APC 2006 Annual Report Download - page 26

Thanks to shorter communication and decision-mak-
ing circuits, this organization can leverage resources
across the Group and around the world very quickly.
Dedicated teams and direct senior executive-level
involvement offer tangible value added that sets
Schneider Electric apart in its relationship with major
accounts. The goal is to provide the right solutions
and services at each stage of their international
expansion and achieve the highest level of customer
satisfaction.
Some 70 global customers benefit from this organiza-
tion, including Air Liquide, Carrefour, Ford, Glaxo
Smith Kline, IBM, Lafarge, Nestlé, PSA Peugeot
Citroën, Total, Toyota, Unilever, Veolia and Wal Mart.
They are able to tap into the Group’s deep knowledge
of process automation (automobile manufacturing,
cement production, etc.), energy management in
large industrial and commercial buildings (pharma-
ceuticals, mass retailing, etc.), IT center protection
and electrical distribution and monitoring for water
treatment.
Specifiers:
well-informed relays
Specifiers, including engineers, architects and design
firms, play a key role in meeting growing demands for
comfort, ergonomy and design. The Group keeps
these indispensable partners informed of all innova-
tions and solutions that improve installation perform-
ance, safety and comfort.
To do this, it organizes reserved exhibits, prepares
electrical installation guides, develops installation
design software and sets up training centers.
7. A global organization
with local roots
Schneider Electric has 105,000 employees around the
world. Thanks to its global organization and local oper-
ations and distribution networks, the Group can serve
international customers everywhere and meet local
customers’ expectations with solutions that comply
with each country’s specific standards and practices.
An organization focused
on growth and efficiency
Schneider Electric’s organization is designed to put
customers at the center of the product design process,
speed growth and execution, leverage all the benefits
of the Group’s global scope, and make it easier to inte-
grate acquisitions and deploy new activities.
The Group comprises:
8 business units
Building automation
Automation
Custom sensors and technologies
Power
Critical power & cooling services
Renewable energies*
Services and projects
Installation systems and control.
4 corporate divisions
Strategy, Customers & Technology
Finance
Human Resources and Managerial Communication
Globalization & Industry.
4 operating divisions
European Operating Division
North American Operating Division
Asia-Pacific Operating Division
International & Iberian Operating Division.
* Created in February 2007.
Powerful innovation resources
Schneider Electric’s sustained innovation strategy for
products, services, software and solutions helps it
widen its technological lead, enhance competitiveness
and quality, refresh and broaden the lineup more
quickly and generate high value-added growth.
The Group created an Innovation Department in
November 2006, headed by Bernard Larrouturou, for-
mer director of the French applied mathematics and
information technology public research institute (INRIA)
and French national scientific research center (CNRS).
The department’s mission is to deploy an ambitious
innovation process to bring innovative solutions in the
areas of energy efficiency, electrical distribution and
industrial automation to the market faster. It is also
responsible for strengthening Schneider Electric's ties
to the global scientific community in order to extend
technical partnerships with the world of research.
Customer-oriented processes
Innovation at Schneider Electric is primarily devoted to
making products, systems and services safe, easy to
install and use and futureproof–all with a clear focus
on customer expectations. Improving design quality,
offering simplicity through innovation, guaranteeing
technical compliance and reducing time to market are
ongoing objectives.
The Group involves its country organizations in devis-
ing the lineup and increasingly co-develops with major
customers, notably OEMs.
Schneider Electric is committed to developing and
patenting products that can be marketed worldwide.
This strategy of globalization allows the Group to pen-
etrate a maximum number of markets while optimizing
costs.
Description of the company and its businesses
24