APC 2009 Annual Report Download - page 24

2009 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC22
DESCRIPTION OFTHEGROUP, ITSMARKETS ANDITSBUSINESSES
1A STRATEGIC FOCUS ON BALANCING THEENERGYEQUATION
Panelbuilders: experts in their area
Panelbuilders make and sell electrical distribution or control/
monitoring switchboards, primarily for the Buildings, Energy and
Infrastructure markets. Their main customers are contractors.
Panelbuilders mostly buy low and medium voltage devices, such
as circuit breakers and contactors, and increasingly, prefabricated
systems.
There are more than 20,000 panelbuilders around the world with
specifi c expertise and areas of specialization. Schneider Electric
serves them with a tailored set of products and services that can
help enhance their end product. Selected panelbuilders, chosen
for their professionalism and ability to promote Schneider Electric’s
quality and safety values, receive advanced technical and marketing
support.
Contractors: indispensable partners
forbuilding dedicated solutions
To devise customised solutions to end-users’ specific needs,
Schneider Electric works closely with contractors.
These partners add unique value by turning customers’ ideas into
effective, working systems. They also often advise customers about
the different possible solutions before a project begins.
Contractors range from specialized or general electricians to large
companies that implement equipment and systems, to OEMs.
Schneider Electric works actively with contractors by offering
technical training and advice to help them devise the best response
for a given project, from simple to complex applications.
The Group adds measurable value to contractor’s projects and
creates relations based on mutual trust.
Systems integrators: an effective local alliance
General and specialist systems integrators design, develop and
support automation systems to meet customers’ process needs
for performance, reliability, precision and effi ciency.
Under the Group’s approach, systems integrators are Schneider
Electric’s main customers and partners for reaching the automation
market, providing great fl exibility in offering solutions to end users.
Customers get the best of both worlds, with global coverage and
local contacts.
Schneider Electric has considerably expanded its automation line up,
giving systems integrators access to a powerful platform covering
the entire automation pyramid, from fi eld control to manufacturing
execution systems (MES).
The Group’s objective is to develop and strengthen this partnership
with a view to enhancing its partners’ competitiveness and creating
new shared resources to grow business.
Schneider Electric provides these partners with:
•dedicated technical, commercial and promotional cooperation
and support;
•advanced engineering resources, including specialized training
and application libraries;
•exclusive access to project opportunities, resources and
knowledge.
OEMs: partners in performance
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) continuously seek to
improve machine performance and maintenance to meet their
customers’ needs in areas ranging from packaging to textiles,
elevators to conveying, and materials handling and hoisting to HVAC.
Schneider Electric works closely with nearly 30,000 OEMs, leveraging
its expertise and know-how to nurture their special partnership. Its
strengths include:
•extensive knowledge of OEMs’ applications;
•dedicated centres of excellence that offer the most competitive
solutions for new machines;
•international customer support to deliver high-performance after-
sales service worldwide;
•a dedicated programme for multi-site and global OEMs that
enhances their ability to offer superior solutions on an international
level.
Energy utilities : great growth potential
There are some 11,000 electric companies around the world. They
use Schneider Electric products and services in power generation
(electricity for renewable energy production, power plant equipment,
automation and control), transmission (quality control and metering),
distribution (medium and low voltage networks) and marketing (pre-
payment meters, related services, peak management).
The Group responds effectively to their expectations for local
service with applications support and innovative products that help
them meet important challenges like market deregulation and the
development of renewable energies.
Global Strategic Accounts: a dedicated
organisation
Schneider Electric has a dedicated organisation for global enterprises
interested in developing special relationships with their key suppliers.
The Group’s preferred supplier contracts ensure high-level contacts
for these global strategic accounts.
Thanks to shorter communication and decision-making circuits, this
organisation 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 a company’s
international expansion and achieve the highest level of customer
satisfaction.
Some 60 global customers benefi t from this organisation , including
Air Liquide, GlaxoSmithKline, IBM, Lafarge, Nestlé, Total, Toyota,
Veolia Environnement and Walmart.
They are able to tap into the Group’s deep knowledge of process
automation , energy management in large industrial and commercial
buildings, data centre protection and electrical distribution .
In 2008, BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) recognised Australian
software subsidiary Citect for its contribution to a key application with
an award for Business Excellence and Innovation.