The Swiss company has expanded its range of services considerably in recent years. They include customised consultations on efficiently processing the warm edge spacer bar, personal support with machine settings as well as training courses and marketing activities. The basis for this is a comprehensive customer survey, which SWISSPACER carried out over the past year.

The days when the value chain stopped at the pure product delivery are long gone. Customers increasingly expect manufacturers to support them through the production processes with technical know-how and other measures. These include, for example, activities to do with knowledge transfer, personal and customised support as well as assistance with market preparation and marketing. SWISSPACER has evaluated where the problems lie by holding detailed customer interviews. The company has expanded its service portfolio on the basis of the results.

Highest quality – also in service

“Our products have been proving their quality for years,” says Martina Pankoke, Marketing Director Europe at SWISSPACER. “Our spacer bars aren’t amongst the best on the market for nothing. We want to further expand this pioneering role in our services as well. We spoke to our customers to more precisely understand how we can support them even better with optimising their products and production processes. Because our aspiration is to stand by them along the entire value chain.”

To this end, SWISSPACER took on more technical personnel and expanded its range of services. “The measures implemented include, for example, customised consultations for optimal processing of the spacer bars. That concerns the machine settings or the choice of tool, such as cutting blades,” says Matthias Bach, Technical Director at SWISSPACER. “That helps to optimise procedures in insulating glass unit production and make them more efficient.”

Learning from experience

Ralf Maus, head of Application Technology at Glas Fandel in Bitburg, took part in the customer survey. He is impressed by the implications. “The demand for spacer bars is undisputed. However, we had constant problems with the processing. In the past, this often left us feeling alone and unsupported.” As production interruptions are often associated with lost sales, that is especially problematic.

For Maus, that was a strong motivation to participate in the customer survey. “I was really pleased that SWISSPACER wanted a one-on-one discussion to find out the kinds of problems we had to contend with – as a customer, that makes you feel  better understood than in the usual group surveys.” He was impressed by the speed with which SWISSPACER reacted. “The prompt advice and support, for example in production, which was necessary due to the update of the standard DIN EN 1279, helped us enormously. As I see it, that’s what a really good cooperation looks like.”

He was especially pleased that a SWISSPACER employee was on hand to keep an eye on the potential for optimisations on the production line.

Support with visualisation and market cultivation

“In the surveys, we frequently heard how very important the topics of visualisation, knowledge transfer and market processing are to our customers,” says Matthias Bach. “That motivated us to further expand the video section. The videos make, for example, processing methods easy to understand and minimise the risk of misinterpretation. We are even able to explain topics like changing from cold flexible aluminium spacer bars to SWISSPACER warm edge spacer bars and the necessary changes in processing really well in a visual way.”

Pankoke was especially pleased to learn that customers appreciate the market preparation measures. “We know that by no means all window makers or architects fully understand the potential of the warm edge. Even if that is the case, the aim also has to be to convince their customers. This is where we want to provide support with reliable, solid information.” Both training courses and seminars for different players as well as studies, analyses and theme setting help to highlight problems on the market and to increase demand for innovative product solutions. “Our customers and their customers benefit from this right away.”

Equally positive: The topic of sustainability is slowly gaining in importance. Here, too, SWISSPACER is expanding its portfolio in addition to existing data sources like the EPDs. “At this year’s glasstec, we want to focus on this consideration all around - from energy saving and improved living comfort to product quality, simplified processing and optimum frame stability”, says Martina Pankoke, Marketing Director Europe at SWISSPACER.

“We walk in lockstep with our customers and are always ready to adapt our range of services flexibly to their requirements. We already have the largest After Sales service offering for insulating glass unit manufacturers and window makers: from pure technical services to our online tool Caluwin, EPDs, training courses and extensive documentation, as well as video instructions that focus on processing,” summarises Pankoke. The manufacturer of premium spacer bars wants to continuously adapt and further expand the programme.