How Sales and Product Development collaborate for customer success
September 12, 2024
When a customer made a special request, it was all hands on deck, with a cross-function, cross-region effort to reach a solution. Solving customer problems at Axis is often a collaborative effort, and Sales and Product Development/R&D are two functions that regularly work together. Curious to know how it turned out?
To understand why collaboration was key to overcoming the challenge, we spoke with Craig Conley, Field Sales Engineer US; Torsten Mölders, Territory Sales Manager Germany; Vanessa Tyne, Global Sales Engineer in Sweden; and Anton Flink, Senior Engineer in Sweden; about how they tackled a unique customer case.
Finding answers
It all began at our American customer’s production site in Germany. The customer asked whether our cameras were certified according to an unusual standard that had never been requested before. We are no strangers to aligning with certifications, but beyond the more familiar ones, there are many more related to specific industries or applications. This was one such case.
Vanessa Tyne took the lead in coordinating the effort to understand the customer’s needs. Her first call was to the environmental team, who she tasked with investigating the certification and its relevance. “It was like putting together a puzzle,” Vanessa recalls. “We had to understand the entirety of the problem, from the customer’s production process to the ins and outs of this particular certification.”
They soon discovered that the customer wanted assurance that our cameras had a limited level of silicone outgassing, which could interfere with the spray paint in their production process and potentially damage the finish. Torsten Mölders explains, “When our cameras operate they generate heat, which in theory could cause silicone outgassing, i.e., minor vapors from silicone parts in the camera.” This was a new issue for us, so we had to start from scratch to determine if our cameras met the requirements.
Success through collaboration
This was when Vanessa brought in the Product Management team. They considered removing silicone parts from the cameras, but no alternative materials could match the required performance. The only viable option was certification, though it would be costly and time-consuming. Craig Conley facilitated discussions with the customer to decide if they should proceed. “We had a tough decision to make,” Craig explains. “This was a single customer request. Was it worth the investment?” But when the team realized the potential for a long-term partnership, they knew they had to find a solution.
Anton Flink was the next piece in the puzzle, taking the reins on solving the technical challenges and liaising with the testing facility. “Once we realized the issue, it was a case of identifying a certification partner and sending multiple cameras to be tested,” Anton explains. Then, they just had to wait for the results. Finally, the news arrived: the cameras passed the test and were certified. Not only had the team solved the customer’s problem, but they’d also opened doors to a new market. “Getting this rather specialized certification created a business opportunity,” says Vanessa, “now we have a great offer for other customers within similar industries.”
Craig explains why this project was such a success, “Cooperation from all the teams was key to solving this problem. I love working at Axis because of the impact I can have on our products and on helping our customers meet their goals.”
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