Improving response time to customers: A study of additives business at a.(Vietnam) company

Abstract

A.(Vietnam) is a subsidiary of A.Corporation, specializing in the Resins and Additives business within the Paints & Coatings and Printing Inks industry. In 2023, the projected value of Paints and Coatings in Vietnam reached USD 1.59 billion, with Inks estimated at USD 110 million (1). The surge in construction endeavors presents A.(Vietnam) with a tactical opportunity to enhance sales and expand the market. However, the sales performance of Additives business of A.(Vietnam) has failed to reach the target from 2021 to 2023. Extensive research has pinpointed four potential problems that may result in the undesirable outcome: (1) Delay in addressing customer complaint, (2) Lack of headcount in the North market, (3) Ineffective distributor management and (4) Uncompetitive price. After the validation, Delay in addressing customer complaint is acknowledged as the main problem, which consist of three potential causes: (1) Ineffective complaint management, (2) High workload from Austria (Team 1) and (3) Dependence on Resins business for creating customer complaint investigation reports (CCIR). The root cause of the main problem in Delay in addressing customer complaint was determined to be High workload from Austria (Team 1). Three solutions have been proposed to address the root cause, including Solution 1 (Hiring a local Technical Service staff in Vietnam), Solution 2 (Hiring additional QA staff for Team 1 in Austria) and Solution 3 (Activate the “Service” function in CRM system). After careful validation, Solution 1 and Solution 2 will be implemented to comprehensively resolve the high workload from Austria Team 1. This will help A.Corporation and A.(Vietnam) improve feedback time to customers, provide localized support, giving the company a competitive advantage in the market; thereby expanding its market reach and achieving its sustainable strategic goals. Both primary and secondary data were alternately utilized throughout this thesis to ensure a robust and comprehensive analysis.