In recent months, Simac has been working hard on a new strategy. The initial outlines of this are becoming increasingly clear. Maartje van Schagen: 'Customers see that we are on the move.'
Maartje van Schagen recalls a recent conversation with a customer. They had heard good stories about the work that Simac does at other companies in their sector. “This customer thought that we could do more for him, but he just didn't know what,” says Maartje. “We notice that more often. We are seen in our focus branches and certainly in retail as a reputable IT company. But we are not so good at telling where we can help our customers even more.”
That is going to change, Maartje assures. Simac IT NL has invested in the marketing department, which on the one hand must guide the further development of the services and on the other hand must better express what Simac can mean.
“I hope that customers will see us more. In every possible way. Through a magazine like the Simac Connect, but also through other media and at events.”Maartje van Schagen- directeur Simac IT NL
Translation
Investing in marketing is one of the developments that arise from the new strategy. That strategy should make Simac an IT partner that assists companies in these turbulent times. Retailers need all their time, energy and creativity to stay relevant to their customers. They want an IT partner who creates the optimal conditions for this and takes the initiative in that area.
Another development is the adjustment of the internal organization. Currently, Simac is organized into customer teams. "In extreme cases, this means reinventing the wheel for each customer. We want to move away from that. We aim to provide our customers access to all the expertise that Simac has to offer. Customers are asking us for more standardized services, through which they can better utilize the knowledge and experience scattered everywhere. This also constitutes a more efficient and robust form of service provision, allowing us to ensure even better stability, safety, and innovation."
According to Maartje, this does not necessarily have to come at the expense of customer focus and flexibility. “Our account managers, project managers, and service managers do indeed keep their focus on their own sectors and customers. They need to know what a customer is concerned with and translate it into the right combination of services and solutions.”
Customer Story Welkoop
The retail chain with everything for garden and animal not only invests in a new formula and in new stores, but also in IT. Simac takes care of the management of the network and the hardware and plays a crucial role in the conversion of the stores.
Read the articleCustomer experience
For a long time, Simac has participated again in the IT Xperience Monitor, the annual research of Giarte into customer experience in the IT sector.
This shows that we can still improve a lot, but are also really on the right track. Of course, our customers are critical. Fortunately, because that makes us better. But it's also nice to get confirmation that we're doing well.
That the new strategy fits in, is not only evident from the research, but also from conversations in the market. “The focus is more on customer experience than before. A good example of this is our new Service & Support Portal. Customers see that we are on the move and appreciate that. That gives us the confidence that we should continue on the path we have taken.”
