Today, why is it unavoidable to buy at a higher price to secure supplies?
Rémi, you’re in charge of 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 better support our biggest customers, who are often multi-site in Europe in particular. You know, with our contacts at Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Mars or 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 proposals… and, of course, through exchange. Little by little, they come to see us as a full-fledged member of their own team, and from that point on we can work together to build the added value I was talking about.
You know, we sometimes have 15 different contacts for the same customer, one per site. It’s our role to optimize 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.
Over the past two years, we’ve been going through a difficult period. Has this 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 impacted us all.
Our role in 2022 will perhaps be less focused on development than on securing supplies and finding appropriate solutions.
We anticipate and work hard to implement 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, optimized palletizing layer pad weights, and the ease with which these lightweight formats can be picked up… we’re responding in concrete terms to a tense market, and it’s a good example of the alternative we’re proposing and regularly implementing today in factories that hadn’t yet perceived the benefits.
To find out more, contact our EXPERTS.
It’s a tough time of year, isn’t it?
Once again, this is the very basis of our key account unit. Our dedicated European team is a real added value. It supports and takes care of 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 must admit that we do miss the direct exchanges with our contacts – digitalization is no substitute for human contact!