Continuous improvement is a central part of any business, but especially so in manufacturing. By continuing to update processes and technology, companies can run at peak efficiency and plan for future upgrades.

But before progress can be made, areas for improvement must be identified. To do this, we worked with Industry Channel Research (ICR) to distribute surveys to our customers and distributors. The surveys took place over a 2-year period from 2015 to 2017, and had 795 respondents.

There were 180 different categories for rankings, and those rankings were tracked over the course of the 2-year study. Our feedback was compared to about 50 other companies in our industry, and depending on customer responses, the rankings changed over time.

As an example, one of the questions related to how manufacturers communicate with customers. Last year we received a 2.87 rating because customers wanted more site visits and phone follow-ups. Once we identified that our sales people were wanted on site more often, we prioritized these personalized customer contacts, which brought our rating to a 4.13 this year. This moved us from the 23^rd to 84^th percentile for customer satisfaction.

Another identified area for improvement was our online technical resources. This reaffirmed the need for a new, updated web presence. We have already begun the process of re-developing our website, and expect a full roll-out by year’s end.

As for highlights, customers noted a number of positive attributes:

– Innovative and Reliable Products with Good Value

– High Level of Support and Expertise by Personnel

– Products Are Unique and Difficult to Match by Competition

These are a few of the ways we currently stand out, and we intend to keep it that way! We are also actively working to address those areas for improvement that have been acknowledged by respondents. By listening to customer concerns and making necessary updates, we can continue to provide high quality products and the type of service and functionality our customers are looking for.

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Tags: Areas for Improvement in Manufacturing, Industry Channel Research Survey, Manufacturing Industry Channel Research Survey