The Technical Assistance activity is a value added service to both the customer and the supplier.
From the supplier stand point of view, his technical assistance will reflect his after sales services, how much care he shows to his customers regarding the consequences of the use of the supplied products and its consequences inside his customers processes and final products.
From the customer stand point of view, it is the way that the supplier shows his concern with the customer not only by checking “what is going on” but also helping the customer to make the best use of the supplied product, enhancing its performance and improving the customers process yield, productivity and helping to reduce the customers costs.
Technical Services also are the eyes and the presence of the supplier inside the customer, helping the supplier to understand better its customer process. This way, it will be established a dialogue between parties, creating mutual trust and customer fidelity to that supplier. This translates into long term contracts and an open communication line between supplier and customer.
POSITIVE ASPECTS REGARDING A TRADING COMPANY:
Looking specifically to the Graphite Electrodes market, there are many interesting aspects to be considered:
Technical service from a trading company would become a strong differential in this area – usually only the graphite electrodes producers have technical services and they use it to leverage more sales – the other trading companies don´t have it and this becomes a weakness and it is treated like a weakness by the producers;
It will be perceived as an additional point of reliability on the trading company;
It will bring to the trading company an expertise that the other trading companies on this area don´t have;
It will bring, to the trading company, a higher level of respect from the customers, since the customer will have support to its needs and will find someone that will understand his own “language” during any discussions about graphite electrodes;
Technical services will always be able to make internal seminars at the customers, in order to improve the knowledge of the furnace operators about graphite electrodes and its importance for the furnace and the production process;
Any time a customer asks for technical support, it will be possible to be inside the customer in maximum 48 hours, to pay him the required assistance an support;
The suppliers will have a precise feedback from the market, learning what the market expects to receive and why.
ADVANTAGES OF A PERMANENT TECHNICAL SERVICE:
Comfort to the customers, because they will know that any time they need it, the technical service will be there;
The final customer will learn that the technical service will be a valuable asset that the supplier will make available, since technical services will always not only listen to the customer, but will also make a contribution to the customer process, making it better, improving the customers performance and final profitability.
BEST OF ALL:
Long term relationship with all customers, resulting in stable revenue and a better predictability for inventories administration;
The trading will become the first option on its customers mind anytime they think about buying graphite electrodes;
Any problem will be immediately addressed and properly administrated, either with the customer or with the supplier;
Market share will increase as soon as the customers create confidence that, for any kind of problems, the trading technical assistance will be there to help.
ANTONIO CANDIOTA PROFILE:
Fluent in English and in Spanish;
Metallurgical Engineer with a long track in steel industry;
14 years of experience in technical services for Melt Shops (9 years at SGL Carbon, 2.5 years at ARCELORMITTAL and 2.5 years at SANGRAF International Inc.);
Experience in EAF operation;
More than 16 years of experience in international commerce selling steel products;
Lived for about one year in USA (Georgetown, SC);
Large experience in traveling abroad (South America, North America, Europe, Turkey and China);
Married, one daughter.
