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03.02.2025
How do Bavarian SMEs implement the strategic approach of "customer centricity"?
In practical company portraits, we show how companies consistently put the customer at the center of their actions - including GMÖHLING Transportgeräte GmbH. This best practice shows how customer centricity contributes to entrepreneurial success.
Acting customer-oriented - without knowing the customer? At GMÖHLING Transportgeräte GmbH, a regular cross-company exchange on current customer projects ensures that even departments without direct customer contact develop a clear picture of customer requirements.
Lightweight and robust transport equipment made of aluminum - GMÖHLING Transportgeräte GmbH, based in Fürth, Germany, has stood for innovative logistics and transport solutions made of aluminum since 1941, which are used in various industries worldwide. As a family business with almost 100 employees, GMÖHLING focuses on quality, precision and customer proximity. Its particular strength lies in customized special solutions that are individually tailored to customer requirements and user ergonomics.
Individualized customer solutions through development projects
"Our success factor lies in our ability to adapt special solutions specifically to the individual needs of our customers."
In addition to standard products, GMÖHLING implements customized transport solutions. One example: the development of cabinet trolleys for French hospitals that are moved by robots (AGVs). These projects require close cooperation with the customer, starting with an on-site analysis of all requirements. A few weeks later, a prototype is delivered, which is iteratively developed further. Depending on the scope, such projects can take over a year.
A customer-centric corporate culture
Not every department has direct customer contact, but customer proximity is crucial for everyone. So how can a customer-oriented mindset be anchored throughout the company? GMÖHLING achieves this by introducing customers at meetings and presenting specific projects. This makes the customer tangible throughout the company.
Differentiating between customers and users
An empty trolley behaves differently to a loaded one - an insight that is secondary for the buyer, but essential for the user. The example shows: The distinction between customer and user is important for customer-oriented companies. After all, it is the user's expectations and requirements that need to be realized. GMÖHLING actively integrates "real" users into the development process in order to take their requirements into account at an early stage and avoid undesirable developments.
Obtain targeted customer feedback
Feedback is the key to success. For example, a long-standing customer provided the impetus to eliminate a 2 cm gap in a roller container spring base trolley - a small change with big benefits: The potential risk of injury was minimized, although no incident was ever reported. GMÖHLING relies on continuous and personal feedback, especially for development projects. This example illustrates that learning from the customer is best achieved with feedback. However, customers do not always give feedback proactively. This makes it all the more important for companies to gather customer feedback on a regular basis.
How customer centricity works: Personal customer contact, active involvement in development processes and continuous feedback make customer centricity a sustainable success factor.
Successful in the market through customer centricity
We are convinced that companies with a clear focus on the customer are more successful in creating the optimal solution for their
target group. In our opinion, customer centricity is more than just an optimized process - the ideal "customer journey". It is a
company-wide attitude - the customer-centric mindset: We want to maximize added value for our customers. We
focus on long-term customer relationships. We place the "voice of the customer" at the center of everything we do.
As Innovation Management (TIM) at Bayern Innovativ, we show you the path to customer-centric innovation - using selected
company examples. In short portraits of Bavarian SMEs, we shed light on how customer centricity works in practice: from understanding
and defining customer needs to designing products, testing and obtaining feedback.