|
Background
A major paint manufacturer was not complying with stricter water discharge standards newly issued by the local municipality. Various equipment and chemical suppliers proposed solutions, each involving additional cost for the manufacturer. A chemical distributor rep saw an opportunity to improve the customer’s process efficiency and hence his standing with the customer.
Assessment
The sales rep requested a plant tour in order to better understand how his principal’s product was being used. During the tour he discovered that one of his principal’s products was being misapplied.
Prescription
The sales rep recommended a change to another grade of product and offered to perform a complete audit of the water treatment system. During the audit he learned from the line operators that improvements could be made in the process. Based on his findings, the rep established SOPs for the operators and wrote a detailed report to the plant management. He also put the customer in contact with the manufacturer of the current equipment used in the plant to improve process efficiency.
Results
The Team ChemistrySM approach ensured that the distributor sales rep took a comprehensive view of who his customer was and who could contribute to the overall solution. The customer achieved increased throughput for the water treatment system and a lower cost per gallon of water processed while meeting the new, more stringent municipal standards. The municipality received cleaner effluent from the plant. The principal began receiving orders for a more profitable product. The distributor was recognized as a valuable process consultant and received orders for additional products for the other suppliers they represented. |
