n the previous issue of QwikConnect, we highlighted the Glenair Guiding Principles, which form the backbone of the Glenair Quality Assurance program, and the company’s unique approach to customer service. Guiding Principle Number 8, Follow the Glenair "game-plan," spells out several of the more significant business and marketing tactics which have led to Glenair's current success. The principle states: "We compete on quality, flexibility, speed, availability, customer service, and complete market coverage; not on discount pricing, strong-arm sales agreements, exclusive distribution contracts or other 'conventional' marketing schemes."
Our "same day inventory" is a perfect example of the Glenair "game-plan" in action because it is based on winning the customer's business with the type of service and value they are happy to pay for, as opposed to relying on marketing gimmicks, deep discounts, and other "puff" programs to win the sale.
Taken one at a time, the positive elements of Guiding Principle Number 8 have the following meanings:
Quality
Designing quality into every product, and adhering to a quality system in every manufacturing and business process is a basic element of the Glenair "game-plan". Finding the ideal balance between customer expectations for quality and the "cost of quality" is, however, the real "art of the deal". At Glenair we are committed to shipping defect-free parts and to pursuing quality processes which result in "first time right" outcomes.
Flexibility
The expression, "There is a right way and a wrong way to do everything," has no place at Glenair. Our focus is on flexibility; on getting the job done regardless of how others might do it, or how it has been done in the past. If you find yourself answering, "we don't do that"," in response to an unusual customer request, you might not be behaving as flexibly as the Glenair "game-plan" calls for.
Speed
Next to quality, speed is perhaps the most important consideration to our customers. Anytime we can shorten a lead time on a custom order, reduce the turnaround on a quote, deliver a part faster than the competition, or bring a new product line to market sooner than expected, we are positioning Glenair as the market leader, and winning all the business we can handle as a consequence.
Availability
Availability means more than just "in stock". It means building product lines which are broader and more complete than the competition; it means tooling-up for parts that take away the last reason a buyer might have for choosing another company besides Glenair for an interconnect component, and it means staffing the phones with live people during the hours our customers want to do business.
Customer Service
Sometimes people think customer service just means being polite on the phone, or following up on a complaint or RMA, but it also means our "no minimum" order policy, and our commitment to provide the same quality of service, the same availability, the same fast turnaround, for both small and large orders.
Complete Market Coverage
As we say in our literature: From inner space to outer space...from telecommunications to oil exploration...from commercial to defense aviation...in every major market on the globe...the Glenair 'game-plan' is to provide full-service in every market we choose to serve. Our plan is to provide "blanket" coverage for the thousands of companies whose business interests, like ours, span the globe.
Next time in QwikConnect, we'll highlight Guiding Principle Number 5, "Building Win-Win Business Relationships”. |
