The “Voice of the Customer” is at the heart of Borusan’s business processes
Six years ago, on March 14, 2002, Borusan took on the role of a pioneer for the Turkish private sector by beginning the implementation of a new process within the Group.
Known as Voice of Customer or VoC, the procedure was swiftly and comprehensively put to use in the majority of the Borusan Group companies in order to set an example for the Turkish private sector. As they implemented the VoC venture, our companies began to redesign, strengthen and perfect their business processes by listening to the voices of all their customers.
Presently, our companies are exerting a greater effort every day in an attempt to provide products and services that create added value for their customers and facilitate the attainment of their business targets. In this regard, one of the most important aspects of creating added value is the need to have an understanding of the customer that is correct, timely and consistent.
Listening to the VoC leads to the identification of expectations, gaps and proper evaluations, thereby facilitating the development of the best means of improvement.
One of the seven targets set forth in Group’s five-year strategic business plan, which was initially prepared in 2002, called for all of our companies to become the benchmark in terms of customer satisfaction, happiness and loyalty in each of the sectors in which they operate.
The results of a long-term global study implemented by an international research company* clearly indicate the progress to date.
The real success of our VoC application, which is perhaps the most important aspect of the Borusan Way, is based on the successful results obtained as a consequence of our satisfaction surveys.
What was the starting point?
The Borusan Group embarked on a new journey in 2006 by beginning the initial implementations of the Six Sigma management methodology. The Six Sigma approach was promptly adopted as a business efficiency and excellence methodology, immediately becoming the DNA of the Borusan business culture.
A Six Sigma project was started, involving participants from all Group companies, to sow the seeds of the VoC initiative.
The basic principles of the VoC system are:
 To acquire the VoC in a systematic and structured manner (understand better)
To improve the current performance levels of business processes to meet customer
expectations (act better)
To provide products and services that meet customer expectations (serve better)
 Initially, the VoC is captured in the form of actual customer comments and perspectives. Employing this data, the process of defining “critical customer requirements” begins. Subsequently, activities designed to meet these important customer needs are planned. Products and services which cater to customer expectations are then designed.
Thus, the VoC approach began to function, with the aim of blending the philosophy of continuous improvement with the concept of meeting increasing customer demands in a timely and efficient manner.
The present Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems were integrated with VoC processes in order to reach the target of “Product/service differentiation,” that is, offering products and services with cater to expectations. An efficient customer relationshipmanagement, which can best be compared to a competitive comparison, was initially implementedat Borusan Otomotiv, Borusan Makina, Borusan Telekom, Borusan Lojistik and Otomax. The establishment of a call center, which was applied comprehensively within the CRM framework, was pioneered by Borusan Otomotiv and Borusan Telekom. After witnessing their success, Borusan Makina created its own call center in 2007.
Hence, the Borusan Group, focusing on the competitive advantage andlong-term success results stemming from the critical importance of “understanding” its customers and not merely “listening” to them, took the initiative of formulating its customer management process. From now on, the VoC is at the heart of Borusan’s business processes.
 |
The advantage created for us by listening to each other and to our customers is quite apperent at all levels in Borusan.
What did we attain?
A much closer relationship with customers
Listening to the voice of our customers means the formation of a greater number of relationships with actual and potential clients which are more appropriate to the attainment of yearly targets.
By the end of 2007, the Borusan companies operating in the business to business sector were in close touch with an average of 80% of their customers.
ISO 10002 Customer Satisfaction and Customer Complaints Management Standards Quality Certification
Based on customer results from 2006, the Borusan Council for the VoC methodology included the group-wide standardization of the customer complaint management process, which is one of the most important customer processes in its business plans. In applying this initiative, a target was set to complete the certification of all Group companies according to ISO 10002 standards for customer complaint systems by the end of 2008.
In pilot studies initiated in 2007, Borçelik became the first company in its industry, and third in Turkey, to attain the ISO Customer Satisfaction and Customer Complaints Management Standards quality certification.
Later on in 2007, Borusan Lojistik likewise became the first in its sector to be awarded this certification.
Plans are currently underway for the remaining Group companies to attain this ISO 10002 quality certification during 2008.
Common platform for customers of Borusan
The various CRM systems, which operate as independent platforms within the Company, became integrated into the Customer of Borusan project during 2007. It is now possible to monitor and manage the service understanding between Borusan and its clients while creating added value for each customer by offering services and products from different Group companies.
Carrying the concept of “customer focus” from the sectors in which our companies are currently active to the Borusan Group level is one of the primary objectives of the VoC management process.
The Customer of Borusan platform was formulated for this purpose as a 6 Sigma project in 2006. With the help of the Customer of Borusan platform, Company customers were able to familiarize themselves with the complete list of products and services that are available in the entire portfolio of the Borusan Group.
Representatives from other Borusan companies are also on hand during customer meetings that are taking place today in various regions of the country. This approach, which has received significant praise from Borusan customers, has also improved the performance and motivation of employees.
Customer-focused services have been brought under the umbrella of the Voc
Proactive customer reporting
Going beyond the traditional supplier-customer relationship, the Group has adopted the principle of working as a business partner with its customers. At its heart, this principle involves the timely and appropriate sharing of all information with special business partners.
In this regard, the following are concrete examples that have been implemented:
Borçelik launched www.borcelikweb.com, which allows for the instant tracking of any
data related to sales orders and performance values
Borusan Lojistik designed an application to enable the sharing of monthly customer
performance reports
Borusan Telekom introduced a website allowing for online tracking of orders.
A business model:
The primary aim of the VoC endeavor is to make Borusan the first choice among its customers by continually increasing their satisfaction.
This target was actually part of a business model which we began formulating at the start of the millennium:
The VoC allows us to better comprehend the expectations of our
customers.
Six Sigma creates product and business solutions that meet these demands.
Value Based Management facilitates to measure the business results and determine the
performance gaps in the earliest possible time.
We manage this model according to our long term business plans.
The VoC vision of Borusan for 2008 is to reach a 4 Sigma level, wich translates to an error-free rating of 99.38%.
The 2010 vision for VoC:
The vision of the VoC that was set forth in the Borusan Group’s first 5-year strategic plan prepared in 2006 was defined within the framework of the following targets:
To attain, by 2010, a level of immaculacy and excellence of 4 Sigma (99.38 %) in all
processes that create added value for our customers.
Which processes will 4 Sigma be applied to?
 In the confirmation process of responding to and meeting demands
In the timely and perfect delivery of goods and services in accordance with customer
expectations
In expediting the process and improving the quality of customer complaint handling
The Group as a whole, including all Borusan companies, will be significantly above
the global, European and Turkish averages with respect to the customer satisfaction
and loyalty indexes by the end of 2010.
The place and importance of Borusan’s VoC
By implementing year-end evaluations all the leading groups in the global economies reward their most successful business units or companies. The Borusan Group also implements annual evaluations to acknowledge the companies which have created a significant difference in terms of offering products and services that are customer focused. Consequently, within the Borusan Group, we have been giving the “Most Customer Focused Company of the Year” award for the past five years. The company who wins this prestigious annual honor is chosen on the weighted average and comparison of points scored for that year based on both the TRI*M index performance results and audits of the VoC processes. Borusan Lojistik was the winner of the 2007 awards. |
|
