APC 1998 Annual Report Download - page 14

Schneider 2000+
Growth, competitiveness and new
Competitive growth
The Schneider 2000 improvement plan was
launched in early 1996 with seven ambitious
objectives: to create value for our customers,
employees, and shareholders, and to be faster,
more efficient, and more global in order to
achieve the ultimate goal of competitive growth.
Today, Schneider is in the midst of profound
change. Halfway into the project, we have
accomplished a great deal, but much remains
to be done. We have explored new growth
paths and tried new experiments, notably
in the area of services. In the years ahead,
our ambition is to do even more, better
and must faster. Fortunately, we have the people
and resources to keep the momentum going.
Creating value
for our customers
Schneider Electric has built a solid reputation
on product excellence, which is one key source of
customer satisfaction. But the speed of new product
development, the quality of our service, and the
commitment of our people are just as decisive.
In 1998, we set up help desks in the United States,
France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom
in order to handle customer complaints more effectively.
We have focused on listening more carefully to customer
needs, leveraging experience and taking remedial
and preventive action, as well as on continuously
evaluating the value we effectively add to our customers’
businesses—in particular through productivity gains
and time savings.
To work faster, we routinely exchange information on
best practices within the Company. This has translated
into shorter lead times; in the past three years,
we have cut our average product development time in
half. In addition, scorecards have been implemented
to track major projects.
To be more global, we systematically promote coop-
eration among our Country Organizations to develop
solutions that are better suited to local markets.
Examples of collaborative projects that combined local
skills include the Merlin Gerin Blokset electrical distribution
panelboard, developed by our teams in Brazil,
Indonesia, Colombia and France, and the Merlin Gerin
Trophy circuit breakers, developed by Schneider in
France and the United States.
Help desks play an important role
in resolving customer complaints quickly.
Seven objectives for Schneider 2000+.
for our customers,
our employees, and our
shareholders...
to grow
to be even more global,
more efficient,
and faster.