Renewed focus on customer focus, service and innovation

Specialist in the locking and unlocking of doors, the company ASSA ABLOY, has been highly committed to future-proofing its organization in recent years. By responding even better to market and customer needs, integrating processes and supplying innovative products from global brands, the company has significantly strengthened its position in the market.

Since ASSA ABLOY was founded in 1994, the organization has greatly expanded its market share. "With no fewer than 50 quality brands, 150 operating companies, 47,500 professionals and annual sales of more than 7.9 billion euros, the ASSA ABLOY Group has developed from a regional player to a global market leader in 'Door Opening Solutions,'" says André Kabel, Head of Product Management and Innovation at ASSA ABLOY Netherlands.

"In recent years we have experienced significant growth. Thanks in part to various acquisitions. Since 2000, the ASSA ABLOY Group has acquired more than 200 companies, all of which have contributed their own knowledge, products and identity. A fantastic development, which sometimes caused confusion in the market. Restructuring proved necessary to continue promoting our mission and vision in the right way and to keep in touch with the market. To achieve this in the best possible way, we have gone through a major transition in the past two years."

Focusing on the customer again

"The transition effort has brought our organization back together," says Mark Hermans, Commercial Director at ASSA ABLOY Netherlands. "By coming out again with one clear mission and vision, one stock, one R&D organization, one management organization and one service organization, we have strengthened our position in the market. This allows us to take even more advantage of our scale. Moreover, our innovative power has been increased. But most importantly, we can again focus on our core business: unburdening customers in residential and commercial construction, healthcare, education and critical infrastructure (energy and water companies), among others."

Distinction in customer groups

Within these sectors, ASSA ABLOY serves different customer groups, to which the sales organization has recently been adapted.

"Here, among other things, we distinguish between our trade partners (the hardware trade) and do-it-yourselfers, who require a specific approach and support," Hermans says.

With ASSA ABLOY, customers are assured of a single point of contact for their complete door solution, as well as high quality and reliability.

"A new market we are serving is the building materials market. We see that more and more respected players in the market are expanding their offerings to include hardware, which is primarily used by smaller professional users. This market also requires a specific approach, which also applies to the prescription market. As an organization, we advise architects and consulting firms, among others, on the best fitting locking solutions for their doors. In addition, we help make complex door solutions simple and comprehensible to all stakeholders in the market so that failure costs are minimized and delivery quality increases. Finally, we have set up a sales group for access control."

Kabel: "In the market, a change is taking place from mechanical to digital locks, with access control being offered in integrated systems. To handle this properly in terms of both hardware and software, a lot of R&D is required. As a market and innovation leader, we are fully committed to this, in close cooperation with our customers."

One point of contact for the complete door solution

"Thanks to our scale and extensive product portfolio, we are able to offer a total solution for every project and demand," Kabel emphasizes. "Customers are thereby assured of a single point of contact for their complete door solution, as well as high quality and reliability. Both of our products, (logistics) processes and innovations. They can build and rely on that."