Fabio, what exactly does "Smart Products and Components" entail?
In this first quadrant of our four-quadrant matrix, we are responsible for the sales activities of CAPEX-related products. Basically, this is our core business. The products we market, such as our digital positioners, are smart because they turn our conventional valves into intelligent control units. This gives us the opportunity to create business models with added value. Additionally, the data gathered by these devices allows us to draw conclusions on how to improve or better apply our products.
Do these products belong to SAMSON's traditional product portfolio?
Yes, they do. The CAPEX-related products are part of our traditional core business. We have an extensive range of innovative ONE SAMSON products, including automated control valves for throttling and on/off service as well as manual valves to control the flow of oils, gases, vapors, water or chemical substances in both general and severe service.
What are the biggest challenges you face in this quadrant?
Marketing strategies, such as application selling, guided selling and fit-for-purpose, are definitely high on the agenda at the moment. We need to market our wide range of products in all active sectors of industry to maximum effect and, above all, in line with our corporate strategy. Our aim is to sell our products globally as part of our day-to-day business as well as in projects, while applying cross-selling and upselling strategies. It is important that the SAMSON companies do not compete with each other, that they offer the full range of products where possible and that they keep pricing for customers within a contractual framework. Naturally, we all want to earn money, but competition from within our own ranks would be sending the wrong message. We want to avoid market cannibalization. Based on the strong SAMSON brand, we aim to continue marketing the entire range of products as ONE SAMSON. Furthermore, our one-stop-shop business model minimizes the paperwork for customers and allows us to offer all our products and services from one single source.
This is a challenge especially for a company like SAMSON that has evolved over many years, employs over 4500 people in more than 40 countries and operates 50 subsidiaries and 17 production sites in Germany, Spain, Italy, France, China and the US.