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  3. Story 36MAPAL's DNA: maximum customer proximity
MAPAL's DNA: maximum customer proximity

MAPAL's DNA: maximum customer proximity

1975–2025

By focussing on single bladed reamers, MAPAL has made customer proximity a basic condition for success. An advice-orientated sales concept and numerous other measures ensure that customer proximity does not remain a cheap slogan for MAPAL but becomes a valued unique selling point.

THE PRINCIPLE OF QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

When MAPAL decided in the mid-1970s to produce only single-bladed reamers in future and to divest itself of other product areas, this had two consequences: Firstly, the “MAPAL reamers” had to be further developed technically. Secondly, the complex and consulting-intensive reamers require a new sales concept. Until now, sales have been handled by sales representatives who sell MAPAL products alongside products from other manufacturers on a commission basis. In addition to motivation, they often lack the technical expertise to provide customers with comprehensive advice. Dr Dieter Kress therefore decided in 1975 to set up his own sales department with well-trained employees. In a first step, seven permanent sales experts are recruited, who take on an increasingly advisory role that is completely customised to the respective customers.

Thanks to the new sales concept, MAPAL is able to acquire major customers from the automotive industry and its suppliers. It is not uncommon for the consultants there to even get involved in the design process, because the purchasing departments in the groups are often very commercially orientated. MAPAL fills this gap by establishing itself as an extremely customer-oriented problem solver and thus creating a unique selling point in the field of precision tool manufacturers.

The close interaction between the sales and research & development department, which react quickly to special customer requests, often even with small series for testing purposes or trial machining, also contributes to this. And not forgetting the boss himself: Dr Dieter Kress is an equally gifted and passionate salesman in his own right, who at trade fairs and during customer visits takes up customer requests with infectious enthusiasm, provides a rapid solution and thus embodies maximum customer proximity.

An expression of this customer proximity is not only the establishment of numerous subsidiaries abroad - and thus close to the customers (see stories 12, 28, 30, 31). But also the introduction of the customer magazine “Impulse” in 1997, which MAPAL still uses today to provide regular information on important new and further technical developments, or the workshops and seminars that MAPAL offers on a wide range of customer-relevant topics around the world.