Danny is our D customer — one of many smaller customers, who matter to Oleon as a group. Together, Dannys are a significant part of our business and our company’s future. That’s why Danny needs to receive our standard good quality and service. We don’t know Danny very well, but that’s ok as it is not our goal to o er him tailor-made solutions.
Easy-fitting. This is my approach to business. I tend to keep it simple and don’t mind choosing di erent brands."
Tim Rush, Customer Intimacy Team Lead
In our 4th part of our ‘Meet Our Customer’ series, we will explore the segment of our D-customers. This segment of customers is by far our largest, exceeding more than 2,000 in number and are managed primarily by our global desk sales organization. Although their business makes a significant financial contribution to Oleon, the complexity required to manage these accounts is substantial and cannot be underestimated. This article seeks to illuminate recent trends in this segment.
Although the needs of our D segment can vary greatly, they typically involve significantly lower volume demands and a more transactional commercial relationship. In essence, if our pricing is competitive and we have material in stock, they place an order with Oleon. Oftentimes the profile of our D accounts falls within the distributor model which is buying and selling material from a variety of manufacturers. While a D account has the potential to grow in value over time, allowing our desk sales team to develop certain accounts for possible transition to our external sales team, such growth is generally uncommon. To further emphasize this segment, we would like to introduce some of the recent initiatives supporting ABC and DEF.
Sunrise Medical is a global leader in the development, design, manufacturing, and distribution of manual and powered wheelchairs, mobility scooters, as well as standard and custom seating and positioning systems. One might wonder how Oleon’s product range adds value to a company that manufactures wheelchairs. However, after nearly a decade of supplying Sunrise Medical, Oleon remains a valued supplier, managed through our US desk sales team. Before you ask what product a wheelchair manufacturer would need, let me explain: while MCT (medium chain triglycerides) are widely used in the food, personal care, and lubricant markets, one specific application at Sunrise Medical is in cushions designed to help immobilized customers maintain good skin health. With no other sales potential at Sunrise, this commercial relationship has been managed remotely for nearly five years.
Dr. Paul Lohmann® is the world’s leading developer and manufacturer of high value Mineral and Metal Salts, headquartered in Emmerthal, Germany to customers in the sectors food, nutritional supplement, pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, cosmetic and industrial applications around the globe. While the production of such materials presents limited opportunities for Oleon, one product— glycerin—has been supplied to Dr Paul Lohmann for the past five years. With an annual demand of approximately 100 metric tons and a gross margin nearly 75% higher than the average for our product range, accounts like this contribute significant value to Oleon’s bottom line. Similar to Sunrise Medical, such supply discussions do not necessitate direct commercial contact and are well managed through indirect forms such as email, phone and Teams which is ideal template for success with our desk sales team.