Waldemar Christen, Vice President CRM at ASMPT – Image source: ASM
Technology leader ASMPT has used the results of recently conducted customer satisfaction surveys to further improve its customer relationship management (CRM). The company wants to deliver even more agility, efficiency and resiliency in the future to better support its customers in the ROI-oriented automation of their smart factories. Accordingly, ASMPT will operate with only four Regions worldwide in order to make important experts and knowledge resources available to an even broader customer base. The previously separate Germany Region will be integrated into the EMEA Region under the leadership of Ralph Pötter, who previously ran the global sales & key account management of ASMPT’s SMT Solutions Segment.
“The CRM process, which consists of the subprocesses Sales, Service and Marketing, is the interface to our customers. Here, a comprehensive understanding of the manufacturing processes, clear responsibilities, quick and sustainable decisions as well as lean processes make the difference. All of this works only if all departments and Regions harmonize perfectly and operate with a clear focus on the customer,” explains Waldemar Christen, Vice President CRM at ASMPT. “We continuously review our processes and tools for agility, efficiency and resiliency in order to consolidate our status as a market and technology leader in the semiconductor and SMT segments.” A recent customer satisfaction study has shown that strong customer support makes the difference. It confirmed that our account managers have a solid understanding of their customers’ production processes and rated them much higher than those of other market players.
Faster and more effective
As the recent Productronica trade fair demonstrated, the ASMPT team adapted to changing conditions and developed new customer support solutions also during the pandemic.
The positive responses to the Open Automation concept presented during the fair proved that classic machine sales and account management are making rapid advances. Today’s electronics manufacturers expect to work with a customer solutions consultant who advises them on both the machine and factory levels. This consultant must be a competent expert who supports his or her customers with software and hardware solutions and keeps an eye on the entire manufacturing process. In combination with ASMPT’s best-in-class product portfolio and corresponding adjustments in customer support, ASMPT’s people meet these expectations already today.
As Regional Head & Managing Director CRM, Ralph Pötter is responsible for the newly defined EMEA Region at ASMPT. — Image source: ASM
In order to make better use of synergies in the future, ASMPT has conducted a reorganization: EMEA and Germany are now combined into one region, which will also strengthen the Europe area in particular in view of the changes in the geopolitical situation. With the focus on Eastern Europe, this will further facilitate the potential expansion and development of manufacturing capacities for electronics manufacturers. Support and services will be adjusted so that customers worldwide can be offered the highest and most standardized level of service. The EMEA region will be managed by Ralph Pötter as Regional Head & Managing Director. The long-standing ASMPT managers Rafael Wojtakowski, Ralph Blömer and Stefan Techau will coordinate the sales and service business in Europe East, Germany and Europe West and report directly to Ralph Pötter.
“Of course, we want to continue to grow. Above all, however, we have the satisfaction of our customers today and in the future in mind with this realignment. With the constantly growing portfolio of products and services, we also want to offer the corresponding consulting and implementation support. The feedback on this step at the recent Productronica has been outstanding, and I look forward to implementing it with this strong team. We want to significantly increase our market share and our competitiveness, and we will not just maintain our customer satisfaction on its high current level but improve it and become more profitable,” said Pötter. “With its leaner processes and its streamlined duties and responsibilities, the new organization will help us to accomplish this. The same applies to the consistent use of our entire production and solution portfolio and the systematic expansion of our software business.”