Focus on customers for Saab Aerostructures


Saab Aerostructures is currently working to increase its circle of customers, with concepts such as customer focus and professionalism being guiding principles for the business unit. In May, Saab Aerostructures gained top marks from Airbus in its supplier evaluation, demonstrating that the business unit’s customer focus efforts are certainly producing results.

Each year Airbus judges its suppliers based on various assessment criteria such as level of quality, support and delivery precision. This year, Saab Aerostructures received top results, therefore gaining it a ‘green rating’ at Airbus. This means that the business unit fulfills Airbus’s stringent demands, putting Saab on a level with Airbus’ best suppliers.

Stefan Rönnmark

Image: Stefan Rönnmark

“It has been one of our goals to achieve a green rating ever since we began the collaboration with Airbus,” says Stefan Rönnmark, head of the Program department at Saab Aerostructures.

The fine results achieved by the business unit at Airbus are the fruit of a focused work. Back in 1998, the business unit began thinking seriously in terms of customer focus and business awareness.
“The biggest difference we’ve seen since we actively began working with these issues is that before we were used to setting the requirements ourselves, towards a single customer within the country. Now the customers set the requirements to an increasing extent. Naturally we contribute ideas and suggestions, but we have to remember that we’re working for the customer who has certain demands based on their markets and customers. Demands that we have to listen to and meet, says Stefan Rönnmark.”

Stefan says that the goal for the business unit is to be a world-class supplier, not the biggest but the best. To achieve this, the business unit must not relax and be satisfied with the good results achieved, but it must continue its goal-conscious work.
“From now on we will invest in maintaining our green rating, and use it as a lever for future business. Our goal is to always be an interesting alternative when new business opportunities arise.”

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