ‘variant configuration’..
The expert in business management describes the strategic meaning of this procedure. “The request of our customers for individualised products is understandable. The fact that CERATIZIT indisputably offers the widest assortment of rods is no longer sufficient. We are after all active in markets characterised by intensive competition, so it is undoubtedly necessary to face the task of analysing our customer’s individual requests to be able in addition to assert our excellent position in these markets. The goal of the variant configuration is to offer customers an individual and inexpensive solution of optimised quality. After three days already, the customer receives his tailor-made carbide rods. “The model we are following is the online configurators of PC manufacturers in the Web, such as Dell”, states Markus Leuprecht.
QuickService – accelerate orders
The ‘variant configuration’ is a system which summarises all technical data on rods: length, diameter, grades, coolant holes etc. Via a user surface integrated in the SAP the requested product can be configured in only a few steps. Pressing a button, the employee in charge of the client will receive the requested product choosing from a range of components and options. Both price and delivery times are determined automatically, so the rods may be ordered immediately for the customer.
Thanks to this system CERATIZIT is in the position to create flexible personalised offers for rods, even with extremely short response times. As the orders which CERATIZIT receives via QuickService are also worked separately in production, the high speed of the entire process is further guaranteed. In fact the QuickService orders are carried out by a production unit which was specifically created for this purpose. The final touch of all QuickService orders is the high degree of automation of all logistics processes.
“We introduced QuickService last autumn. For now it can only be used by the office staff and the sales companies. We are thinking about creating an online interface for our customers on the medium run", states Leuprecht, looking at the prospects.
The business segment tool makers and rods at CERATIZIT serves more than 1,000 customers worldwide. The products are various types of carbide rods, including more than 900 standard articles. All standard articles are also available in the E-TECHSTORE (CERATIZIT online shop).
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