A large U.S. manufacturer of window and door hardware was experiencing a dramatic decline in revenue and market share. Then it lost its largest and longest tenured customer to a competitor.
The company was recognized as an industry leader in product quality and innovation, but customers were frustrated with its lack of ability and willingness to customize its solutions to their specific and evolving business needs. The company reached out to Chuck McFall to help it create and implement a strategic growth plan that would allow it quickly change course.
Chuck went to work by first doing market research to obtain market feedback about the company’s strengths and areas that needed improvement. Based on the results, Chuck helped the company create a strategic growth plan centered on a “Customer Care and Commitment” program that enabled it to first regain lost market share, and then, accelerate growth. With Chuck’s help, the company’s Product Management and Marketing organization was re-organized into Customer-Focused Business Units (CFBU’s). Its employees were trained to use Chuck’s proprietary, customer-centric product development and marketing methodologies, processes and tools that would allow them to address changing customer needs more quickly and effectively.
Then, Chuck helped the company operationalize its newfound customer focus in its engineering and manufacturing areas, focusing on customization of designs to meet unique customer requests. The organizational structure was redesigned to be more effective and personnel required to possess enhanced design, engineering, customer support and marketing skills. New tooling and manufacturing processes and equipment were introduced. It wasn’t long before the company was also known as the leader in fast, cost-effective customization of innovative, quality window and door hardware.
The company earned back the trust and respect of its customers and the industry. It also won back it largest, oldest customer whose original loss had been the impetus to change the way it did business. As a result, the company grew operating revenue by more than 300% and solidified its spot as the market share leader.
