Wavin
Wavin, a global leader in plastic tubing and piping, was losing market share in Turkey and local management assumed a new, closer factory was the answer. Working with BMI, Executive Director Richard van Delden took a customer-centric design thinking approach instead, which led to the creation of the Wavin Academy for plumbers.
The challenge
Wavin lost market share in Turkey in 2013, and the assumed fix, building a new factory to lower transportation costs, risked a big investment without addressing the real problem. Van Delden discovered a gap: plumbers knew Wavin's quality, but the mechanical contractors who actually decide on materials were often unaware of it. How could Wavin boost revenue and get decision makers to choose their products?
Our approach
Instead of planning a factory, Van Delden took the local management team on a customer safari to observe customers on construction sites. They discovered plumbers often used tools and materials incorrectly, causing varying quality despite Wavin's consistent product quality. Using BMI's canvases and design thinking methods, Wavin reframed its value proposition around training and supporting the people who install its products.
The results
- The free Wavin Academy in Turkey was an immediate success, and Wavin decided to open academies in every country where it does business, each preceded by a local customer safari.
- Design thinking became embedded in strategic decision making, including a decision in Great Britain to concentrate on two focus factories and product groups where Wavin led technically, cutting logistics costs and building long-term customer relationships.
- Wavin and BMI won a DMI Design Value Award together.
The method stayed with the team. It always does.
Want resultslike these?
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