Today, why is it inevitable to buy at a higher price to secure supplies?
Rémi, you head up CGP Coating Innovation’s key account unit. Why did you set up this dedicated unit?
We decided to set up this key account department in 2012 to provide better support for our biggest customers, who often have multiple sites, particularly in Europe. You know, with our contacts at Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Mars and Nestlé, for example, we have a relationship based on trust and co-construction. Trust is earned through time, responsiveness, unfailing follow-through, being a source of ideas… and, of course, through dialogue. Gradually they come to see us as a fully-fledged member of their own team, and from then on we can work together to create the added value I was talking about.
As you know, we sometimes have 15 different contacts for the same customer, one per site. It’s our role to optimise progress for everyone, new developments, pass on feedback… and this sometimes leads us internally to think about new solutions, new products that we develop in parallel. It’s a win-win virtuous circle.
We’ve been going through a difficult period over the last two years. Has that had an impact on your relationship?
On the contrary. Together we have shown solidarity and responsibility. We have worked hard to find alternatives to protect supplies for everyone, for example. Both in 2020, to meet strong demand, and in 2021, when the shortage of paper and cardboard had an impact on us all.
Our role in 2022 will perhaps be less focused on development than on securing supplies and finding appropriate solutions.
We are anticipating and working hard to put in place alternatives when they are useful or necessary. With our Excalibur solution, for example, our integrated interlayer format cutting machine, we bring real flexibility to production lines. Our customers immediately have fewer references to manage, thanks to multi-dimensional cutting, optimised pallet insert weights, and the ease with which these lightweight formats can be picked up… We’re providing a concrete response to a market that’s getting tighter, and it’s a good example of the alternative that we’re offering and that we’re regularly implementing today in factories that hadn’t yet seen the value of it.
To find out more, contact our EXPERTS.
It’s a tough time of year, isn’t it?
Once again, that’s the very basis of our key account unit. Our dedicated Europe team is a real added value. It supports and looks after our customers.
Of course, it will continue to do so during this troubled period, with the appropriate resources. This does not prevent us from working and completing our projects. But I have to admit that we do miss the direct exchanges with our contacts – digitalization is no substitute for human contact!