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University of the Studies of Turin
Faculty of Economy
“Foreign trade”

Reporter

Pierantonio Bertero

Graduand

Simona Sciarappa

The satisfaction of the customer
CASE UNITEC

BACHELOR THESIS

Summary

Introduction

The satisfaction of the customer is a fascinating topic, essentially separated but at the same time fundamental for every company that it wants to have happened.
It is a argument dealt already from some years, but to whose importance has been given normative relief only recently, thanks to the norms of quality Vision 2000.
For being able to comprise such argument better, I have taken part to a short course on norms ISO held near the company Dayco Europe SpA from the Director of the Quality, Sig. Paggiarin. The same ones suggest to the companies to turn particular attention to the own customers, supporting that such cure will not be able that to carry remarkable advantages in the time.
To such scope, they propose to carry out periodic surveyings in order to study the needs and the level of satisfaction puts into effect them of the fruitori of the own products and services.
With such it turns out to you, will have subsequently to be undertaken actions of continuous improvement in order to overwhelm the gap finds to you in the waits of the customers, regarding the services receipts. Moreover, such studies will serve in order to obtain interesting cues for the future job, let alone indications for the trend towards which the economic field of reference it is turned.
The feedbacks of the customers go always monitorati, but in such occasions there is the opportunity to choose which give to obtain to you, preparing surveyings second the own requirements.
The advantages deriving from these surveyings could but not to be such to justify the implementazione of a system that, regularly, of it previews the realization and the study of turns out to you.
In order to testify the effective effectiveness of surveyings, and therefore the convenience for the companies to adopt the suggestions of puts into effect them norms ISO, is occupied to me to carry out of one near the company Unitec D GmbH.
The job that I have begun to carry out near such company, beginning from May 2004, like member of customer the beloveds staff, has given the possibility to me to take contact with the business customers and of being able to interview them, through a questionnaire realized in collaboration with my reporter, Prof. Bertero, the General Manager, Dr. Marino, and my responsible.
Being the first questionnaire of such kind carried out near the Unitec, they are it introduces some problems to you of management of such job, becomes simpler to you but from the support granted from the Unitec Services&Web, than it has been taken care of the graphical part and the Internet instruments.
A positive experience has been revealed, in the first place for the increase of the contact with the business customers, than they have been shown, to times, made curious from such proposal.
The impact has been pleasant, and is served also in order to re-establish some old relationships and to intensify of others.
Moreover it has been provided to a modernization of database the customers business, instrument of fundamental importance for a company.
In the job introduced here I have exposed in the first place to the advantages deriving from positive relationships intense you and with the own customers, obtainable through the constant cure of the same ones. Surveyings of customer satisfaction do not have other purpose if not to help the enterprises in such difficult task, suggesting methodologies and instruments adapted to the scope.
After a short exposure of the new norms of international qualities Vision 2000, I have introduced the subject company of such surveying, the Unitec High Tech Industrieprodukte Vertriebs GmbH.
Finally, there is the presentation of the carried out survey and of it turns out obtained to you.
Such elaboration will be of usefullness for the interviews that will be carried out in future near the customers Unitec GmbH, with regularity anniversary, therefore like suggested from ISO 9001.

1. The satisfaction of the customer

1.1. Evolution of the concept of Understood them Customer/h4>

The customer today is considered part centers them of whichever company, and its value estimated like a true one and just understood them, to manage and to conserve with cure.
In passed the companies they were oriented mainly to the production, but in 1929 a world-wide crisis of the markets, caused from an inferior question regarding the offer and culminated in the landslide of the Ag of Wall street, gave the birth to new theories of marketing and began a way that has carried the companies to focus itself on the market and its real requirements.
In 1970 nacque the conception quality is free (the quality is free), is worth to say the conviction that a continuous improvement of the processes carried is inner efficiency, therefore cost reduction, is the satisfaction of the customer.
Always in these years, the institutes of market researches begin to be born and to develop themselves, given over to the study and the control of the attitudes and the behaviors of the consumers, regarding several categories of existing products.
In years Eighty instead, to continuation of the expansion of the consumptions and to the crescent competitiveness of the companies, the satisfaction of the customer divenne the priority objective to pursue, and not one consequence of the general business improvement.
It was supported was more convenient to maintain a customer that continuously to acquire some of new, and for this the use of techniques of measurement of its satisfaction was favorite.
During the years ‘ 90 these concepts of quality and satisfaction were integrated and strengthen to you from localization on the fidelity of the customers (or customer loyalty), like key in order to increase the profits.
The companies are today totally aware that their fates are tied to the power of chosen of the customer and that It is the true patrimony of the company.
First years 2000 are being revealed orient to you to search and to supply the value of purchase 1 , composed from the three variable ones: price, quality of the product and service.
The weight of single the variable ones is subjective for every customer, and is from the appraisal of the same ones that will then depend the total satisfaction reported to the single purchase.

1.2 The customer

Customer “, some restrictive ones exist numerous definitions of the term “, the other most complete ones.
The norm Iso 9000:2000 2 defines it like “organization or person that receives a product”, listing a.tito it of example: consumer, committente, final utilizzatore, retailer, beneficiary and purchaser.
A wider definition includes in the concept of “customer” is the external customers, understandings like fruitori, is the inner customers, that is the dependent of the company.
Usually when it is spoken about satisfaction of the customer refers to the utilizzatori of the assets or business services to us.
These have their part an immense power, the choice faculty, that it can determine the survival less or than a company.
It is of costoro that the needs, the habits and the preferences in order to understand of which products are studied and services need, but above all monitora their level of satisfaction in order to align the business performances supplied to those waits.
Remarkable importance has also the inner customer of every company, that is the dependent of the same one.
Task of every organization is to try to withhold the just inner valid elements, that they create value to the rendered service let alone to the same image of the company, gratifying them and supporting them in their job.
Often the satisfaction of the external customer closely is tied to that one of the inner customer.
Many times in fact the front-linen staff is, for the fruitore, the only connection with the erogatrice company; from the type of supplied service and the attitude of these employee the level of satisfaction of the customers gushes above all therefore part of the corporate image and. It would be necessary therefore to support in their job, to recognize and to reward the persons of satisfactory contact so as to they judged.

  • Note 1: M. Figini, Debit value to the requirements of the customers and the dependent of the company, And FrancoAngeli, Milan, 2003
  • Note 2: Norm UNI EN ISO 9000, article 3,3,5, And UNI, Milan, 2000

1.3 Customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention

Therefore like for the concept of “customer”, also for that one of “satisfaction”, or “customer satisfaction” the definitions are multiple. One of these is: “the state in which the needs, desires, the expectations of the customer are satisfied and carry to I buy back of the products and/or of the services it distributes to you and to the fidelity to the erogatrice company”.
Also in this case norm ISO 9000:2000 helps us, defining “Satisfaction of the customer: Perception of the customer on how much its requirement have been satisfied “ 3 .
Norm ISO evidences a fundamental aspect of the satisfaction concept, that is the perception of the customer.
This means that in truth the only criterion of appraisal that indeed you count is that one of the customer, and supplying a service, to seeming of the supplier, of quality, does not imply that the fruitore of the same one is satisfied.
In the perception of the customer satisfaction can be had, dissatisfaction or delight. The satisfaction is the opinion of the customer who turns out from the refuse, positive negative or, between the perception of the prodotto/servizio acquired and its expectations.
Expectations and perception are influenced from the difference between the benefits (attended or perceived), supported costs (attended or perceived) and pointers of quality of the service.
The state of the satisfaction, defined in relation to the waits, can assume three states base:

  • Satisfaction, when the expectations have been caught up.
  • Dissatisfaction, when the expectations have been disregarded and they are found of the gap to overwhelm.
  • Delight, when the expectations have been exceeded and indeed force points are found to maximize.

Two types of satisfaction exist: instantaneous and accumulated. The instantaneous satisfaction is that one perceived during the single purchase; that one accumulated is given from the sum of the experiences pregresse and forms in the customers a positive image of the just supplying one.
When the customer perceives a high level of accumulated satisfaction, she becomes stablily faithful, therefore loyal. The customer loyalty it is, in fact, definable like the intention or the predisposition of the customer to acquire a prodotto/servizio, provoked from the positive impression that the company has provoked in the previous relations.
Aware choice is one, a preference that the customer makes in the comparisons of supplying determining.
Various it is instead the case of the customer retention, that is of the customers withholdings, maintained.
Costoro is faithful in how much repeats the purchase from we, but they are not satisfied, of all or in part, of the servizio/prodotto received; they do not change supplier because of the high costs of change, or for lack of alternatives, like in the monopoly cases. In the case of customers withholdings because of barriers to mobility, therefore not in the case of monopolies, the fidelity condition can be forced until to a sure level, equivalent to the limit after which the costs of change sopportare in order to replace the supplier are greater of the value of the permanence as customer near the same one.
The value of the permanence is composed from two elements: the value of satisfaction (VS) that the customer perceives making use of the servizi/prodotti of the supplier puts into effect them, and from the structural costs of change (CCk) sopportare in order to change supplier.
The condition of stability of a customer with the supplier therefore is given from the expression:

Figure 1,1 Condition of stability of a customer

Figure 1,1 Condition of stability of a customer
Source: Gramma (1993) 4

It extension like a satisfied customer remains faithful to the same company until the satisfaction perceived from the received service, added to the structural costs of change, is greater of the change costs that it would be disposed sopportare also to change supplier (CCs).
The customer retention it can also be understanding in positive sense, that is like percentage of customers withholdings like consequence of one more and more strongly fidelizzazione.
The process that is created in this case is, in fact, following:

Figure 1,2 the process of retention

Figure 1,2 the process of retention
Source: Fedel (1998) 5

This succession is guaranteed from a search carried out in the United States, concerning the relationship between level of satisfaction and rate practiced fidelity.
According to the same one, a variation of 10% in the index of satisfaction of the customer has like result one variation of the 9,5% in the rate retention.

  • Note 3: Norm UNI EN ISO 9000, article 3,1,4, op. cit.
  • Note 4: Gramma, Customer Satisfaction, And ISEDI, Turin, 1993
  • Note 5: To Fedel, Thanks for the claim!, And FrancoAngeli, Milan, 1998

1.4 The value of the satisfaction

Understood them the customer is a fundamental good for a company, but it is also difficult to obtain and above all to estimate.
The value of the customers re-enters in fact between the so-called invisibili resources, that is between the “resources based on the information or that they incorporate it”, which “the confidence of the consumers, the image of marks, the control of the distribution, the abilities to management” 6 .
These resources are considered more and more like key factors of the competitive advantage of whichever company. The situation odierna of the markets introduces a smaller question of the offer; the number of upgrades them customers is insufficient, and that makes yes that the cost of acquisition of the same increases.
It has been calculated moreover that to characterize a new customer it costs in average six times more than to maintain it once acquired. For this reason, it mainly turns out convenient to maintain the already acquired customers faithful, trying to increase the volume of transactions with they.
A faithful customer acquires a particular value for the company, data approximately from the frequency and from the entity of its she acquires repeated, considered along all the arc of the duration of its relationship with the supplier.
The fidelity of the customer gives many advantages in a generalized manner to the company, last the same one does not help to create an image of himself and its products better.
The customers who entertain long-lasting relations with a company, beyond needing of smaller operating costs for this last one, are greater sources of gain. Being satisfied of the previous experiences, they are more tilts to giving ulterior confidence the just supplying one, and consequently to carry out it is relative purchases you to the prodotti/servizi usuals in consisting way more and more (upselling), than to other products comprised in the range of offer of the same supplier.
Philip Kotler Writes: “the experience of the enterprises puts in evidence that the how much longest one is the duration of the customers relation, greater it is the profittabilità of the customers”. Moreover, the positive image that the company has constructed towards the customer the protegge mainly from the abandonment risk, in the case takes place an episode strongly also dissatisfaction. Better analyzing the value of the satisfaction of the customer, or customer satisfaction, we find positive effects you:

  • on the revenues. The increase of the fidelity of the customer increases the sales in the time, thanks to the repetition of the purchases. The revenues from cross-selling grow, in how much the customer is inclined to acquire other products or services of the same supplier. Moreover there is greater availability to pay a price premium, or exorbitant price, as consequence of the inactivity in the search of alternatives; the faithful customers remain, in fact, he isolates to you from the incentives on the prices and the offered ones of the competition.
  • on the costs. The operating costs of the already acquired customers are smaller, in how much if of it they know already habits and needs. The costs of acquisition of new customers, thanks to the positive passaparola diminish moreover.
  • on the business patrimony. The passaparola before cited creates an improvement of the corporate image; moreover, the satisfied customers create motivation in the dependent.

In order to obtain the fidelity of the customer, or customer loyalty, it in the first place must satisfy it. A satisfied customer becomes faithful because she wishes to return to equip from the same company; moreover, he enriches the fornitrice company making of publicity positive and priming a vituous circle of positive relationships you with who it is in front line (front linens), rendering and satisfying the mutual relation pleasant.

Note 6: H. Itami, the invisibili resources, Turin 1988

1.5 The costs of the dissatisfaction

We have seen, shortly, how much a satisfied customer and above all faithful it can be worth for a company.
Beyond to all the positive effects cited you, we must mention the aspects denied to you, indeed lethal, than the dissatisfaction of the customer it can instead provoke.
Essential it is to remember that the customer has from its part the most powerful arm: the choice.
If it is insoddisfatto of the received service, can decide in every moment to abandon, determining for the fornitrice company in the first place loss to us of revenues, but not only.
Therefore like the passaparola (Wom, word of mouth) positive enriches the company, viceversa the passaparola negative of the insoddisfatto customer impoverisce it, but in more powerful way.
According to a search carried out from the Tarp (Technical Assistance Research Programs) in fact, a insoddisfatto customer tells the reasons of its dissatisfaction medium to others 8-10 upgrades them customers.
Part of these stretches to they time to diffuse negative news on that company, also never not having tried directly the experience.
To the end a vicious circle is created that brings damage to the same image of the company, which difficultly will succeed to reconquer those upgrades them customers with marketing campaigns; the customers upgrade them are, in fact, more he tilts to giving confidence to who already has used near that company rather than to the publicity. The costs of the dissatisfaction can be reassumed in:

  • losses of opportunity on insoddisfatti customers. In this within the entered lacked ones are comprised because of lost customers, and the smaller revenues which had to the lessening of the purchases carry out you from the customers and to the passaparola negative that the same ones determine.
  • costs of the management of the disservizio. The company will have in fact as an example to undertake actions of recovery of the customer, consisting in reductions in price or the distributed substitution of the prodotto/servizio.
  • costs of replacement of the customers, that is the supported costs in order to acquire new customers in place of those lost ones, and deterioration of the corporate image.
Figure the 1,3 costs of the dissatisfaction

Figure the 1,3 costs of the dissatisfaction
Source: Gramma (1993) 7

 Note 7: Gramma, op. cit.

1.6 The claim

The effects denied provoke to you to you from the dissatisfaction are decidedly a problem for every company; it would be then important to know of the base reasons.
It is not but easy to obtain these information, giacché the percentage of insoddisfatti customers that protests is minimal, of 4% approximately, while majority (at least the 2/3) is limited to change supplier, without giving some marks them.
The cause of this minimal percentage of claims forwards to you is, in primis, the attitude assumed in a generalized manner from the companies that receive them: disinterestedness, annoyance, drainage of personal liability.
This makes yes that customer, also if insoddisfatto, not makes effort to declare this its state, because knows that probably it will not be appreciated, indeed will bring solo disturbance.
In the second place, often the procedure for sporgere a claim very is not defined, or is complex, and that disincentive the customer.
This type of business behavior often is generated from the pessimistic vision that is had of the claim.
It comes in fact considered as it marks them of a disservizio and therefore of angry attitude from part of the customer.
In truth, a defect is not said that disservizio (or), also being not an objective correspondence between the promised performance and that one really distributed, it provokes dissatisfaction in the customer, and less than never that the attitude of this last one is necessarily aggressive.
The dissatisfaction is in fact the provoked negative feeling from the lacked correspondence between the performances objective supplied and the expectations matured from the customer, but necessarily it is not caused from a disservizio.
Better, the disservizi represent only one of the dissatisfaction causes, and not always the disservizi generate dissatisfaction.
The claim can be provoked also from a feeling of indifference of the customer towards the received service, that is the perception not to have received nothing more than that that had the right to expect.
The corrected attitude to hold in claim case would be ringraziare the customer for the taken engagement, for the gift that porge to its supplier. Indeed, analyzing to the claims receipts, a company can improve just the service, and especially, it can make it from the point of view of who makes use some.
Every company would have therefore to organize a good system of service recovery (recovery of the service), that is that with of activity that they begin with the recepimento of a claim and finish with the full satisfaction of the customer who has it stall.
It in the first place must succeed to identify the claims, since can be expressed with various modalities.
The claim is in fact one whichever manifestation implicit or explicit, of dissatisfaction or not full satisfaction (indifference) from part of the customer, even if not imputable to errors of the organization.
It does not have therefore to consider claims only the aggressive, sporadic attitudes, of the customers.
An effective management of the claim is one of the more powerful means in order to satisfy and to fidelizzare the customers; it has been in fact demonstrated that the propensione to I buy back decidedly more is elevated if the insoddisfatto customer receives one positive resolution.
The management of a claim, if very trained, is a lot appreciated from the customer in the first place because it increases the degree of personalizzazione of the relationship, of usual based on procedural standards. For the company it is a large opportunity, because it allows to differ from the concurrent others and it is made to appreciate for the own abilities.
In the second place, if the solution proposed from the supplier succeeds to surprise the customer, these, from a situation of dissatisfaction or indifference, will be carried to a high level of satisfaction, with the relati to you positive aspects you:

  • 7 customers on 10 who sporgono a claim will return if the claim will be accepted;
  • it is arrived to 95% if the claim comes instantaneously resolved on the place;
  • if the customer obtains satisfaction she will diffuse its positive impression to others 5 persons 8 .

Most important it would be then to try to render the procedure of claim for the customer easiest, indeed not satisfaction from perceived he would have to push the customer to esporci whichever reason.
The searches of customer satisfaction are one of the instruments that the company has to its disposition in order to know the real expectations of the own customers and in order to know the areas in which the same one it can improve.

Note 8: To Fedel, op. cit.

2. The Customer Satisfaction in Vision 2000

2.1 International the normative system

International norm ISO (International Organization Standard) 9000 born in year 1979, collecting and unificando the norms of the various world-wide Countries.
It was adopted in Europe in 1987, and known in Italy the next year. Previously every nation adopted own norms of quality, creating difficulty for the production companies, which had to be inquired and to adapt just the Organizational System favouring the various norms.
In order to obviate to this barrier, the national organisms of standardization of numerous world-wide States founded the ISO with the scope to facilitate the world-wide commerce, unificando the norms. The national agencies of European standardization are combine in the CEN (European Committee to you of Standardization) 9 and are held to recepire norms ISO with status of national norm, in compliance with the common rules established.
The Italian normative agency is the UNI (Italian National Agency of Unification); recependo norms ISO, in Italy these become norms UNI EN 10 ISO. The same ones, are recepite in Germany from the DIN (Deutsche Institut Normung).
In the 1994 large review of the norms was one before, creating norms ISO 9001:1994, ISO 9002:1994 (for the companies without activity of planning) and ISO 9003:1994 (for the companies of services) that it pushed many companies to demand the certification to the various certificatori agencies. These norms were but too much complex (ISO 9001 contained 24 points), especially for the companies with activity of planning to their inside; for this reason in the 2000 they endured an ulterior review and they came joined in international norm ISO 9001:2000.
This last one, together to ulterior norms ISO 9000:2000 and ISO 9004:2000, takes the name of Vision 2000.

2.2 Vision 2000

Family ISO 9000:2000 comprises therefore the following international norms:

  • ISO 9000:2000. It describes to the foundations of the systems of management for the quality and of specific the terminology.
  • ISO 9001:2000. Specific requirement of the systems of management for the quality. It is the used norm when it is necessary to demonstrate the ability to an organization in supplying produced that they satisfy requirement of the customers, those of ambles prescribed applicable and those to you established from the same organization.
  • ISO 9004:2000. It supplies of the lines guides on the application of the systems of management for the quality, holding account is of the effectiveness that of the efficiency of the same ones. Beyond including the process of continuous improvement of the performances of the organization, it not only considers the satisfaction of the external customer (previewed in ISO 9001), but of all the interested parts.

 

The certification of the system of management of the quality for the companies can be demanded to forehead of norm ISO 9001.
Later on to an inspecting verification carried out near the center and the operating units of the organization, the certificatore agency (which the certification is an independent organism) rilascia.

Figura 2.1 Vision 2000

Figure 2,1 Vision 2000
Source: Dayco Europe SpA (2004) 11

  • Note 9: The Countries members of the CEN are Low Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Islanda, Italy, Lussemburgo, Norway, Countries, Portugal, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
  • Note 10: EN: in order to identify the norms recepite from the CEN.
  • Note 11: Course on the quality held near the society Dayco Europe SpA, Chivasso (TO) in day 25,03,2004, from the Director of the Quality, Sig. Paggiarin

2.3 The principles of management for the quality

Norms ISO 9000:2000 and ISO 9004:2000 identify eight principles of management to hold in consideration in order to facilitate the attainment of object you for the quality, therefore in order to manage the company in direction of the improvement of the performances. The first one of these is the guideline to the customer; that ribadisce the importance and the enormous value of the same one, like evidenced in the first one understood it. To this purpose, the norm says: “organizations 12 depend on the own customers and would have therefore to understand their present and future requirements, to satisfy their requirement 13 and to aim to exceed their same expectations”. The successes to you principles are:

  • Leadership. The inner climate of every organization is created in prevalence from the heads, for this costoro they would have to try to maintain a climate being involved and stimulating.
  • Involvement of the staff. The organization is formed from the collaborators, which, if totally been involved, succeed to totally lavish their abilities to the company.
  • Approach for processes. If the business activities and resources are managed like a process, it turns out are obtained to you with greater efficiency.
  • Sistemico approach to the management. The processes are between they correlate to you; to succeed to characterize the connections and to manage therefore the processes as an integrated system allows to work with efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Continuous improvement. Permanent objective of whichever organization would have to be the search of the continuous improvement of the performances.
  • Decisions based on give you of fact. In every company they are available information and they give to you that they allow to take decisions effectively.
  • Relationship of mutual benefit with the suppliers. Every company has relationships of interdependence with the own suppliers, and to create a relationship of mutual benefit allows to both to create value.

 

2.4 The guideline to the customer

It objects to you main of ISO 9001 are the satisfaction of the customer and the continuous improvement of the effectiveness.
ISO 9004 increases the concept of satisfaction to all the interested parts and introduces the concept of efficiency of the organization, beyond to that one of effectiveness.
ISO 9001 resumes more times the attention to the customer in the business activities; this because the job of the company must be turned he and to its requirements.
According to the norm, it is the direction that, in order before, would have to render aware all the members of the company of the importance of the satisfaction of the own customers. Task of the high direction would be, between the others, that one to characterize the characteristics of the prodotto/servizio with prevailing importance for the own customers and the final customers and to communicate them to the inside of the organization. In this way the collaborators can concentrate on requirement demands, carrying to the satisfaction of the same customers.
C$r-with regard to the management of the resources, the adequate organization would have to put to disposition human, economic and infrastructural resources for being able to improve the system of management for the quality and consequently to comply with requirement of the customers, increasing some the satisfaction.
In the phase of realization of the product the customer sure more is been involved regarding other makes itself.
Task of the organization is, in the first place, that one to determine requirement specifies you from the customer, comprised that relati you to the attendance and delivery activities post sale, and requirement do not specify to you from the customer, but necessary for the use specified, or attended. Before supplying a product to the customer, the organization must riesaminare and estimate relative requirement you to the same product. The analysis is made with the scope to define in way univoco requirement demands, to control that eventual divergences between requirement pass to you and put into effect are levelled them, and above all in order to verify that the company has the abilities in order to satisfy requirement defined.
Complementary to this activity it is that one of the communication with the customer; the organization must establish and implement effective modalities of communication with the customers with respect to relative information to the product, relative information with respect to the modalities of management of orders, contracts and varying, and information of return from part of the customers (comprised the claims).
Last point of involvement of the customer in this phase is that relative one to the property of the customer.
The organization must have cure of the property of the customer, when these are under the control of the company or come from this used.
The organization must identify and to control the products puttinges to disposition from the customer for being uses you or assembles to you. The loss, the damaging or the inadequacy of the supplied product the customer must ready be communicated the same customer and to give to place to one relative recording.
The property of the customer can be constituted also from intellectual property.
The last requirement specified from ISO 9001 is constituted from the measurements, the analyses and the improvement.
Also in this within the customer covers its just importance. The organization must analyze to the relative information to the perception of the customer on how much the organization has satisfied its requirement; this is one of the measurements of the performances of the system of management for the quality.
It must be a systematic activity, therefore it must establish the criteria and the modalities for the collection and I use it of give to you; these must demonstrate to the adequacy and the effectiveness of the system of management for the quality, and must concur to characterize the areas in which putting into effect the continuous improvement of the effectiveness of the same system.
In particular, the analysis of gives you must concur of having information with respect to the satisfaction of the customer and to the conformity of the product to requirement. After to have analyzed they give obtained to you, it must put into effect of the corrective actions in order to eliminate the causes of the conformities and in order not to prevent theirs to repeat itself. In particular, a documented procedure must be established that it indicates requirement for the re-examination of not the conformities, included the claims of the customers.

  • Note 12: “With of persons and means, with defined responsibility, authority and interrelations”. Definition draft from norm UNI EN ISO 9000, article 3,3,1, op. cit.
  • Note 13: “Requirement or expectation that can be express, generally implicit or cogente”. Definition draft from norm UNI EN ISO 9000, article 3,1,2, op. cit

2.5 Surveyings of Customer Satisfaction

The happened one of every organization is based on the ability to know to comprise requirements and expectations, present and future, expressed and latent of the own customers, are put into effect them that it upgrades them. After to have translate them in specific requirement, it must satisfy them and indeed aim to exceed the expectations of the customers, in competitive way. Surveyings on the satisfaction, inserted in the system of management for the quality, have the scope to supply the elements for being able to determine following drivers 14 (factors): those that cause to satisfaction and dissatisfaction of the customers, those that influence the behaviors of the customers and those that concur to produce the relati to you pointers of performance of the organization. In this way the effectiveness of the put into effect actions can be monitorare in order to improve the satisfaction of the customers and moreover they come supplied new input for the improvement of the offered service. The Marketing of the Customer demands the survey of the customer satisfaction and the pointers of second performance to of the various classes of customers (es. basic and premium), using champions of the universe customers, to support of the appraisal of upgrades them of increase of the customers. Moreover, it proposes a survey characterizes them for a limited number of great customers. The scope of the survey, in both cases, is that one to correlate the satisfaction to the fidelity, and this last one to profitable behaviors of purchase for the organization. Vision 2000 asks express that they come carried out, periodically, surveyings of customer satisfaction. If the company is certifyd, can enjoy a already satisfied requirement; in contrary case, predisporsi manage the satisfaction of the own customers can however, drawing some important advantages. In fact, to invest in the fidelity of the customer makes to save the organization in the activity of acquisition of new customers, and renders the same one of the own points of force aware. Moreover, turning attentions to the customer, of it it comprises the needs and it prevents therefore the problems and the claims that would derive some.

  • Note 14: The satisfaction drivers, or factors of the satisfaction, are those factors of the quality (characteristic or attributes of the ‘ offer) that they indicate specific needs of the customers and azionabili levers of improvement from the ‘ organization in order to achieve determines to you objects you of increase of the satisfaction of the customer and the pointers of performance of the ‘ organization.

3. The Unitec case

3.1 Unitec D High Tech Industrieprodukte Vertriebs Gmbh

UNITEC D High Tech Industrieprodukte Vertriebs GmbH 15 is born on ending of years ‘ 80 on initiative of an Italian entrepreneur, with the objective to supply a characterized support to companies that used industrial members German or international, but distributed in Europe through the situated branchs (office) in Germany.
To the beginnings, the Unitec customers were constituted from enterprises whose fields trade them were wide orient you to the foreign country, while the offices acquire were still many legacies $R-al.mercato inner.
The enterprises customers mostly belonged to the fields metal worker and mechanic, electronic and of the distribution.
In particular, the customers were constituted from enterprises of production characterized from a rack jobber from part of German companies of the automotive field, and needed, consequently, of reciprocations and products constructed with German technology.
Unitec supplied they a valid support in the finding of such materials, possessing linguistiche, managerial and logistic acquaintances sufficient, let alone adapted technical competences on the products.
Concentrating itself in the specific field of the services to the companies, Unitec more and more benefitted of the created passaparola in such atmosphere, acquiring customers.
In this phase of increase, the company increased its competitive force and defined with greater precision the fornibili products.
In particular, it began to propose to the customers the service of integrated material different supply like instrument in order to catch up remarkable logistic advantages, managerial acts to you and; the concept of Outsourcing was delineated moreover.
In the second half of years ‘ 90, Unitec abandoned the organizational outline of hierarchical type and adopted instead one structure of matriciale type, characterized from the division of the staff in job team.
In 1997 Unitec Services&Web (USW was founded), for the management of the activities Internet and the computer science development.
Thanks to its support, the successive year Unitec endured one carried out, informatizzando completely the workflow 15 business, until catching up the office level of paperless 17 .
Today Unitec has a system software ERP 18 (Enterprise Resource Planning) realized entire on the requirements of the enterprise, thanks to which it can manage in real time the entire process of supplying concurring to obtain continues savings on the management of the information, which more are not tied to the cartacea documentation.
In the 1999 Unitec it received the certification of quality from part of the Lloyd’ s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA), applied to systems of supply integrated in outsourcing, development of managerial processes paperless and Internet applications, to norm ISO 9000. The increasing importance of Unitec was confirmed from the interest demonstrated from many investor in order to carry the company in Ag, because of the activities connected with Internet, which Netsourcing, Virtual Warehouse, E-procurement, Outsourcing of supplyings, integrated supply and supply chain management.
They began to being written up numerous banns on the services offers from Unitec, which received oltretutto the acknowledgment of the Lemma for the ideazione of Virtual Warehouse 19 .
The company has a strategic positioning, that is to Augsburg, in the heart of the German Baviera.
To be to the center of Europe allows them to be near is to the supplying sources that to the own customers, let alone to the plants and European branchs (office) of companies residing outside from Europe.
Moreover Augsburg, therefore the same Unitec, is found in an area in which they are concentrated is automotive companies that enterprises to high technology, which, as an example, Mercedes and Porsche close to Stoccarda, Heide and Müller near Augsburg, BMW and Audios to Monaco.
Unitec is moreover active member of the DIN 20 (Deutsche Institut für Normung), of which it has entered to make part in November 1995, and near which it exercises to be able decisional having the ballot faculty.
Today Unitec is a company to the vanguard, that it uses processes paperless and that operates in ambles to you innovated you of the market, which the e-procurement. In particular, it has been specialized in the services of supply integrated of the non-production goods and MRO 21 , like the replacement parts for machinery and systems of several production of fields, which that automotive, chemical one, of the naval press and, and in the outsourcing of supplyings 22 .
Moreover, it collaborates in tightened contact with the University, deepening the own concepts developing them with scientific methods, therefore as recently it has happened for the study of the cost analysis based on the activities (ABC 23 ).

  • Note 15: Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, that is limited liability partnership, that they answer completely of the debits rebelled during the activity of the company.
  • Note 16: The workflow it is the flow of documents or the information. It is a term employed for iter of exchange the information to the inside of a company or for the programs it uses you for the management.
  • Note 17: Paperless Office: with the integrated supply a lessening of the cartacee managerial members is estimated that grazes 100%.
  • Note 18: Erp (Enterprise resource planning) is a software of including management of the business resources: accounting, administration, production, business cycles them, ticklers, warehouse, cespiti and withholding tax
  • Note 19: The 2Ôre Sun, http://www.unitec.it/ita/press/press05.php
  • Note 20: The DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung, literally German Institute for the standardization) is a recognized German organ to world-wide level, that it defines the relative norms of emergency is to the construction, is to the management of the industrial systems of production.
  • Note 21: The not strategic Maintenance, Repair and Operational, that is materials
  • Note 22: In truth, it is from adding that Unitec is taken care to supply also material of production, if demanded from the own customers
  • Note 23: Activity Based Costing

3.2 Area of Business

Unitec operates in the field of the Supply Chain Management.
In particular, it is proposed to the companies like partner for outsourcing of supplyings and the development of solutions and specialistic applications of e-procurement.
The exact definition of the activity of Unitec is Integrated Supply Chain Management in Outsourcing.
The main scope of the activity of Unitec is to coadiuvare the enterprises to optimize and to reduce the costs generates from the management of one multitude to you of international suppliers.
The application of the concept of integrated supply and Outsourcing of supplyings devised and developed from Unitec, supported from the high degree of automation of the processes put into effect from the Information Technology, allows the effective and efficient management in outsourcing of the activities of procurement.
The mission of Unitec it is the transformation for the customers of the business fixed costs in variable costs and, at the same time, one they reduction. With this system, the customers can dedicate themselves totally to just Core business, delegating to the outside all those managerial processes that absorb resources.
Unitec supplies moreover means for the reingegnerizzazione of the supplying procedures, it supports the business continuous improvement and the Quality Management, and allows to generate from every cost a added value.
The customers of the service succeed to obtain ulterior benefits, which the economies based on the aggregation of the purchases and the activity of international industrial brokeraggio.

3.3 The services offers

Unitec offers to the own customers an immense range of services, that they space from the outsourcing of supplyings, to the brokeraggio, the integrated supply.
In particular, it is from years engaged in the development of Internet technologies for industrial supplyings, rendered possible from one called instrument Netsourcing. Such tendency has quite carried to the conception of a Virtual Warehouse, potentially usable from all the industries pertaining to one same industrial district, point of force of the Italian economy.

3.3.1 Outsourcing of supplyings

Unitec is probably the first operating company on base trades not subsidized them that it offers the outsourcing of supplyings to the enterprises of industrial type, junior clerk to the function acquires and tied the logistic operations to it.
The within of application of the concept of outsourcing of supplyings with Unitec could be general, therefore concerning whichever type of material, is it one raw materials or semifinished or an industrial machinery.
In truth, like already previously pointed out, Unitec one has specialized in supplyings of technical members for machinery and systems of industrial production.
The supplied members can be demands in various circumstances. First equipment can be be a matter according to of material, demanded in concomitanza with the purchase and the relative putting a new machinery, or of particular to assemble in a determined machinery or system, in the case in which the customer it constructs from himself such instruments.
The main reason of the demand for such members is but the necessity to obtain reciprocations, often also in the short times, connected to the activity of ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of the systems and the machinery of production.
To use the service of outsourcing of Unitec means to be able to decide of numerous opportunities, above all to variabilizzare the costs rendering them directly proporziona them to the conjunctural course.
Whichever product to an only interlocutor can be demanded, than it will be taken care to try it all over the world, taking care itself also to resolve the problems connected to the linguistiche difficulties and of relationship with far suppliers, having to disposition international competences.
The decennial relationship of Unitec with the own suppliers allows to obtain better prices, avoiding moreover to the customer the contact with suppliers who for he, instead, would be occasional.
The advantages of this service are mainly the price cutting of purchase, of the amount of documents and the number of the payments. Moreover, the function acquires of the fruitrice company of the service can be concentrated on own Core activity, while the operating costs of the logistics and supplyings are reduced and been able easily to be measured.
Unitec carries out moreover function of problem solver for the technical agencies, acquires, production and maintenance.
In the situated Internet di Unitec a called function Quick Poll is present, that it places every month different questions to the own visitors. It turns out you of some of these questions show that the recent economic challenges have provoked in the companies an increase of the interest towards the outsourcing, based mainly on expectations of improvement of turn out to you business, let alone of cost reduction of management.
Others turn out second demonstrate that the more important factors in the choice of a outsourcer are the level of the service and the directed cost reduction, and that the resolution of the outsourcing allows, the greater part of the interpellate companies, innovation, effects to you generate them benefits on the transactions, let alone the satisfaction of the customers to goes them.
The function more chosen as destinataria of the process of outsourcing it is that one of the purchases and supplyings.
The remarkable advantages of the outsourcing are confirmed also from international studies 24 .
An example is given from a commissioned international search from Cmg Logic, second which the operating ones could increase of 250% the value of their efficiencies if riuscissero to exceed the fear of the outsourcing, perceived like one strategy to elevated risk profile.
The study suggests to implement the services of outsourcing until the point of optimal, equivalent to 70% of functions terziarizzate against 30% of developed inner functions.
The two thirds party of the companies interested from the search think that the enterprise risk comes diminished proporzionando the terziarizzate activities correctly and those developed inner.

3.3.2 Integration of the supplies

The integrated supply is one of the historical services of Unitec, been born from a simple and effective idea.
The trend in the companies in the last years it has been that one to reduce the warehouse supplyes in order to obtain turns out you of economy financial institution, on the wake of the production just in Japanese Time. This but has carried to one esponenziale increase of the procedures of supplying and the relati to you costs.
The idea of the service is of esternalizzare over-head managerial the 25 , leaving the task to manage the suppliers of category B and C, that is of the not strategic assets, to Unitec. The assets of wrap B and C, low cost not strategic, has a value relatively low.
Their purchase is not strategic for the enterprise, but to the same coast a lot, above all in terms of business resources.
A large disproportion between the value of the acquired good and the cost of the put into effect procedures is created indeed in order to obtain it.
Moreover there is the impossibility to take advantage of the economies of scale in the purchases, be a matter itself of migliaia of different particular for type and constructor.
The integrated supply allows to slim the supplying processes, contracting the costs, therefore improving the effectiveness, and creating economies of scale also for the non-production goods, for which, otherwise, he would be unattainable.
In this way there is the possibility to transform the fixed costs of supplying in variable costs, procurabili on the market.
Moreover the business resources come optimized for the purchase of strategic materials for just Core business.
The difference in the management of the supplying process is obvious.
Before the adoption of the integrated supply, numerous transactions turned to a number are present much high of suppliers, with consequent dispendio of resources for the administration of the plant.

Fig. 3,1 Management of traditional supplying

Fig. 3,1 Management of traditional supplying
Source: Unitec (2004)

After the adoption of the system of integrated supply, one is observed remarkable reduction of the transactions and the simplification of the operations carried out from the administration of the plant.

Fig. 3,2 Management of supplying with the adoption of the integrated supply

Fig. 3,2 Management of supplying with the adoption of the integrated supply
Source: Unitec (2004)

The system of the integrated supply not modification the procedures of purchase of the enterprise that adopts it.
The only difference is that, rather than to forward the own demands to different suppliers, it forwards them to an only interlocutor, with one single demand.
Taking advantage itself of this instrument, cost reductions are found directed in various fields:

  • Purchases. Reduction of demands, orders and relati you operating costs, thanks to the unification of the same ones.
  • Administration. Necessity to manage an only invoice, that it combines to more positions and constructors, until also to the carriers; therefore a single payment to an only supplier. The operating costs of the suppliers, decrementati in the number in important way are reduced also.
  • Logistics. One single bubble of delivery, with consequent reduction and simplification in the acceptance of the goodses. Moreover, improvement of the logistic flow, in how much the arrivals can be agree to you in restricted way, velocizzando and realizing the warehouse operations.
  • Recording. The reduction of the number of the inner transactions and the relati to you cartacei supports involves a decrease of the cartacee members stimabile around 90%, facilitating oltretutto the access to documents.
Fig. 3,3 Comparison of the supplying costs

Fig. 3,3 Comparison of the supplying costs
Source: Unitec (2004)

The diagram in figure 3,3 extension clearly, in simple and immediate way, the saving that is possible to obtain on the inner operating costs of supplyings, implementing the supply integrated to the inside of the own company.
Beyond to the obvious obtainable efficiencies with such system, modern waste is important to emphasize like does not use of these opportunities of improvement of the management of the business processes of purchase represents one, absolutely to contrast.
Ulterior optimizations are found in the telephone costs, are directed towards the outside that towards the inside (as an example, the contacts between the staff diminish in order to obtain clarifications, thanks to clearer documentation and snella).
The investments of the resources towards Core business come optimized, the organizational structure become more efficient, the logistic flows are optimized and the payments come unifica you, are in maturity dates that of currency.
The last factor to analyze is the logistic organization. Unitec uses companies specialized in such field, with which it has stipulated collaboration agreements. Moreover it has a management software that allows to compare the expirations for the supplies to the customer, the terms of delivery guaranteed from the suppliers and the logistic times of transport.
The general improvement of the logistic flows provokes a lessening in the costs of the management of the same ones, also thanks to the decrement of the frequency of the use of the carriers.
The small and you attend supplies come concentrated in little times, with amount of greater goods, therefore to optimize also the transport costs.

3.3.3 Service of international industrial brokerage

Unitec is introduced also like supplier of services of international brokeraggio, in particular of the industrial field. The job of Unitec is, in this case, that one to search the more convenient sources of supplying, in terms is of price that of quality, in whichever part of the world, upon request of the own customers.
Being expert of some segments of market, in particular of the industrial field, it can distribute efficient services and convenient.
In particular it helps the enterprises customers to explore new markets, supporting them it is in the languages that in the practical ones of import and the relati to you payments.
The fruitore of the service will have a valid support and will obtain of the savings, gives to you from the emission of a single demand for whichever product, without limits of amount or origin, and from the decrease of the number of managed suppliers.
A broker is prepared to operate in all the nations and to search ovunque the more convenient prices, addressing directly to the source.
This allows to jump numerous passages trades them, to have use of of faster supplies and than to avoid the markups of cost of the numerous intermediaries.
Operating from years in this field, Unitec has by now developed to a net of relations with the own customers and suppliers such from permettergli obtaining positions of advantage in the comparisons of the own suppliers, and consequently particularly favorable prices and conditions.
The suppliers know more and more upgrade them of Unitec in combining question, and the customers can take advantage of anch’ they these benefits, obtaining to they time low prices and a service of quality.

3.3.4 Netsourcing

Unitec, with to the Unitec Services&Web 26 , societies specialized in the field of the technologies Internet and its computer science division, has created various Internet-based solutions dedicated to the offices acquires and agencies connect to you, for industrial supplying via Internet.
The requirement puts into effect them of the enterprises to optimize the times and the supplying procedures have carried to the creation of Netsourcing, arrange self-service, based on Internet and completely automated.
The use of instruments informed to us, and the consequent reduction of cartacei documents, is one of the characterizing points the activity of Unitec. Netsourcing is one of the instruments of inner management of Unitec, but it is also means of connection with the offices acquires and the agencies it connects you of the suppliers and the customers, let alone a true one and just tool for the e-procurement.
Netsourcing is an application that allows to search in database a product between more than 100.000 existing currently, of approximately 5.000 different constructors.
The Database automatically is widened from the new ones gives to you coming from from the operating activities of Unitec.
In this way it is brought up-to-date constantly, following oltretutto the profile of question of the customers, that is the trend that the market assumes.
In the case in which the article or the producer it was not present, the possibility exists to forward the own demand through one dedicated procedure.
The descriptions of the particular ones are multilingual, allowing to the consultation from part of fruitori of different nationality.
Moreover the situated one of Netsourcing is visitabile always, to every hour and from whichever place.
To use this instrument allows to replace the traditional mass media and to consolidate the demands for supply, carrying to the cartacei document elimination very many, reducing drastically the supplying costs, facilitating the reperibilità of documents and allowing the sharing of the information.
In some versions of Netsourcing, an area of “Administration is present accessible Customers” from the customer, which it can therefore assign to the own suppliers a predetermined budget of expense and follow the course of the consumptions.
For the management of the maintenances it is possible to assign quite every product to a system so as to to know which machine demands more reciprocations and therefore greater participations.
It is possible to have use of of applications for activity of purchases, supplying, warehouse, tracking and reporting.
In order to have use of of this instrument for the function it acquires é sufficient to select the articles of which it is needed.
Naturally different particular can be selected houses manufacturers, in the optical of the service of integrated supply.
After to have proceeded to the shipment of the own demand, at the moment of the delivery of the materials single bubble and invoice will be received one.
Supplyings are based on demands carried out in the same system of the purchases, but with one base of gives to you supplied from the customer. The delegated agencies, which maintenance or warehouse, can directly forward questions for articles of frequent use. Communication to the office will come envoy then acquires, with the list of the sended demands.
The function tracking concurs with the customers to bring up to date itself in real time and from whichever emplacement on the situation of the procedures in course, which: of demands of elaboration of the same ones emitted order, term, state, emission directory offered of delivery, shipment, bubble, invoicing.
Last instrument of Netsourcing is the Reporting, that is the possibility to receive report to every day cadence, weekly magazine or salary of the procedures in action, to second of just the degree of qualification.
The Reporting can be static or dynamic, beyond to being personalizzabile in function of the informative necessities, graphical shape or tabellare.
Netsourcing could separately, upon request, be sold also from the service of Unitec, being totally personalizzabile and usable like effective instrument for the e-procurement.
Up to now it has been little employed because some problematic ones of it hinder the development.
In particular, because of the limited number of the suppliers gestibile with such instrument.
That forces the customers to cure at the same time is an activity of supplyings of conventional type, than one advanced, that is the e-procurement. Unitec could be the solution in order to resolve such difficulty, placing itself like reference for the purchases via Internet.
The contacts with the usual suppliers would be safeguard to you, in how much the company customer would perceive the same ones of the interposizione of Unitec, that is the only supplier, in the purchase processes.
This is a thought strategic that it would have above all to be taken in consideration from the companies of great dimensions, in order to improve the effectiveness of the own processes of supplying.
For being able to have use of of the service of Netsourcing it is necessary to only demand login and password of access through the situated Internet of the Unitec, http://www.unitec.it.

Fig. 3,4 Example of chosen of a product, according to description.

Fig. 3,4 Example of chosen of a product, according to description.
Source: Unitec – Netsourcing (2004) 77

  • Note 26: USW, that is Unitec Services&Web, has been structured like external independent unit in order lend its services also to thirds party, becoming therefore a center of profits, rather than to be a center of costs. An example of the services lend to you from such company can be appreciated visiting the situated one www.riva-yacht.com
  • Note 27: www.netsourcing.it

3.3.5 Support yards to the foreign country

Unitec supplies a particular service, consisting in supporting supplyings for the yards to the foreign country, preoccupandosi to acquire all the necessary materials of consumption.
In this way the problem of the liquidity of which the yard it needs comes resolved, since Unitec is taken care to carry out all the purchases and to on behalf anticipate therefore the payments of the yard. It searches all the members it wishes to you, choosing the source of mainly convenient supplying, is for the times of delivery that for the prices.
In particular, it selects, if possible, the suppliers equips you of warehouse in the area of the yard, so as to to allow one quick answer in the availability of the assets.
Unitec organizes also the deliveries, of way that the materials of which the yard it has need are ready in the moment adapted, and arrives with one single shipment.
The elimination of the management accounting of yard is obtained therefore also, in how much Unitec single invoice to the end of every month condenses all the operations in one, after to have supplied to the various payments with expirations and different terms.
The invoice salary comes sended to the headquarters directly them administrative of the customer, second the terms of payment agrees to you, concurring therefore an easy recovery of the Vat.
Unitec elaborates a periodic document then containing gives to you consuntivi of the costs of the material acquired from the customer for system and for yard, with graphical rappresentazione and to tabellare of they give to you. The service extends also to the activity of res-use of the materials remaining in the moment of the closing of the yard, allowing the recovery of such costs.
Beneficial consequence of such service is the control of the costs supported from the yard from part of an external agency, which it documents and it organizes all relative expenses to the carried out jobs and from there it sendes certification to the agency acquires.

3.3.6 Ulterior services

Unitec offers one series of ulterior services, some of which closely legacies to the activity of base of the company, others mainly innovated to you and in phase of implementazione.
Such services are:

  • Coordination specialistiche maintenances
    The service of Unitec, consisting in supplying replacement parts for equipment of production, met sometimes with the difficulty from part of the companies to install the products orders to you, in how much devoid of know how necessary to the scope. Therefore the need has been introduced to increase the offered service, thinking to an attendance post-sale to the customers. For this, it is today possible to recruit the technicians necessary to install the particular one acquired in the situations of specialistica maintenance. The technicians to disposition have been subdivided in groups of specialization, which electrical worker, mechanic and tire, second the own competences. They come then ulteriorly subdivided based on the tipologia of machinery that needs of maintenance, in how much remarkable differences to second of the used technology and the company exist manufacturer. Servants therefore deep acquaintance for every instrument on which she goes herself to take part. For a company it would be excessive expensive to maintain the just inner one, constantly, staff highly specialized in these fields. In this system, instead, she can have use of of such competences single in the case of participations estimates, programmed or urgent.
  • Coordination of supplyings like support to the external subfornitori
    This service is a part of the Chain Management. Aid to the subfornitori of the own customers consists essentially in the lend, finding for they the materials of which they need, having already previous acquaintance of the same ones. An example of this service could be the case in which a great company store clerk from one obtains one German company. The induced one of this first company would have to work according to the capitolato one of the committente, using therefore material from this prescribed. He is not simple but for these companies, also of small dimensions and with little experience of the international markets, to procurarsi such materials. Unitec takes part therefore, supplying they the materials adapted to the scope.
  • Analysis optimization of the management of the warehouse you exchange again
    The warehouse you exchange again can represent for many companies source of enormous wastes, deriving from one incorrect management of the same one. In every warehouse they are present approximately 10 – 20 mila items different, everyone with just a code and just a level of I reorder. In the moment in which the level of supplyes of a particular one it comes down under a sure level, it is proceeded in automatic rifle to the new one I reorder, without to verify if effectively other identical products are not present. All that drift from one wrong coding of the particular presents in warehouse. In order to exemplify the concept, the case is placed in which in a production company they come used the same light bulbs, of the same one marks and the same type, in ambles to you different. They will have therefore the coding for the light bulb used in industrial the lampadari normal schools, the coding for the same light bulb, mounted on a new system as soon as acquired, let alone the last coding for the identical light bulb, stavolta mounted on an old system. These errors are justify you from the fact that as a result of the purchase of a new system, in case of need of replacement parts for the same one addresses the supplier to us of the system, rather than to the producer of the same ones. It is difficult in fact to be able to directly know the constructor of the replacement parts, at least until is not proceeded to a first purchase of the same ones. Unitec in these situations takes part with a inspection in the warehouse, and with an analysis of the identifying one of the same one. It then proceeds to a ridecodificazione of the particular presents, unificando the positions identical, but managed various, and attributing they the true code trades them. One is obtained therefore rinormalizzazione of the supplyes and one optimization of the management of the same ones. In the example before indicated, famous like from the management of three different codes, and therefore from the relati to you costs, it can easily be passed to an only code, obtaining remarkable savings and greater efficiency.
  • Buyer aggregation
    Often the necessities of many companies, also pertaining to different productive fields, are identical or however similar. With buyer aggregation the aggregation of the similari necessities of a group of companies agrees therefore, which agree to proceed in organized way for this type of supplyings. An example could be that one of the purchase of the paper for printing, fax and photocopiers of some automotive enterprises of the field and the field of the steel mills. All the companies of this type make use of paper for the aforesaid scopes. They are organized therefore between of they, calculating the needs of ognuna and proceeding in way combined to the purchase of all the necessary paper, addressing even to different to cartiere in order to obtain the best possible prices. This type of agreement, beyond to being able itself to carry out between enterprises pertaining to different productive fields, can be worth also for purchases of services of which the pertaining to the group have use of all.
  • Management repairs
    Usually the production companies number in their business patrimony assets which systems of production, machinery, tools or groups that need sometimes of repairs. The solutions normally taken in consideration in these cases are the management of the repairs in house, or alternative in a workshop of repairs, or the contact of the representative of the manifacturing company more neighbor for being able to obtain support in the participations. These solutions introduce but some disadvantages. In the first case in fact, also obtaining savings on the costs of the participation, it is not sure of the effectiveness of the same one, in how much not there is the same specific competence and level know how, possessed instead from the constructor of the product. According to case it introduces the disadvantage of long times of wait, in how much the material only catches up the warehouse for the repairs of the producer after long passages, leaving from the final customer and crossing the branchs (office) assigned to the services post sale. Unitec can on behalf manage the activities of repair of the customers, taking the materials in delivery and sending them directly to the constructor of the same ones. The advantages are in particular two. The first one is the greater guarantee of the participation, in directly carried out how much from the constructor of the tools. The second is the shortening of the times of restitution of the materials, which come send you directly to the constructor, without intermediate passages. The same one happens to happened repair, diminishing therefore the times of attended for materials to urgent times a lot.
  • Management emergencies
    This is of sure one of the activities mainly appreciated from the customers of Unitec, in how much it comes to exist in the moment in which a machinery or a system they have without warning of the problems and they carry to the arrest of the production, with consequent huge damages. In these cases, the speed in the delivery of the intentional piece of reciprocation is essential, in the how much longest one is the arrest of the machinery, greater is the damages that the company endures. The participation of Unitec, thanks to the collaboration with important logistics society which UPS, DHL and TNT, allows the customer to obtain the intentional part in the sun turn also 24 hours, with the possibility, for the more urgent cases, than to organize also special transports it dedicates to you with own means. Beyond to the times, they come reduced also the shipping charges, in how much the firm goods not near the Unitec warehouse, but capacity comes directly lì where it is demanded, involving therefore a single transfer of the same one.
  • Virtual warehouse (material auxiliary).
    The potentialities put to disposition from Internet, in particular thanks to the Netsourcing application, have carried to the idea of the Virtual Warehouse, that is to the esternalizzazione of the supplyes of a same company and to the sharing of between making enterprises the part of the same industrial group, in particular of the same district. Every customer transmits to the manager of the virtual warehouse the relative information just to the level, to the type and the times of supplying of the own supplyes, of way that every pertaining to the system knows the availability of the moment. Every customer can therefore rationalize the own supplyes, being able to count also on those of the other consociati ones, reducing them to a level more low and investing the own resources in more fruitful way. Moreover, the purchases come consolidate, allowing to obtain smaller prices to you in the moment of the resupply. The ingegnerizzazione of the virtual warehouse is based on the principle of the “esclusione of the contemporaneità “, consisting in the exclusion statistics of the probability that a member goes in damage in two different areas in the same moment. Using this instrument, the entire territory been involved some draws benefit, and the logistic system improves clearly. The excesses of supplyes, therefore of immobilization financial institution, come standardize to you, the recycle obsolescences, the increased spin of warehouse and the multiplied availability.
  • Netsourcing (e-procurement)
    Netsourcing is, like cited previously, an instrument particularly adapted for the e-procurement28, that is the process of purchase on Internet without I use it of paper. The solutions of e-procurement carry to a remarkable simplification of the supplying process, and allow, in the great companies, to obtain one lessening of the costs of the 8-12%, in average, on the total of the purchases. The main advantages deriving from I use of the e-procurement are, beyond to the shortening, cost reduction of the Time to market29, reduction and strategic management of the suppliers key and the increase of the effectiveness of the processes.
  • Support supplyings for laboratories
    This particular service é turned in ai chemical laboratories presents in very many companies of production and services, and is introduced like supply integrated for the same purchases delle. Whichever type of laboratory, also mechanic as an example, can have use of of this service. The laboratories are characterize to you from the fact to have micronecessity of materials (chemical, mechanical, etc), but in consisting number. To be able to stilare a list of all their needs, and to carry out a single purchase aggregate of all the materials wishes to you, turns out for same one remarkable facilitation and a saving of time and costs for supplying. Unitec is taken care to try all the produced different demands and to carry out one single delivery of all, with an only process of relative purchase.
  • Supply chain management in outsourcing (material auxiliary of consumption production)
    The supply chain it is a total net, or network logistic, that it allows to optimize the deliveries from the suppliers of raw materials to the final consumers, through flows of information, products and monetary resources. The Supply Chain Management is with of approaches uses you in order to integrate in efficient way all the partner that we can consider like external organizations to the company, but that they play a vital role for the business of the same one. This partner is as an example the suppliers, the sub-suppliers, the centers of distribution, the vendors R-all’.ingrosso and by piece. The objective of the SCM is to optimize the logistic flows, so that the goods is produced and distributed in the just amount, in the just places and moments, diminishing the costs of the entire system and guaranteeing the requirements of level of the service. The scope of the process of planning and control, to leave from the stoccaggio of the raw materials, the semifinished ones and the finished products, and the relative information, from the point of origin to the consumption point, is the satisfaction of the requirements of the customers. The Supply Chain Management is characterized, beyond that from integration of all the logistic activities of the company, from the increase of the business borders until integration of suppliers and customers, and from the implementazione with the same ones of strategic and operating collaborations. The scope of these collaborations is to catch up minor the all in cost of the so-called system of the extended enterprise30, or extensive enterprise.
  • Supplying virtual reduction park
    The function acquires of a medium-large enterprise of production must be taken care of the purchases of material of secondary importance, beyond that of those necessary ones to Core business. This door to the management of hundred of various suppliers, with the relati to you huge costs that derive some. Delegating part of the job, relative to the suppliers of category B+C, that is of materials MRO31, to a single manager, economies create themselves that carry to the efficiency of the function acquire. This last one will be taken care only more of the suppliers than greater importance, being able to dedicate also to strategic studies for supplyings “Core”. In the case in which the customers they wish to maintain the relations with the historical suppliers of small dimensions, Unitec is proposed to take them in management for they account, without to bring damage to relationships by now consolidates to you. Such service above all benefits the companies in along period, allowing one reduction of the number of managed suppliers. The fluctuation anniversary of the suppliers is consisting; every company is estimated that, annually, replies approximately a 10-15% of new suppliers, to discapito of an as much percentage of companies with which more relationships are not had. Unitec, taking in management all the suppliers of the not strategic materials, practically eliminates this fluctuation in the park supplying of the customer, cancelling the companies with which more contacts are not had and managing the new suppliers. For all materials MRO, the company customer it will have contacts only more with Unitec, finding again itself after some years with a consolidated park supplying.
  • Analysis supplyings you exchange again before equipment
    The customers decide sometimes of incaricare Unitec to try reciprocations first equipment for the own systems without to address directly to the supplier near which he had acquires them to you. Incarica Unitec to find the product same, or an alternative product, through the analysis of the codes of the constructor, of the technical cards or photos of the product available. It is attempted therefore to go back directly to the original producer of the piece of reciprocation, without having to pass through the constructor of the final machinery, and avoiding therefore the markup that the same one applies.
  • Search of compatible products/alternated
    Often working with replacement parts, understood that a product has become obsolete, than it does not come more produced, or not if they find some in commerce. In these situations, Unitec searches produced identical, similar or however compatible to those previously it uses you from the customer. Sometimes she is the same customer who decides to try an alternative product, in order to measure of the performances and the effectiveness, and incarica therefore Unitec to find an element valid substitutive.
  • Administrative consolidation (reduction in the amount of invoices, verifications and payments)
    The operating costs of supplyings are huge. To use the service of supply integrated offered from Unitec allows to consolidate the invoices, the bubbles, the verifications of the materials in acceptance and the relati to you payments. The possibility exists in fact to send one single demand with multiple supplying different products, receiving one total delivery and having to carry out the relative activities one single time.
  • International purchases
    Meant like international search of market, the carried out activity from Unitec, consisting in searching agrees constantly, to world-wide level, the more convenient sources of supplying. The means use informed to us, with to natural and the constant one I use of foreign languages, renders the search easyr and effective for Unitec, which will evidence the own customers turns out obtained to you more satisfactory. The search extends also, on a commission basis of the own customers, to products not more available near the usual sources, or to materials of constructors not more existing. Unitec characterizes therefore new sources of supplying is for this purpose, is in order to succeed to obtain better prices.
  • Reintegro automatic rifle of the supplyes in warehouse
    This type of service demands of the agreements tightened between customer and supplier, in how much previews the implementazione of a system automatic rifle of ordinazione of the materials, when these catch up the minimal level of supplyes in warehouse. To the base of that he exists a relationship of collaboration and mutual confidence, since the customer must yield to the supplier all the relative data you to just the warehouse and the management of the same one, affidandogli moreover the process of supplying in automatic rifle. The controls directed on the supplies come therefore diminished, but in advantage the purchase costs decrease remarkablly.
  • Reporting activity also on-line
    Upon request of the customer, the possibility exists to monitorare all the relative activities to the demands for offer, offering, orders and payments, let alone other correlated information, are in cartacea way that through reportistica in Internet. This last methodology sure is advised from an office paperless which it is Unitec, in how much it allows an immediate, constant control and in real times of the carried out job, without I block it of the cartacea documentation.
  • Business advising and re-ingegnerizzazione of the processes and the procedures of supplying
    The objective of such activity is that one to render the relative processes you to the more efficient supplyings, reducing of the operating costs, which are determine through a inspection and one to you study of the same processes. They exist in fact is famous costs, which those of the staff or of the superficial ones of the enterprise, it is situations that generate “hidden” costs, that it must therefore eliminate. Unitec is taken care, after the determination of such costs, of the king-ingegnerizzazione of the processes, so as to to overwhelm the found deficiencies. The offered service is not, of for himself, a innovation in the field of the study of the processes; the innovation consists in implementing such study to supplyings, very often leaves neglected from the companies like source of possible improvements and efficiencies.
  • Consulenza ABC (Activity Based Costing)
    Unitec offers a service of advising, consisting in the analysis and in I compute of the costs of the supplying process. The traditional systems charge the costs to the various products based on the volume of the production32, considered determining factor the consumption of the resources. With the ABC method they consider one more wide series than factors, it calls to you cost drivers. Logic of this system determines the costs to attribute to every product in activity 33 carried out for the production and sale of the same one. In this case the activities are considered like the result of the supplying process, that it can be involved different organizational units. Such process begins with the birth of the demand for the customer and finishes with the payment to the suppliers for the assets or services receipts. A carried out business analysis with the instrument of the ABC can allow to search all those activities that do not add value to the enterprise. In a decisional optical of make or buy, such advising allows to determine with a sure emergency which activities to entrust in outsourcing and on which instead concentrating the investments, since determines you of the business value, therefore Core.
  • Notes 28: Electronic supplying
  • Notes 29: Time necessary in order to complete the entire operation of supplying
  • Notes 30: The concept of extended enterprise has become to continuation of the spread of the model of the company net more and more important, in which the management of the relationships between actors pertaining to various entities he becomes fundamental.
  • Notes 32: Calculated based on the number of hours of labor or to the hours machine
  • Notes 33: For activity one agrees with of the undertaken actions, also from various subjects in various organizational units, to the aim to achieve an objective data.

4. Surveying on the customers

4.1 The Unitec customers

Unitec has like historical objective main that one to support industrial supplyings for members and systems of production, for the situated companies in the Central European area, in particular for those Italians and Germans. In the time, the customers are increase to you and vary to you, and today Unitec is a company that entertains relationships with companies of every part of the world, operating in more varies productive fields to you.
In particular, from years ‘ 90 it increased the market, passing from the field of departure, that is that automotive one, to other segments of market. Currently in the park Unitec customers they are present companies of the field automotive, chemical, cartiero, naval and of the steel mills, in order to cite of some 34 .
The continuous enterprise but to being tied to the markets very known, which that Italian and German, thanks also to the strong competitive advantage, consisting in deciding of staff with optimal acquaintances of both the languages.
The passage from these two markets to that European is short, thanks is to the strong relations elapsing with multinational companies with several European branchs (office), is to the unification of the currency, that it has facilitated a lot the exchanges and the relative bureaucratic and administrative procedures.
Moreover, the movement in the years passes you of the production in the East Europe from part of many important industries, made yes that the interest of Unitec, cosi like of many suppliers, subfornitori and distributors, headed towards that area.
The European customers constitute the main and vital part of Unitec, and the increase of the making nations part of the European Community has facilitated the expansion of the turnover in this area.
Interesting is to notice that in the park Unitec customers they are present companies of States of the European east, enters you of recent in the European Union (01 May 2004), which Slovenia, or candidates to enter to us, as an example Rumania, that they could constitute valid supports for an easy penetration in such markets.
In order to develop just it upgrades them, Unitec always has been protesa to the expansion of the own net of customers, following the directives that the market has in the suggested time.
To leave from the passed decade, as an example, it is joints to examine the South American market, in particular Brasi them, where many of the more important European enterprises began to install own branchs (office) of production.
In 1998 therefore an agent was recruited to the inside of staff the Unitec, than she took care herself of the local market. Today the Brazilian customers represent a discreet part of the customers total, but percentage sure destined is one to increase in future, approvals the efforts completed from the entire organization in such sense.
They are moreover completing constant studies in order to try to take contact with possible customers in various areas regarding those already known. The more interesting zones in so far as turn out, between the others, those Asians and Balkans.
Here Unitec possesses already some interesting contacts, that they come it implements to you and it uses you for reperire acquaintance of the legislations and uses premises.
An important, recent innovation consists in the opening of an office to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, that it will serve like point of reference for all the Countries of Arabic language. In this city the opening of the greatest Disneyland of the world is previewed in the future, with the consequent demand for materials of reciprocation for the divertimento systems.
Moreover, in the near city of Abu Dhabi the Volkswagen will open one plant of production.
The present collaborator to Dubai takes care itself therefore of the management of the local customers, increasing the contacts in the zone. In situated the business one it is possible to immettere demanded in order to undertake relations of partnership in the world.
These questions come carefully estimated, in how much are one valid opportunity for the development of the society.
The increase of the relationships of Unitec in various parts of the famous world also from the crescent I use myself of the foreign languages.
Previously the Italian and the German were used nearly exclusively. Currently famous an important use of English, let alone a smaller employment of languages which the French or the Spanish.
Observing they give concerning the Unitec customers to you from January 2003 to you open them 2004, we can realize the previously express concepts.
Obvious is the preponderanza of the Italian customers, that it very constitutes 73% of the total.
This is a logical data, if we think that the main mission Unitec was and in continuous part to being that one to support the Italian enterprises in their international purchases. Moreover, the presence of a company in Italy, tightened collaborating, helps to reperire customers in native place.

Tab. 4,1 the Unitec customers

Tab. 4,1 the Unitec customers

They follow, with one percentage of 12%, the German customers. Also this is a foreseen data, seen localization territorial of the relative Unitec and the perfect acquaintance of the language, the legislation and the local market in kind.
The rest of Europe, understanding like European Economic Community, constitutes 8%; making an express calculation, one deduces that the totality of the European customers counts for 93%. The turnover Unitec therefore is concentrated mostly in the European area, that one sure better known and mainly gestibile.
Cited but, an interesting percentage is represented from the Brazilian market.
5% of the customers are, in fact, situated in the South American country, cured in native place from an agent and its collaborators.
The remaining part is composed from situated companies in several parts of the world, but above all in the United States.
They give analyzes to you up to now find reply to you also in the relative turnover to the interested companies.

Tab. 4,2 the turnover of the Unitec customers

Tab. 4,2 the turnover of the Unitec customers
Source: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

The 75,5% of the turnover come from Italian customers, the same one who constitute the vital part of Unitec.
Also the German part remarkablly influences on the entrances, participating in order very the 14.1%. Italian and German customers contribute in important way to the turnover also because they are in great part faithful customers, than therefore entrust themselves in systematic way to the services of Unitec, carrying entered constant.
The same one is worth, in part, for the Brazilian customers. This last one, also constituting only one minimal percentage, participates for the 5,4% to the business yield. They are relatively young customers, but that they are often entrusted to the Unitec, also because they can make confidence to a local representative, than it is taken care to cure the relationships with such companies.
The customers of the Europe rest participate to the turnover with the 4.7%. É a minimal percentage, that it acquires but great value if is considered that until little years ago Unitec they did not possess contacts in the zone of the East Europe; currently the customers constitute 7% of the total. Nel.giro.di relatively short times therefore has been assisted to a breathtaking increase of the acquisitions in particular in the Balkan zone, that they turn out very important in the forecast of increase of the borders of the Ue. They allow in fact to Unitec to acquire familiarity with the norms and uses premises, enriching it of acquaintances who in future will turn out very useful to discapito of the competition.
They remain the other customers then, that they are in short ininfluenti as far as the formation of the business yield.
It must but specify that between these last ones there are some companies of new contact, that they introduce characteristics of high profittabilità for the Unitec and with which the relationship improves constantly of day in day.

  • Note 34: According to a recent survey carried out through the application Quick Poll in the situated business Internet, the customers come in majority from the fields automotive, mechanical, of the industrial automation and trade them. Important fields turn out also that chemical, electronic, electrotechnical and of the press. They still follow the aeronautical, alimentary, naval field, you weave them and iron and steel.

4.2 The preparation of the questions

The new norms Vision 2000 suggest to the companies to mainly orient towards the satisfaction of the own customers, inquiring some the needs and preventing of the dissatisfaction.
For this purpose it stimulates the same ones towards the elaboration of questionnaires adapted to the scope, to subject periodically to the attention of the own customers and that they serve like guide towards the improvement of the own performances.
The more careful companies know the own points of force and weakness, and probably they put into effect already sets in action corrective and migliorative with regard to.
A surveying of such kind door in any case of the large replies, ago to discover potentiality of which it is not totally conscious, and extension which are the deficiencies mainly perceived from the customers.
Unitec has decided to carry out such surveying, taking like reference the customers who have forwarded orders in the period comprised from 01 January 2002 to 31 May 2004.
Such customers comprise are usual customers who occasional, therefore like companies that more have not addressed to Unitec from more than a year. She can therefore be considered like reliable source of information, from which us she can herself be attended is positive replies that denied to you to you.
It has been elaborated a comprising questionnaire trentaquattro questions, of which last the two optional ones.
The questions have been studied so as to to have a reply on different business aspects.
In particular, it is intentional to inquire on the type of customers possessed (questions from the 1 to the 6), on the type and frequency of I use of the business services it puts into effect them and tendential (questions from the 7 to the 14), on the points of force and the deficiencies of the service offered from Unitec (questions from the 15 to the 21), on the situated business Internet, in particular on the Netsourcing instrument (questions from the 22 to the 27) and in conclusion on the effective competition and upgrades them (questions from the 28 to the 32).
Being the first experiment of such kind, the questionnaire has revealed long more than how much they will be the successes, in how much had to give one general vision to you of the situation, most possible completes.
The questionnaire has been elaborated is in Italian who in English, in order to allow to all the customers an easy compilation.
Surveying has been carried out from 31 May 2004 to the 18 june 2004, period during which they have been sendes settecentoventinove questionnaires to you through email to as many customers.
The collaboration of the company Unitec Services&Web has been fundamental as far as the graphical part.
In fact it has been taken care to prepare an Internet interface, thanks to which the customers could compile the questionnaire on-linens, with login and one password appropriated.
The shipment of the password and the login has been generated in automatic rifle. Every customer received therefore an email containing template with the presentation of the initiative, login and password personal, and in attached the version in format a Word of questionnaire 35 , for those who they had not had the possibility to connect itself in Internet or wanted to answer through Fax.
After the first shipment, the answers have been approximately the half of those considered minimal for the validity of the same one.
It is proceeded therefore to first a prompt one of the same ones, through new shipment of such email, explaining the importance of the initiative.
Such prompt July 2004 has been carried out from the 15 june 2004 to the 06, and has been followed in immediate from last the prompt one, that telephone one, carried out from the 05 the 20 July to July 2004.
It has been decided to examine in total one hundred answers, number considered minimal for giving to significance statistics to surveying.
During the period of surveying, they are finds errors to you in the contained information in database the customers.
In fact present more attache’s near the company were name you of persons not customer, in majority because of recent retirement.
Therefore they have obtained name you of the substitutes, allowing the modernization of the business informative system.
Eliminating from the total of the questionnaires it sendes the persons to you who have not been contacted for the reasons as soon as cited, and adding the persons that of they spontaneous initiative has answered, explaining the reasons of their impossibility to the compilation, she is deduced to have had a reply from the equal customers to 23% approximately.

  • Note 35: To see appendix to understood it the 4

4.3 The answers of the customers

The answers of the customers have been elaborated in automatic rifle through the situated predisposed Internet to such job.
All the questionnaires joints through email or Fax, have been inserted in the situated Web through the login and password personal.
This gives to you was in fact consultabili from all the Unitec collaborators.
The answers are committees in great majority through compilation of attached email (59%).
32% have supplied to the insertion of give to you through Internet directly, while remaining 9% have compiled the questionnaire through Fax.
This preponderanza in I use of the email rather than Internet then will be confirmed more ahead also from the answers of the same customers.

  1. In which nation Its company is situated?
    Localization of the customers been involved in surveying is for 89% in Italy.
    The real percentage is higher, in how much some customers have mistaken in marking the nation of origin, marking as an example Kazakistan and Israel.
    It is not an unexpected data, in how much has been already seen previously like the majority of the Unitec customers is composed from Italian companies. This data demonstrates to us but that the customers are the Italians who give more replies, that they constitute therefore the greater value for Unitec.
    It turns out to you indicate also greater interest of the foreign customers, demonstrating as the Unitec customers are expanding themselves in several parts of the world, to this above all thanks to Internet.
    Other Countries indicate to you as of origin they have been in fact America (2%), Belgium, Brasi them, China, Germany, Russia and Rumania (all with 1%). Not there are territorial limits to upgrades them customers of Unitec.
  2. Of that dimensions are Its company?
    The 68,04% of the interpellati customers belong to companies of great dimensions.
    The great greater companies represent possible source of gain, in how much theirs upgrade them of purchase and the needs of the same ones are more consisting of the small and averages enterprises.
    They are prefer also because they are surer, in a generalized manner, in financial terms.
    Moreover, in their development they stretch to take in greater consideration the possibility to give in management some functions, between which the purchases of not strategic material.
    Being fornitrice Unitec of services of Outsourcing, these companies are sure the more interesting in order to develop just business. An ulterior consideration is that, if the greater part of the customers is composed from large companies, the probabilities to acquire customers of great dimensions are better than not with those of averages and small dimensions.
    It would have therefore to concentrate the business efforts in the contact of such companies.
    It must estimate but that the contacts with these great companies are much numerous. Consequently, some of such answers are committees always from the same societies, but from different localities and persons.

    Fig. 4,1 Dimensions of the companies customers

    Fig. 4,1 Dimensions of the companies customers
    Source: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004) 36

    The companies of medium dimensions count, in the champion, for the 16,49%, while the small for the 15.46%; in the total they compose nearly a third party of the interviewed ones.
    They count, entirety, for approximately a third party of the total customers. It sure must be interested to such companies, but selecting them accurately and giving they secondary importance regarding the societies of great dimensions.

  3. In that unit works?
    The 53,54% of the Unitec contacts reside in the function acquire.
    These acquaintances are a wealth for the company, if adequately taken advantage of. Deepening and improving the relations with such persons, the relationship can be increased also trades them with the respective societies.
    The 15,15% of the assigned answers are committees from to the maintenance, and the 13,13% from staff of the technical office.
    Often they are they that they decide who to send the demands for purchase for the materials of which they need.
    Usually the great companies are structured in such way that until to a sure amount can same they independently send the demands of purchase for the materials of which they need.
    Exceeded such threshold, often they remain to decide, even if obligate to you to act through the office acquire.
    To have many contacts and good relations with these persons he allows to have their preference as supplying he accustoms them.
    The rest of the interviewed ones belongs for the 7,07% to the field trades them, for the 3,03% to the logistics and remaining to the direction, the finance, and the functions material indirect material supplyings, refueling and assemblage wheels.
Fig. 4,2 business Unit of the interviewed persons

Fig. 4,2 business Unit of the interviewed persons
Source: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

  • How many suppliers manage?
    The 21,18% manage from 0 50 suppliers; the 32,94% from 50 to 100; the 38,82% from 100 to 500; remaining 7,06% more than 500.
    The greater part of interviewed customers (71,76%) manages a variable number of suppliers from the 50 to the 500.
    The operating costs of many suppliers are huge. It would have to pubblicizzare the integrating and aggregativa function of Unitec, above all with those nearly 46% of customers who have relationships with more than 100 different suppliers.
    Probably they do not know of being able itself to turn to Unitec like only provider for all materials MRO, and that that would allow they to generate large savings of management, let alone to concentrate itself better on the suppliers of the strategic assets.
    It would moreover have to better analyze the needs of the own customers, trying to understand which are the materials acquires to you near these numerous suppliers, and proporsi like only provider.
    This would carry to increase the cross selling with the same ones, rendering them mainly profitable.
  • From how much time she is Unitec customer?
    The duration of the relationship with Unitec is, for 59,60 % of the interviewed ones, advanced to the three years. The 28,28% are customers from one until three years, while remaining the 12,12% are the customers of new acquisition, therefore that they entertain relationships with Unitec from less than a year.
    With an express calculation it can be seen like the faithful customers, that is that it continues to entertain a relation trades them with Unitec from more than a year, it very constitutes the 87,88% of the total.
    Such data é much important one, in how much the faithful customers is most profitable, let alone less expensive to manage.
    If it continues to remain faithful, wants to say that fundamentalally it is satisfied. It must cure such customers more than all the others, and try to develop to full load the potentialities of the customers of “medium relationship”.
    These last ones, in fact, already tendentially become attached to you, they could be revealed predisposed to receive ulterior services and products of Unitec, and to become stablily faithful.
    It is necessary to cultivate the established relationship and to introduce all the potentialities of Unitec so that more and more often address to the company. Probably the customers longer duration know better Unitec, having already had the possibility to demand different products and services, while the young customers have need of being instructd with regard to. In this answer it must see also the aspect negative, that he resides in the “not answers” to the questionnaire.
    In fact, we remember that the greater part of the interviewed ones has not answered, also between the customers of long duration.
    Through prompt telephone, it has been found that many were disable you to the compilation for reasons of time (in the previous period the ferie in fact the greater part of the persons are engaged in the management of the purchases of the materials for the summery maintenances), or because they were not authorizes to you from the own company to emit judgments on the suppliers.
    In some companies, this is a classified task to the function Quality.

    Fig. 4,3 Duration of the relationship with the business customers

    Fig. 4,3 Duration of the relationship with the business customers
    Source: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

    It would have to try to understand because remaining does not have intentional to give a reply, in positive or negative.
    In particular, they would be interesting those who in last the two years they have had irregular relationships with Unitec, since are in a position to supplying information on the motivations that withhold them intensifying the relations with the company.

  • How has known Unitec?
    To understand as it puts into effect them to it customers they have come to acquaintance of Unitec allows to comprise which are the instruments that, more than others, concur to attract to new customers, and on which therefore it is convenient to concentrate resources in image.
    From the answers given, the greater part of customers (25% is emerged that) has become such after a direct contact.
    The used instrument more for reperire new customers consists in fact in contacting directly upgrades them customers, whose name to you they are suggested from puts into effect them companies customers, or they are finds to you inquiring on a determined field of interest.
    The direct contact is the more effective way in order to probably attract to customers a lot because the personal relationship with the buyer enters in game. In this situation the supplier can introduce $R-al.meglio the own company and to understand from endured the needs of upgrades them fruitore of the service.
    It is a strongly personalized presentation, that it more renders the image and the appreciate stronger memory of the supplier and.

    Fig. 4,4 Contact begins them with the customers puts into effect them

    Fig. 4,4 Contact begins them with the customers puts into effect them
    Source: our elaboration Unitec (2004)

    Beyond to this methodology of approach, other systems exist in order to reperire new customers. As an example, to offer to a service of quality door to a positive circle for which the customers come automatically attracted. Indeed, the passaparola total of companies, customers and suppliers has very carried 20% of customers, that is 1/5 of the interviewed total.
    The passaparola, like already pointed out in the first one understood it, remains one of the more powerful instruments, is in positive that in negative. In this case, positive, it has allowed to Unitec to acquire customers. This means the company has one good reputation in the field in which work.
    Internet is also useful instrument of collection customers, and has upgrades them advertising limitless.
    It is useful above all in order to attract customers to outside of the European territory, especially in the zones where they are not present collaborators who can promote the business services, as Brasi them or Dubai.
    The percentage of customers who have been acquired through such instrument is equal to 14%, given impressive if it is considered that it is used only for a year approximately. Such data is already consisting of for himself, but it is sure destined to grow in the future, in how much the companies address more and more to the net for velocizzare and simplifying many of the business processes. Unitec already is prepared in this field, and can beginning right now offer to support on-linens to the own customers for many relative aspects you to supplyings.
    11% are, or were, suppliers of Unitec, become then customers. The suppliers of Unitec constitute in fact customers upgrade them, in how much they possess systems and equipments of production that need of replacement parts and maintenance.
    Such reversal of the parts is not therefore amazing, than sometimes one is revealed then profitable collaboration.
    Between the ulterior answers the acquaintance pregressa of Unitec from part of the office re-enters mainly acquires of the company customer, that she has carried other connected companies to resupply itself near the same one.
    The acquaintance through job colleagues is cited but also, to always consider in the within of the passaparola.

  • Which are, between following, the services that use mainly?The services more use you currently from the interviewed customers are the services of brokeraggio (equal to the 52,68%), of integration of supplies (30,36%) and of outsourcing (11,61%).
    In smaller percentage they come uses you the services of Netsourcing (3,57%) and support yards to foreign country (1,79%).
    The customers mainly know Unitec for its services of brokeraggio and integration supplies, a lot probably because they constitute the activities Core of the company.
    This data could suggest two solutions, before which the acquaintance of the services of Netsourcing and support consists in increasing yards.
    The second one instead, partially contrapposta, consists in concentrating the business resources in the brokeraggio, giacché turns out the most used, therefore also most profitable.
    We beginning right now begin to notice that the situated Netsourcing still is not used to the maximum of the potentialities. This information will come subsequently confirmed also.
  • Which of following it would be interested to use mainly in future? The tendency found with such question is towards a consisting anchor uses of the brokeraggio services, which endure but a decided decrement (-14,84%), and of integration of supplies (-1,53%), in favor of outsourcing (increment of the 9,11%), Netsourcing (+3,64%) and support yards to foreign country (+3,62%)
    Tab. 4.3 Trend previewed for use of the Unitec services

    Tab. 4.3 Trend previewed for use of the Unitec services
    Source: our elaboration Unitec (2004)

    The Unitec customers know that very well who use normally, therefore services of brokeraggio and integration supplies.
    They show but a decided interest to that that the company can ulteriorly offer they, in particolar way as far as the outsourcing.

  • Which of our ulterior services know? Unitec is in a position to offering numerous other services, in majority it correlates you to those of outsourcing and integration supplies. Only a part of the customers but is some to acquaintance, and only for a part of such services.
    Fig. 4,5 Ulterior known services

    Fig. 4,5 Ulterior known services
    Source: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

    The international purchases are the known service more, with one percentage of the 17.62%.
    It is also one of the services more uses you, in how much Unitec it collects all over the world demanded of constructed products, and is common to address to such constructors.
    An other known service consists in the search of products compatible and alternated (14,98% to you).
    Such service, even if not demanded, usually is lend from Unitec. In fact if the product needed from the customer is not fornibile, Unitec is taken care to find substitutive or successive an article.
    In graduatoria they follow the coordination then supplying like support to external subfornitori (9,25%), the supplying reduction of park (7,93%), the management of emergencies (7,93%), the Virtual Warehouse for auxiliary materials (7,49%), the management of repairs (7,49%), and the analysis of supplyings first equipment (5,29%). The other services of Unitec practically are not known, or however in meager percentages much.
    In particular, it would have to promozionare the services of buyer aggregation (like deducted from the question number 4, the greater part of the customers manages a high number of suppliers) and Netsourcing, than in future is destined to being one of the more profitable instruments, but for hour solo from the 0,88% of the interviewed ones is known.

  • With regard to the services that do not know, it would wish to receive ulterior information? The idea of pubblicizzare the ulterior services of Unitec seems to be approved of from the 58,06% of the total customers, that it demonstrates the propensione wanting to strengthen and to increase the relationships trades them with the just supplying one. With such customers, one political of promotion could carry remarkable advantages already, being itself demonstrates to you receptive in such sense. It must but lend attention to the 41,94% that, to the contrary, is declares to you is not disposed to receive ulterior details on upgrades them performances of Unitec. Costoro, also being important customers also, they are satisfied of that use currently, and is not inclined to know this they supplying more in depth. In case of promozionale initiative, it would be important not to be involved such persons already explicitly, having declared some it are not interested.
  • It knows that Unitec can fornirLe beyond 100.000 various products, of 5.000 marks international? The 62,50% have answered affirmatively. To the contrary, the 37,50% do not know the fornibile number of constructors, and that means that it does not know in full load the business potentialities.
    In case of promozionale action, it is necessary first of all to pubblicizzare the service of brokeraggio, that is that one mainly used and in which Unitec it is specialized. To follow the services to it would go pushes closely legacies (international purchases, international reduction of the number of the suppliers and the documentation, purchases, etc).
    This data is much meaningful because, if we consider that the 37,50% are only the percentage of interviewed, we can consider that on the totality of the customers the number of those who does not know of being able itself to turn to Unitec for much more produced than those currently demands is consisting.
    It is in practical a source of upgrades them yield from cross selling not still taken advantage of, and confirmation how much previously asserted $R-with regard to the necessity to analyze to more in depth the needs of the own customers.
  • With which cadence it has used the Unitec services in passed (year 2003)? The 54,64% of the interviewed ones, are worth to say more of the half of the customers, used Unitec in passed only to little times the year. The 88,66% of it have ud of with a variability that went from the two – three times to the month, until little times the year.
    Only the 11,33% addressed in regular way to the company, in particular with every day frequency and two – three times to week (both 4,12%). Such data signaled also the necessity to tighten tighter relationships with the own customers. The fact that they addressed very rarely to Unitec means also that they did not know all that that Unitec could offer they, and that they would have constituted reason of contact.

    Tab.4.4 Trend of I use of the Unitec services

    Tab.4.4 Trend of I use of the Unitec services
    Source: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

  • With which cadence it uses currently, medium, the Unitec services? We notice that the percentage of customers who use little times the year the Unitec services begins to decrementare, constituting the 49,48% of the total.
    It still remains a consisting quota, above all because the total of those who addresses to Unitec to maximum two – three times to the month are of the 86.6%.
Tab. 4,5 Trend of I use of the Unitec services

Tab. 4,5 Trend of I use of the Unitec services
Source: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

We begin but to see that the frequency of I use increases, and the percentage of those who uses near Unitec with a variable frequency from once to the month, until the quotidianità, is of the 13,4%, that is the 2,07% in more.
The frequencies that have endured a greater increment are “2 – 3 times to the month” (that it constitutes 18,56%) and “2 – 3 times to week” (6,19%).
The relationships with the customers are strengthened in the time, the same ones know better the business potentialities and of it they have use of, consequently also the contact frequency increases.

  • With which cadence year 2005 thinks to address to Unitec in future ()? The general tendency is towards deciding to intensify itself of the relationships with the company.
    The frequency “little times to the year” diminishes of the 17,96% regarding the data puts into effect them. Confronted with that past, a decrease of the 23,12% is found, being to mean that nearly a quarter of the customers is inclined to more and more often address to Unitec.
    It is marks them sure positive, above all if supported from the thesis before expressed, than the customers they are demonstrates to you interested towards quant’ other can offer it company to they.
    The 48,91%, that is nearly the half of the customers, has supported of wanting itself to turn to Unitec with one oscillating variability from two – three times to the month, until the quotidianità.
    The frequencies that have had the greater increment are, in order, “2-3 times to month” (+8,51%), “once to week” (+6,69%) and “2-3 times to week” (+4,58%). Potentially the customers, already of for faithful himself, are inclined to equip still more from Unitec. This is an ulterior one marks them of general satisfaction.
  • Why purchase from Unitec? One of the answers more interesting is this, because it allows to understand the motivations that they push the customer to choose possible Unitec rather than an other concurrent one. The explanations give turn out oltretutto the business points of force.
    For the 30,65% the cause has turned out the efficiency and the quality of the lend service.
    It is important to offer a quality service, and the fact that the customers if they notice some is an optimal one marks them.
    He is but fundamental to succeed to maintain to such constants standard of service.

    Fig. 4,6 Motivations of chosen of Unitec like supplier

    Fig. 4,6 Motivations of chosen of Unitec like supplier
    Source: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

    The second motivation, in graduatoria, has been the competitiveness of prices (25,81%), continuation at a distance from the cordialità of staff (16,13%).
    It is interesting to notice that a quality service comes, in importance order, before the prices, demonstrating that the customer is satisfied mainly if receives a treatment adapted to its requirements, although this can causargli greater prices in the services acquires to you.
    Little important are turn out to you the cost reduction of management of supplyings (8,06%), the speed of the deliveries (the 7,53%) and speeds of answer (4,84%).
    The news more interesting is those that come spontaneously from the customers.
    The 6,99% of the customers services of international brokeraggio have motivated the resource to Unitec for the reperibilità of products difficultly reperibili otherwise () or compatible and for having a support in Germany; for list still stilato from the offices it acquires business. In practical, the customers have indicated Unitec like “problem solver” in order searching “the difficult” products, little reperibili or of which he does not know themselves or he succeeds to find an article compatible.
    Unitec represents also a support in Germany, date the possibility to speak the own language and at the same time to have to disposition a foreign supplier.
    These aspects are those that, if opportunely promozionati, would attract more than other new customers.
    They are in fact the bottom reasons because the customers address to Unitec and will be therefore the reasons that could push, more than others, new companies to contact it.

  • It has never found problems with Unitec? We begin to analyze the possible dissatisfactions of the Unitec customers, in order subsequently to study the solutions to such problems.
    The located questions hour serve to stimulate the latent claims in some customers, giving the possibility to place critics to the received service. Important the obtained information are a lot in the optical of the continuous improvement of the business service.
    They serve in fact to improve it, following the directives received from who of it have us of and he is therefore aware of own the real needs. Naturally such problems can have been signal to you even if are passed already some years from the event.
    They are equally important to analyze, in order to estimate if, in the meantime, the causes have been eliminated or not.
    The persons who have had problems in past are 25.
    It is a data to study with attention in order to try to eliminate the causes of such dissatisfaction, therefore in order to avoid reiterarsi of such problems.
  • If yes, which in particular? The problem mainly found turns out to consist in the long times of answer (13 persons). It must give greater importance to the customer, dandogli an answer in minor the possible time, that partial total is it or, positive or negative. The customer has need to feel itself listened, needs of having continues replies from the just supplying one.
    Only in this way a relationship of collaboration more and more tight and based on mutual confidence can be established.

    Fig. 4.7 Problemi della clientela con Unitec

    Fig. 4.7 Problemi della clientela con Unitec
    Source: our elaboration Unitec (2004)

    According to problem it turns out to consist in the delays of the deliveries (10 persons).
    As far as such data, it must consider that often they are going back problems to the source, had from delays of the Unitec suppliers, in which can be only taken part in part.
    The high prices are, for 3 interviewed, an other source of dissatisfaction. It would have to try to discover, if possible, the prices of the competition in order to make comparisons precise.
    From this more convenient sources of supplying also for Unitec could themselves be found.
    Ulterior problems, also if in percentages a much meager (that is single person), are turn out to you the lack of the accompanyment bubbles, the anticipated deliveries, with consequent advance payment of the expiration of the payment, and difficulty with the installations of the materials acquires to you. Analyzing in particular to the lack of the bubbles, confronting the claim received with the totality of the bubbles emitted in entire year 2003 37 , we find that the incidence of such error is equal to 0,064%.

  • It is satisfied of like have been resolved the problems finds to you? Why? The majority of those who has found problems (81,40%) turns out to be satisfied of the modality with which the same ones have been resolved. This data is a lot encouraging.
    If the problem comes resolved with satisfaction from part of the customer, these become still more faithful, because in such situation it is concentrates to you in dargli the full compensation of the received lack.
    The remaining eight declare but one be of dissatisfaction with regard to.
    The reasons of such latent state turn out to be, in particular, reiterare of the error and the length of the times of answer.
  • Has been repeated the found error? In nearly the half of the cases (16 persons) the error has been taken place newly.
    Reiterare of the same error turns out therefore to be the more important problem of the Unitec.
    Many times that is cause of large dissatisfaction in the customers. If generally satisfied, the customer easy pardons an error of the supplier.
    We see in fact from give previous that nearly the totality of has had problems, them to you also have seen to resolve in satisfactory way.
    Unfortunately, if the problem persists and reitera in the time, the possibilities “to come pardon to you” diminish.
    Probably but the opportunity to have been able to vent the just dissatisfied one with such questionnaires, and of to have been listens to you with regard to, will have carried in part gratification in such customers.
    In any case, it is important to try not to repeat the same errors, and indeed to learn from the same ones in order to constantly improve the offered service.
  • Considering 0 = not important, and 5 = a lot important, which importance attributes to… The more important aspect for the Unitec customers has turned out the correctness in the deliveries (medium value 4,67) and the puntualità of same (the 4,65), followed from the competitiveness of prices (4,47) and from the speed of answer (4,41).
    The clarity and syntheses of the communications come then, with value 4,27, and the cordialità of staff (3,99).
    The aspects of the service to cure with more attention are the deliveries and the speed of the answers to the customers, that is the elements consider more important you from the same ones.
    To provoke dissatisfaction in such ambles will cause to greater damages respect to you to other disservizi.
    It must therefore concentrate resources and attention in these more still ambles to you that on the others.
    Moreover, particular importance turns out to have the prices, which must be competiti to you regarding the contenders.
    Like approval previously, the prices second turn out the second motivation of purchase near Unitec, confirming some the importance the customers.
  • Considering 0 = insoddisfatto, and 5 = much satisfying, which are its degree of satisfaction regarding… In graduatoria, the degree of greater satisfaction has been found in the cordialità of staff (4,40), followed to short from the correctness of deliveries (4,22).
    The clarity of the communications, with value 3,95, the puntualità of the deliveries (the 3,94) and speeds of answer (3,74 come then). Last they turn out the speed of reception of the offered ones, with 3.65, and prices (3,34).
    The customers turn out particularly content of the staff with which they take to contact, testifying the cordialità climate and availability that is established to the inside of the company.
    Positive it is also the judgment reported to the quality of the communications with the customers and to the correctness of the deliveries, while the puntualità of the same ones difetta in so far as. Once again, ribadisce the need of velocizzare the times of answer and emission of the offered ones, let alone to carry out a control on the levels of the prices, one of the aspects centers them of the total service.

    Tab. 4,6 Comparazione between importance and satisfaction

    Tab. 4,6 Comparazione between importance and satisfaction
    Source: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

    Soppesando the values before cited with a total percentage, is in a position to estimating the importance and the relative satisfaction for the aspects considers you.
    For the first aspect in importance order, that is the correctness of the deliveries, finds one situation of general satisfaction. In reference to the puntualità of the deliveries, the value of the waits discosta little from that one of satisfaction, revealing itself also here one positive situation.
    The prices are those that mainly introduce a separation between expectations and satisfaction.
    Like already previously observed, the level of the prices is considered elevated, second a part of the interviewed customers.
    Continuing to address to Unitec, they demonstrate but that the paid price corresponds to a good level of received service.
    The speed of emission of offered and the that one of answer must be improved, in how much introduce obvious gap to overwhelm, like already more times supported for the answer speed.
    Clarity and syntheses of the communications find positive value, indicating that the qualitative level of the information transmitted to the customer is good.
    The relative data to the cordialità of the staff introduces a marked one gap in positive.
    The Unitec collaborators introduce the pregio to succeed to establish good relations with the customers.
    This is fundamental in order to create a profitable relationship of confidence and collaboration, than door to obtain the fidelity of the customers and all the advantages to that correlate to you.

  • The situated Internet di Unitec knows and visits (http://www.unitec.it/) More of the half of the interviewed Unitec customers, that is the 54,64%, do not know situated the business one.
    Of remaining half (45,36%), some are those who have known Unitec thanks to Internet.
    This means that the Unitec customers who visit of they situated initiative the business one are approximately a third party of the interviewed ones.
    If the customers do not know the situated one, a lot probably will not know neanche the Netsourcing service, neither will use it.
    It must consider but that some of the customers do not have the possibility to use Internet, neither to take advantage of of the instruments.
    This is one of the motivations for which many they have compiled the questionnaire through attached email or fax, rather than Internet.
  • f yes, as it finds the situated one, second the following aspects? To those who they know situated the business one, has been asked in way more deepened a judgment on some aspects for the same one.
    For being visited gladly, a situated Internet must be interesting, graphically attractive and easy consultabile.
    Although it is a famous data that the situated Unitec is a lot visited, to have a reply directed from the own customers can help to understand if it upgrades them new customers could some it are attracted or not.
    In this according to case, which are the difficulties found during the visit.
    Moreover they have been asked suggestions in reference the improvement for the situated Unitec in a generalized manner, and the Netsourcing service in particular.

 

Tab.4.7 Judgment on the structure of the situated Unitec

Tab.4.7 Judgment on the structure of the situated Unitec
Source: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

The first judgment has been demanded in reference to the structure of the situated one.
The possible options were: complex, simple mean and. The majority of the interviewed ones, that they know the situated one, finds it of medium complexity.
Sure excessive simple structure cannot have one, being much rich one of contents.
One medium complexity can be considered a positive judgment, but it would in any case have to try to simplify the structure, in order to create little possible difficulty to the customer.

Tab.4.8 Judgment on the structure of the situated Unitec

Tab.4.8 Judgment on the structure of the situated Unitec
Source: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

The second demanded opinion refers to the diagram of situated, optimal, beautiful or the mediocre one.
Pleasant a graphical aspect incuriosisce and withholds the visitors, and stimulates to try the business service.
Majority (86,36%) thinks that the diagram of the situated one is beautiful, 9,09% the quite optimal one.

Tab.4.9 Judgment on the structure of the situated Unitec

Tab.4.9 Judgment on the structure of the situated Unitec
Source: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

The last question concerns the immediacy, or less, of the present information on the situated one.
It is important that the visitor can find in short times that that tries, in order to receive from endured an impression of efficiency of the company.
Also for such aspect, the greater part of the interpellati ones has answered with positive judgment, asserting that the information on the situated Unitec is immediate.
In a generalized manner, the impression of the customers in the comparisons of situated the business one is good.

  • It possesses the password for Netsourcing (http://www.netsourcing.it/) Only a minimal percentage, correspondent to the 14,43% of the interviewed ones, possesses the password for Netsourcing, the service of supplyings on-linens.
    Such data is consequent to the fact that more of the half of the customers does not know such service, therefore of it has not never demanded the access.
  • It would want to receive the password for Netsourcing? The 48,57% have declared of being interested to receive such password.
    Promovendo the Netsourcing service, potentially would be arrived to the half of the customers with the access possession.
    Considering moreover that Internet more and more is used, and it it will be still more in the future, becomes beginning right now important to implement such service, in order to take advantage of of the positive effects you in the immediate future.
    With such information, it is joints to consider the possibility to grant to the access in automatic rifle to all those who are declares to you interested to have it.
    The suggestion is to try, for how much possible one, to stimulate the situated visit of the business one, especially pushing the interest towards the service Netsourcing, still little known and taken advantage of.
  • Which improvements propose with regard to the situated Unitec and/or to the Netsourcing service? It has been inserted a question opened in this point, in order to leave free space to the ideas and the suggestions of the customers for the situated Unitec and the linen service procurement on.
    Later on, ve of it is an other reported to the Unitec service in a generalized manner (question nr.32).
    The emerged proposals have been to simplify the structure of the situated one, to be able to modify the password and to improve the times of escape of the demands for purchase. The last point already is emerged from the previous answers, goes therefore placed in the improvement of the general service. The first two proposals are interesting to estimate, because they signal difficulty in I use of the situated one.
    If possible, the structure would have to be become simpler some, in order to facilitate of the consultation, and to introduce the possibility to modify password just the piacimento. Such last point allows moreover a personalizzazione of the service, than, like ribadito sin from the first one understood it, it is a lot appreciated from the customer.
  • With which modality it mostly forwards Its demands for offer and Its orders? Unitec is stiff to uses always greater of Internet and all the instruments alternated you to the usual modalities of communication.
    Therefore, it is intentional to inquire if also the business customers stretch in such direction, or is not still ready to pick such opportunities of managerial savings.

 

Fig. 4,8 Modalities of I forward documents

Fig. 4,8 Modalities of I forward documentsSource: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

The means mainly used for I forward it of the demands for offer and of the orders it is the Fax (47,42%), that is most traditional.
A lot used is also the email, with a percentage of the 28,87%, signaling that the cartacei documents stretch in all the companies to being replaced with form to you electronic, less cumbersome ones.
Last used instrument is telephone (23,71%), while the Netsourcing option has not been selected from some customer.
It is interesting to notice that nobody has marked Netsourcing like method for forwards it of the own demands.
Probably the usual customers try instruments alternated you to traditional fax or the telephone, and they have found it in the email, that they represent good part of I forward of demands. Moreover the email has greater personalizzazione, in how much they come addressed directly to a reference person, of own confidence and with which a lot probably they have already had previous relationships.
Netsourcing could be preferibile for the customers strongly orients to you towards the Internet instruments, or for new customers, or with which a strong personalized tie is not had, and to which it interests the single quality of the service, and not a fiduciary relationship with the business staff, at least initially.
It must add, like correction to such result, than Netsourcing it remains still practically not used since still it is not considered, from the point of view of the companies customers, an instrument in a position to emitting demanded equipollenti to those formalized.
Until Netsourcing it will not come estimated from the customers like a formal instrument, will remain mainly means in order to consult, in fast and effective way, the prices and the availability of the products of which it is needed.

  • If it did not buy from Unitec, which company would address? In concluding such surveying, is intentional sondare the market in order to understand who is the effective contenders and upgrades them of Unitec, therefore to that type of suppliers is compared the company from the own customers.

 

Fig. 4,9 Competitor analyses upgrades them Unitec - territorialità

Fig. 4,9 Competitor analyses upgrades them Unitec – territorialitàSource: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

Analyzing the competition it upgrades them of Unitec, we discover that the greater part of the customers, in full freedom of choice, would prefer to address to Italian suppliers (for the 84,04%). In measure much minor has been chosen German suppliers (9,57%), English, Chinese and Brazilians. In reference to such answer, two precisazioni are necessary. Before it is that the competition upgrades is constituted them mostly from Italy, essentially because the customers are in majority Italian.
The difficulties in order to address to foreign suppliers are many, not last the problem of the languages. Therefore they would stretch to remain to the inside of the national territory. The second consideration is that smaller answers, which Brasi them, have been chosen from customers of the place.
That means that, being able to choose, the customers would address however local suppliers, whose management is the much easyst one.
Important answers are instead the choice of Germany and England, that they could really be considers important contenders you.

  • In order which reason? We see hour because the customers would choose such suppliers.
    The greater part has given like motivations the smaller shipping charges to support (35,96%) and economic convenience (34,83%).
    In smaller measure the explanations have been the diversification of the suppliers (the 8,99%) and greater such reliabilities of other companies (7,87%). The motivations tied to the better infrastructures and the courtesy of the staff are not considered important, being been chosen single in the 1,12% of the cases.
    The economic convenience and the smaller shipping charges in truth hide the difficulties tied to the management of foreign suppliers. They are therefore marks them of one problematic more complex.

 

Fig. 4,10 Competitor analyses upgrades them Unitec - motivations

Fig. 4,10 Competitor analyses upgrades them Unitec – motivationsSource: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

Only one minimal percentage is composed from those who diversifies suppliers (8.99%), choosing in particular Countries which the Germany, England or China.
These companies possess upgrade them of languages and acquaintances of strong the foreign markets to the just inner one, while, in a generalized manner, the Italian customers difetta a po’ in so far as, and exactly use Unitec like support to such care.

  • When not purchase from Unitec, to who addresses?This question serves in order to understand where the Unitec contenders reside effectively.
    Naturally, the majority has declared to address to Italian companies (83,33%), that is to the inside of the own nation of belongings. The same explanation is valevole for those who has answered United States.
    Other nations to consider as concurrent effectives are China and England, spontaneously indicate you from the customers with the option “other” (10,42%), with to the USA.

 

Fig. 4,11 territorial Analyses of the Unitec competition

Fig. 4,11 territorial Analyses of the Unitec competitionSource: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

The Germany remains important, also if chosen in minimal percentage (6,25%).
The linguistiche difficulties prevent or however they limit the customers, especially Italian, in addressing directly to the German constructors.
It is from considering moreover that, knowing Unitec, probably they will address to this for the own needs of material of German origin.

  • To who one addresses, in particular?To analyze the effective competition not only means to localize it territorial, but to understand to that field belongs, and therefore with who it must be confronted to level of service and of prices it applies to you.
    The main contenders are costituti from the constructors or main suppliers of the products demands (80,41%).
    The retailers (the 9,28%) and normal schools broker (7,22%) have been chosen in minimal percentage.
    That means that they are not directed concurrent, and that Unitec offers a wider service and in directed competition with the sources of the fornibili products

 

Fig. 4,12 Competitor analyses Unitec

Fig. 4,12 Competitor analyses UnitecSource: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

This means also that, comparing the company to a constructor, the customers show levels of prices similar to that practice to you from this. It will want therefore to avoid the markups practices to you from the intermediaries, let alone to shorten the times of delivery of the material demands.

  • Which proposals suggest in order to improve the turned service?The last open question is inserted in order to obtain suggestions and spontaneous proposals from the customers.
    The obtained answers have been in part confirmations of the quality of the business service.
    Between the others, we have received some suggestions to hold in serious consideration, just for their spontaneous nature.
    They can be essentially reassumed in three councils, that is: to improve the speed in the answers and the deliveries; to diminish the prices, or to more render them standard on the materials competiti to you; to integrate in the offer all the technical information to disposition.
    The problems, or suggestions from part of the customers, uniform aim at the concerning aspects the speed of the answers (more still that the offer, the customers want an answer), and on the prices, to maintain “low standards” or however on the materials in which Unitec it is mainly competitive.
  • In an interested scale from 0 = for null to 3 = much inclined one, how much thinks to use, in future, the instruments and the potentialities that Internet offers? (optional answer)The conclusion of the questionnaire is composed from two optional questions.
    Before it tries to understand the trend of I use of Internet in the future one from part of the companies puts into effect them customers, the second one prayed the same ones to indicate the situated business Internet and the email of the persons who could be, for Unitec, of contact.

    Fig. 4,13 future Tendency to I use of Internet

    Fig. 4,13 future Tendency to I use of Internet
    Source: our elaboration gives Unitec to you (2004)

    The 42,25% of the interviewed ones propensione introduces one much high one to the employment of Internet and the instruments from these offers, in the future. The 33,80% have declared a high inclination towards the same one.
    The minority turns out little interested instead, having answered for the 19,72% of being little inclined, and for the 4,23% is not it absolutely.
    The propensione for the future turns out therefore to be high towards uses it of Internet (in total, 86,05%).
    Probably the companies will not have other choice if not to entrust itself to Internet for the management of many business aspects for being able to remain competitive you on the market.
    Unitec already is prepared to face such tendency, having to disposition many Internet-based instruments for supplyings, proposals beginning right now to the fruitori of the own services.

  • I pray to indicate situated web of Its company and email of the contact persons (optional answer)The last question is essential in the optical of the modernization of database the customers business.
    It allows in fact to verify the present information in system where, correcting them necessary, let alone to widen the same ones, adding not known contacts still. These last ones could be adressees of business promozionali messages, in how much not having important relations with the company, of it do not know the abilities.
    The situated company Internet customers usually are known, but some could have inaugurated it from little, or to have modified it in the time. Moreover, the information obtained with this question will be useful above all to the associate company, that is the Unitec Services&Web, that it will be able to contact the turning out companies lacking in situated web and propose for the realization of the same one.

 

  • Note 36: The exposed data are extracted from turn out obtained to you through carried out surveying of customer satisfaction near the customers of the Unitec High Tech Industrieprodukte Vertriebs GmbH in May 2004. Such information are published under authorization of the General Manager, Vincenzo Marino.
  • Note 37: The number of bubbles emitted in year 2003 is equal to 1542.

Appendix: the questionnaire

The questionnaire object of the job has been prepared in Italian, English and German language.
The Unitec customers have received copy of the same, in format Word and with language adapted, like attached to the mail of presentation of the operation.
It has been prepared also an Internet version of same, compilabile directly on-linens through login and password personal, she indicates to you on mail same and the different for every customer.
Approaching through Internet with the received indications, it was possible to directly visualize surveying in the more appropriate language, previously assigned in automatic rifle for every contact.

UNITEC D GmbH
SERVICES OF INTEGRATED SUPPLIES

SURVEYING ON THE SATISFACTION OF THE CUSTOMER

1- In which nation is situated its company?

Italy Germany other ……………

2- Of that dimensions are its company?

small (smaller turnover of € 10 million) averages (from 10 to 50 mil. €) large (from € 50 million)

3- In that unit works?

purchases they trades technical office

maintenance logistics other ……………

4- How many suppliers manage?

0-50 50-100 100-500 more than 500

5- From how much time she is Unitec customer?

0-1 year 1 – 3 years more than 3 years

6- As Unitec has known?

Internet through customers through suppliers through other companies siamo/eravamo supplying they historical customer they have been contacted other ……………

7- Which are, between following, the services that use mainly?

industrial brokeraggio support yards to the foreign country Netsourcing (e-procurement) integration supplies

outsourcing of supplyings (Business Process Outsourcing)

8- Which of following would be interested to use mainly in future?

industrial brokeraggio support yards to the foreign country Netsourcing integration supplies outsourcing of supplyings (BPO)

9- Which of our ulterior services know?

  1. Coordination Specialistiche Maintenances
  2. Coordination of supplyings like support to the external subfornitori
  3. Analysis optimization of the management of the Warehouse Reciprocations
  4. Buyer aggregation
  5. Management repairs
  6. Management emergencies
  7. Virtual warehouse (material auxiliary)
  8. Netsourcing (e-procurement)
  9. Support Supplyings for Laboratories
  10. Supply Chain Management in Outsourcing (material auxiliary/of consumption production/)
  11. Supplying reduction park
  12. Analysis Supplyings Reciprocations first equipment
  13. Search of products compatibili/alternati to you
  14. Administrative consolidation (reduction numero/quantità invoices, verifications and payments)
  15. International purchases
  16. Reintegro automatic rifle of the supplyes in Warehouse
  17. Reporting activity also on-linens
  18. Business advising and reingegnerizzazione of the processes and the procedures of supplying
  19. Advising ABC (Activity Based Costing)

10- C$r-with regard to the services that do not know, it would wish to receive ulterior information?

not

11- It knows that Unitec can fornirLe beyond 100.000 various products, of 5.000 marks international?

not

12- With which cadence it has used the Unitec services in passed (year 2003)?

daily 2-3 times to week 1 time to week 2-3 times to the month 1 time to the month little times to the year

13- With which cadence it uses currently, medium, the Unitec services?

daily 2-3 times to week 1 time to week 2-3 times to the month 1 time to the month little times to the year

14- With which cadence thinks to address to Unitec in future (year 2005)?

daily 2-3 times to week 1 time to week 2-3 times to the month 1 time to the month little times to the year

15- Because purchase from Unitec?

courtesy of the staff efficiency and quality of the service

competitive prices you speed of the deliveries answer speed

cost reduction of management of supplyings other ……………

16- it has never found problems with the Unitec?

not

17- If yes, which in particular?

delays in the delivery wrong selling price

long times of answer wrong material

difficulty in carrying out the payments (es. cause wrong banking information)

contractual discordanze (which …………. ) other …………..

18- satisfied E' of as they have been resolved the problems finds to you? Why?

not

Because …………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………

19- has been repeated the found error?

not

20- Considering 0 = not important, and 5 = a lot important, which importance attributes to: 0 1 2 3 4 5

answer speed

speed of reception of the offer

puntualità of the deliveries

correctness of the deliveries

cordialità of the staff

competitiveness of the prices

clarity and synthesis of the comunicaz.

21- Considering 0 = insoddisfatto, and 5 = a lot soddisf., which are its degree of soddisfaz. regarding: 0 1 2 3 4 5

answer speed

speed of reception of the offer

puntualità of the deliveries

correctness of the deliveries

cordialità of the staff

competitiveness of the prices

clarity and synthesis of the comunicaz.

22- Conosce and visits the situated Internet di Unitec ( www.unitec.it)

not

23- If yes, as it finds the situated one, second the following aspects?

Structure complex mean simple

Diagram optimal beautiful mediocre

Information immediate little immediate

24- Possiede the password for Netsourcing (www.netsourcing.it)

not

25- It would want to receive the password for Netsourcing?

not

26- Which improvements propose $R-with regard to the situated Unitec and/or to the Netsourcing service?

…………….……………………………………………………………………………………………………

27- With which modality it mostly forwards Its demands for offer and its orders?

Telephone Fax Email Netsourcing

28- If it did not buy from Unitec, which company would address?

Italian German other nation ……………

29- In order which reason?

greater reliability smaller shipping charges economic convenience diversification of the suppliers courtesy of the staff better infrastructures other ……………..

30- When not purchase from Unitec, to who addresses?

Italian company German company other …………….

32- Which proposals suggest in order to improve the turned service to She?

…………….……………………………………………………………………………………………………

31- To who one addresses, in particular?

directly to the fornitore/costruttore retailers broker other …………….

OPTIONAL ANSWERS

33- In a scale from 0 - for null interested to 3 - much inclined one, how much thinks to use, in future, the instruments and the potentialities that Internet offers?

0 1 2 3

34- I pray It to indicate:

Situated web of its company …………….

 Email of the contact persons ……………. ……………. …………….

5. Conclusions

5.1 Directives ISO for the elaboration of the questionnaire

To leave from 2004, the companies of whichever field are invited to certify new norm ISO 9001 second, become simpler in the directives regarding previous editions.
In particular, such new norm is centralized on the corporate structure for processes, and on the customer satisfaction.
This last one permeates all the business activities, to leave from the planning of a product or service, until the performances post-sale for the same one.
The satisfaction of the customers is, beyond to primary task of every enterprise, source of survival and profit for the same company. The norms of quality Vision 2000 try to support the enterprises indicating some methods for monitorare such satisfaction, let alone spurring them to work considering the own customers fulcrum of every activity.
The direction would have to establish effective and efficient processes in order to collect, to analyze and to use the relative information to the own customers, to the aim to improve the performances of the own organization.
Between the methods it advises in order to collect such give to you to you is surveying of customer satisfaction, carried out periodically through questionnaires dedicates to you. The process adopted from the company in order to obtain the feedback from part of the customers, in reference to their satisfaction, would have to possess continuity character.
It would have moreover to supply information in merit is to the conformity of the service lend to requirement, than to the correspondence to the requirements and expectations of the customers, to the prices offers and the terms of delivery of the products.
Such process would have to establish of the precise methods for the collection of gives to you, including the information sources, the frequency of the collection of gives to you and to the re-examination of the analysis the same ones.
The obtained information such analyses would have to be use you from the ‘ company in order to take decisions effective and in order to characterize the areas for the improvement and the possible benefits for the interested parts.
In planning the corrective actions, useful cues come from the claims of the customers, stimulate also through adapted questions to you in surveyings. The advantages of such monitoring are remarkable and allow to obtain precious information, let alone to study methods that allow the saving of costs it provokes from one not optimal management to you of the processes.
Unitec has followed such directives in elaborating surveying. The continuity character will be respected, in how much will come carried out annually near the customers. Moreover they have been placed questions is in reference to the general satisfaction of the same one, than to the prices offers and the terms of delivery of the goods (questions from the 16 to the 21).
The collection of the information will include always all the customers who have carried out orders in the arc of last the two years and the analysis of such gives to you will come carried out to conclusion of the job, being involved all the business collaborators.
They will come taken consequent decisions for the improvement of the lend service, monitorando, with the successive analyses, than the gap it finds to you have been overwhelms to you, if it does not exceed to you.
In contrary case, provisions different will be taken in order to eliminate the causes of possible dissatisfaction of the customers.

5.2 The advantages of carried out surveying

The implementazione of a similar surveying near the company Unitec D GmbH in Germany has demanded many efforts, the first one of which is consistito in the elaboration of the questions to place the customers.
Being the first questionnaire centralized on a precise argument proposed from the company, they potentially give to you to collect were numerous, but the questions to place had to be limited, for very being able to be chip axes from the customers. It has been finally stilato a containing questionnaire 34 questions, of which only three opened (that is nr. the 18, 26 and 32). The greater part has been stilata in shape sluice, in order to facilitate of and velocizzarne the answer.
They have been then selects the customers to you to interview, turns out to you all those who have forwarded orders to leave from 01 January 2002 until 31 May 2004. They have been included therefore also those who have carried out a single order in such arc of time, and that they are revealed for these precious sources of information.
They can in fact indicate the reasons of one possible latent dissatisfaction, not being itself more revolts to the company. USW 38 has supplied to implement the graphical part of the job.
In the first place it has been taken care of the creation of the template ones of the communication for the customers, envoy through mail, with the questionnaire in format Word like attached.
Surveying has been prepared also in format Web, directly compilabile through Internet.
The shipment of the questionnaires has been facilitated from some instruments introduced in the situated business Intranet, thanks to which was possible, selecting one whichever company, to directly send the communication to all the contacts possessed near the same society. In automatic rifle, they came generates to you login and password personal for every adressee.
It has been prepared also an interface through which it turns out to you came directly elaborates to you, drawing of histograms illustrated to you. This gives to you is available hour in business net Intranet and consultabili from all the collaborators.
It is possible to trace the person that it has selected one given answer, so as to to be able to use concretely turns out to you.
As an example, like in the question number 25, for being able to equip such customers of password for Netsourcing and authorizing them therefore to I use of the same one.
It is from noticing that the attitude of all the customers towards such questionnaire has been positive.
Nobody has stall lamentele with regard to, indeed some have been made excuses in order not to have been able to proceed to the compilation because of little the time to disposition, and others have spontaneously taken contact, through mail or by telephone, explaining the motivations that caused their impossibility to the compilation.
Between the causes there are mainly the belongings to fields in not directed contact with Unitec, as an example that accountant, or the limited acquaintance of the company, due to irregular relationships as soon as established or, than it did not allow to emit a judgment on the lend service. These information allow already of being able to decide of future advantages; in the preparation of the next questionnaires, such contacts will not come beginning right now held in consideration, knowing that they will not be able to collaborate to surveying.
To have to contact the customers in order to speed up the writing of the questionnaire has allowed to strengthen the relationships with some companies, with which one was had irregular relation. New reasons of contact have been created, been born having to introduce the initiative and to explain the possible methodologies of compilation. At the same time, information have been obtained on the needs put into effect them of such customers, spurring them to address to Unitec for reperire the materials need to you.
Some companies, with sporadic relationships, have been dealt with the same importance of the best customers, parificando their opinion to that one of these last ones. Such companies have then, in the successive weeks, resumed to forward demanded of purchase to Unitec, increasing the relationships.
The aspect more important up to now remains but the collection of precious information for the enterprise, that they serve to study methods of improvement of the lend service, let alone to having a general reply on the carried out job.
They are analyzes to you is the positive aspects, than those denied to you to you. Between first the cordialità of the staff re-enters, strongly perceived from the customers, much from posizionarla to the first place in the graduatoria of the satisfaction.
Between the second ones, we find instead the slowness of the answers the customers, and on the times of escape of the demands for offer, on which absolutely must place particular attention.
We moreover remember that the prompt one to the answers has been involved the business collaborators having management responsibility customers, inducing a strengthening of the external relations.
An pleasant climate has been created, in which supplying and customers were been involved in a common plan, but above all the customers have thought indeed important to emit just the judgment.

Note 38: Unitec Services&Web, in Sabaudia (Italy).

5.3 Actions for the continuous improvement of the service

It turns out to you emerged to conclusion of the job have been introduces you to the inside of the company to all the collaborators, during one dedicated reunion.
To everyone of they it has been delivered one short containing relation the sunto of the answers of the customers. Commenting with such it turns out to you, is joints to some considerations.
In the first place, in the future the attention in particolar way will be aimed at the companies of important dimensions, with which Unitec has greater and better probabilities than to establish relations.
The great part of the customers is in fact of such dimensions (like from question 2), meaning that for such types of companies the services of Unitec turn out more interesting that for the others.
They possess moreover a driven in net of relations that can represent interesting source contacts for Unitec, for being able to reperire new customers.
The companies of small dimensions instead do not represent development upgrade them for Unitec, having limited ability financial institutions and of purchase.
Localization of the future customers (question nr. 4) is from holding in consideration because useful points of support for one could be revealed penetration in nations not still known commercially.
The customers relationship could become partnership, benefitting Unitec of all the relative acquaintances to the State of belongings of the collaborating company, let alone of facilitations in constructed material reperire in such zones.
It has turned out that the Unitec customers entertain relationships trade them with numerous suppliers.
This data suggests that the contacts possessed with the function acquire (question nr. 3) can reveal many profits in order to obtain such information on other companies, a lot probably constructors and therefore upgrades them fruitrici of the Unitec services.
They can be useful also in order to find new more convenient sources of supplying for the materials already deals, or in order to discover new constructors to you. The same data is also emblema of upgrades them of future sale.
It indicates in fact that the customers do not know all the abilities to supply of Unitec, that it must therefore pubblicizzare.
This consideration is confirmed from the answer in which the customers it admits in order nearly 40% not to be to acquaintance of the number of constructors and materials deal from the company (question to you nr. 11).
More of the half of the interviewed ones they are moreover declares to you disposed to receive information with regard to (question nr. 10), demonstrating their deficiency of information, let alone to wanting to intensify the relationships with Unitec (questions nr. 12, 13 and 14, considered in progression), testifying therefore their general satisfaction in relation to the received performances. To maintain a level of elevated service, let alone to improve the same one through actions of continuous improvement, will allow to feed the positive passaparola, attracting new customers (as it turns out from question nr. 6) and increasing the relationships with it puts into effect them to it fruitori of the service.
Moreover, the suggestions give from the customers have allowed to you to characterize with clarity the aspects on the which company will have to be concentrated in order to improve, which the times of answer and emission of the offered ones, let alone the level of the prices (questions nr. 16, 17, 18, 19). The continuous improvement previews to overwhelm such gap finds to you, increasing the satisfaction and the fidelity of the customers.
A last important consideration is relative to the Netsourcing service and the situated business Internet.
The situated one web is being demonstrated more and more half in order to attract to new customers (question nr. 6), and in the future it will acquire greater importance sure.
In the course of a single year, it has allowed to acquire 14% of customers very, societies that tutt’ hour address to Unitec and they are being revealed, therefore, faithfuls.
Of against, in spite of the companies they are declared, in a generalized manner, protese towards I use it of Internet in order to resolve their necessities (question nr. 33), in truth the same ones still use it in limited way.
It is necessary therefore to push the e-procurement, of which oltretutto Unitec he has been premonitory, since the great companies of it are studying for a long time the advantages in terms of efficiency and effectiveness.
From it turns out you of surveying is emerged that for hour they are still a lot uses traditional means, which fax and telephone you, is for the purchases that for every other communication (question nr. 27) but trend towards the digital communications them is clear.
The email happening has collected remarkable, being anch’ they a lot used, but they do not have the same effectiveness of procurement on linens. For this Netsourcing question nr. 9 will be promoted with regular frequency near the customers ().
It will moreover be attempted to push towards the formalizzazione of Netsourcing which instrument for the emission of regular demands for offer, although such proposal previews long times of approval from part of the bureaucracy of the companies customers.
It could proporla as experience of test to the companies interested to the Internet solutions like generatrices of savings of costs. Contacting the chief buyers, such experimentation will be able to be verified which is the societies disposed to implement one.
It turns out you of surveying have suggested some actions to undertake in the next few months, in the optical of the continuous improvement of the lend service.
He is in the first place fundamental to follow the indications of the customers.
They will come therefore completed greater efforts in velocizzare the times of answer to the customers and the times of escape of the demands for offer. In particular, it has been ribadita the importance of giving a first reply to the customer, seppur partial, in the few hours, and absolutely in the same day of reception of the demand for information or communication.
As far as the improvement of the prices, already the first contacts with the agencies of logistics and the greater Unitec customers have been taken, in order to succeed to obtain more convenient prices that they affect in smaller measure the final cost.
The margins usually apply to you not are therefore high from being able to allow a general lowering of the prices, but it can be tried to work on the costs correlates to you, which note those of the transports.
Moreover, it will be attempted to obtain greater reductions in price from part of the suppliers, heading at the mutual advantages that such collaboration can guarantee.
Fundamental it will be a promozionale action, carried out from all the business collaborators, that it will come addressed is to the customers accustoms them that to upgrades them. The message directed to the new ones and upgrades them customers will head at the aspects of force of the company, confirmed also from the questionnaire.
It will come therefore emphasized the role of support of Unitec for the foreign purchases, let alone for the finding of materials difficult to find or to replace. Sometimes new customers are astonished positively in being able to speak the own language with a company that resides outside from the own borders.
To have to personal disposition poliglotta it is one of the greater points of force of Unitec, and moreover allows to undertake easyr relations is with the customers who with the suppliers.
With such he upgrades them, turns out also simpler to succeed to carry out searches in the world, for reperire on behalf of the own produced customers innovated to you, alternated to you or little known.
The message directed to the usual customers will head instead above all at the service of international brokeraggio, “historical Core” for Unitec, but not still taken advantage of in all its it upgrades them. It will be communicated that the abilities to supplying of Unitec are immenser, and that the materials and the dealt Marches, for which the customers can themselves be turned to the company, are indeed numerous.
Subsequently, the ulterior services will be introduced offers, in particular to those societies that have been declared available to receive greater information with regard to. More than all the others, will come introduced the Netsourcing service like effective instrument for the e-procurement. In order to widen of the acquaintance, provvederà to supply password of access to all the most interested companies that have declared desire to receive it and for will be produced of the personalized versions.
In order to end, the suggestions will be taken in consideration receipts from the customers for the improvement of the service.
As an example, the technical cards available will be included in the offered all and will come taken in consideration the possibility to modify the password for Netsourcing, upon request of the fruitore of such instrument.

5.4 New developments

They preview for the future to organize a similar surveying with cadence anniversary, therefore as suggested from it puts into effect them norms ISO. The experience carried out with this surveying will be of suggestion for the next ones.
In the first place, they will be it prepares to you questionnaires short and it aimed to you on different arguments, in order not to bring excessive disturbance to the customers, but to provoke some instead the curiosity. The attention will be aimed in particular at the companies that, this time, intentional or have not been able to proceed to the compilation, in order to succeed to obtain more and more reliable information.
Moreover more specific questions will be elaborated, in relation to the arguments of time in time it considers you interesting and to the information that are decided to obtain.
Prompt the telephone one will come anticipatamente carried out, in concomitanza with the shipment of the questionnaires, in order to make yes that the job is concluded in an arc of short time.
Moreover, the business dependent will come asked councils all on the questions to place.
During the reunion of presentation of this job, some ideas for the next questionnaire are emerged already.
One of the questions more interesting regards desire to receive business visits from part of Unitec collaborators, or less.
It is sure an important question mark, in how much periodically come organized visits near the companies customers.
These answers would serve like guide for the study of the routes to follow, leaving from the zones richer than interested companies, and eliminating the visits to the companies absolutely not been involved from such desire.
All the answers of the carried out questionnaire will remain visible through net Intranet from all the business collaborators, with the possibility to visualize also the names of the persons who have compiled it.
Also the future surveyings will have such formulation, of way that all can approach the information, to formulate proposed with regard to and trarne personal considerations in order to improve the job characterize them and collective.
The surveying carried out near the Unitec D Gmbh has been, in its complex, a positive experience for the company.
Disturbance to the customers has not procurato, but indeed it has pushed to strengthen the existing ties.
Moreover, the obtained information have been numerous and important, but above all useful because they will come used in order to increase the quality of the service, direzionandolo towards the needs expressed from the same customers.
To carry out such job has needed, naturally, of time from part of all the collaborators, but it has not burdened the daily job of the same ones. Some replies, decidedly positi, have allowed to you to create a situation of gratification for the carried out job, while others, plus criti to us, have carried the collaborators ponderare on their mancanze, seen from the point of view of the fruitori of the services, of which often it is not conscious.
It can therefore be considered like a point of intermediate appraisal, thanks alla which conscience has been taken strongly is goddesses heads of force of Unitec, than goddesses gap that they will be from overwhelming.
It will be stretched to being able to distribute an excellence service more and more, let alone in degree it is to satisfy in full load the own customers, than to reduce lessened the competitive advantages you of it upgrades them concurrent.

Note 38: Unitec Services&Web, in Sabaudia (Italy).

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Sitography

  • Italian http://www.ailog.it/(Associazione of logistics and supply chain management)
  • http://www.congenio.it/
  • http://www.efqm.org/(The European Foundation for Quality Management)
  • http://www.epurchasing.it/
  • http://www.finechain.com/
  • http://www.globalsourcingnow.com/
  • http://www.magazzinovirtuale.it/
  • http://www.netsourcing.it/
  • http://www.preventivionline.it/
  • www.unitec.it
  • www.weprocure.it

 

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