Starting situation

Schuler Pressen GmbH, based in Germany, is the largest press manufacturer in the world, and its customers include suppliers as well as renowned manufacturers in the automotive industry. The challenge for the leader in forming technology was to secure long-term profitability and growth, and set itself apart from competitors in the low-price segment.
 

Approach

Starting points for professionalizing customer planning were determined by the Center for Industrial Marketing applying the Quick KAM-Performance Check. Together with executives and sales representatives of Schuler Pressen GmbH, we elaborated in workshops what successful and targeted customer planning should ideally look like. The objective was to enable key account managers in the future to consistently manage globally active key customers, such as the Volkswagen Group. This required combining and providing all relevant information in a key account plan. To this end, a tailored plan for global account management was developed and established as an integral part of day-to-day business activities.
 

Outcome

Realigning its global account management has helped Schuler Pressen GmbH to increasingly incorporate its customers’ perspectives thanks to a targeted planning process. Today, all employees involved are able to systematically identify the requirements of key account customers and determine the strategic direction for the cooperation. Key account managers as well as employees from the project and service business area now have a clear guideline for working together with key customers worldwide in a targeted manner.