Customer focus at Siemens AG

"If we don't smile, why should our customer smile?" With these words, Lorenz Zimmermann, Managing Director of Siemens AG in Ireland, opened his introductory lecture to a workshop event centered on customer focus. More than 600 employees participated in the event -  everyone took part, from the doorman to the manager. And they didn't just listen. In small groups comprised of five persons, they dedicated several hours to examining issues such as: How can we better satisfy our customers? What do our customers expect of us? What impresses and enthuses them? And what can we do to make our customers smile?
With this event, the workforce kicked off a long-term initiative to improve customer satisfaction with their company.

Certainly, customer focus is not a new topic, but it has never been more topical. Though providing high-quality products at a competitive price is a key prerequisite for success, today it is far from the only success factor. Personal relationships with customers, as well as knowing and catering to their wishes, are frequently decisive.

This insight inspired Siemens AG to launch a worldwide, long-term initiative called Promoting Customer Orientation. The first step was to engineer a change program to promote an enduring improvement in customer-centric focus. The challenge was formidable: In order to make such a program viable for deployment in Europe, the Americas and Asia, it would entail taking into account the different cultural conditions within a globally operating corporation.

Joining forces with Siemens AG's intercultural project team, the Agamus Consult task force developed and realized an implementation concept. Martin Buschmeier, Project Manager at the Siemens Learning Campus, considered it vital to engage all employees, enlisting their proactive participation in the development and implementation of concrete measures.

After just five months of intense development efforts, the initiative - including all guides and associated materials - was ready for rollout. A very successful pilot project in Ireland provided the underpinning for the full-fledged program's global rollout.

Current results from the Ireland pilot project are impressive. Lorenz Zimmermann noted, "We were more than impressed with the number and quality of suggestions for improvement. Customers appreciably rewarded much of what we implemented." Furthermore: "We are confident that in this form, the program will bring about the same success in other areas and countries."   

Dr. Peter Niebisch, Agamus Consult