Vallourec launches a new material selection platform
Vallourec’s teams bring to the table a wealth of material expertise, but when clients have a question, it can prove complicated to harness all their different perspectives and ideas. Until now. Using its existing Jira project management software in a new way, Vallourec has launched a material selection platform. This tool provides one centralized location for material questions to be asked and answered, and where internal teams can collaborate and monitor the status of an information request. It streamlines workflow and makes answering client questions quicker, more efficient and completely comprehensive. Four Vallourec Research and Development (R&D), Marketing and Development (M&D) and Technical Sales (TCS) experts discuss the benefits of this new platform.
Material selection is a multi-faceted, complex process. When our clients approach us with questions about which materials would be best for a particular project, they typically ask their Technical Sales representative (TCS) for information first. Their TCS in turn frequently consults R&D and M&D staff.
When Vallourec answers a client question, the information given must be comprehensive and fully thought through. With so many people involved in the process, R&D teams sometimes have hundreds of emails about material selection. As a result, Vallourec’s sales representatives—and their clients—traditionally have faced long waits for replies.
Jira is a management software that helps large teams identify and address challenges through a centralized platform. Once a ticket is created and contains all the relevant client and project information, it can easily be shared across teams and regions. Vallourec’s interdisciplinary approach, now backed up by this software that streamlines the process, ensures that every option is considered, and all potential challenges addressed.
“Our existing way of working wasn’t providing our clients with the level of responsiveness and thoroughness we aim for. So we created a new, better methodology.”
A logical workflow for an optimized process
The new system is clearly codified for efficiency and clarity. When a TCS receives a question from a client, they create a request for information through the platform. This request is then sent to M&D, which in turn reviews the request and passes it to the right person in technical support. If the question can be answered immediately, the information is sent back to M&D, then to the relevant TCS and finally shared with the customer.
If the technical support team cannot reply, the request is sent on to the R&D team. It then either handles the request, conducting tests if necessary, or works in collaboration with Vallourec’s mills and M&D. R&D sometimes even involves external consultants, should outside expertise be required. Once R&D obtains a satisfactory, fully vetted answer, it shares it with M&D, which consolidates the information before passing it back down the chain to the technical sales team, which shares it with the client.
“Jira enabled us to design a logical and easy-to-follow workflow,” says Guillaume Neel, OCTG Metallurgy and Corrosion Group Leader at VRCF.
Myriad benefits, internally and externally
“So, a standardized workflow, where it is very easy to trace information, is good for everyone because work can progress quickly and much more efficiently.”
“In addition to accelerating the process, this system improves the quality of the answer we provide to the client,” adds Luciana Lima, R&D Project Manager.
Getting closer to clients
Another advantage of the centralized Jira platform is that it stores past requests, which can then be filtered and reviewed by application type, location, or even client. By creating a database of knowledge, Vallourec can ensure its expertise is accessible and easily maintained. In this way, Vallourec can build profiles of its clients, learning more about their specific needs to help us anticipate their questions in the future.
Transferring knowledge to new applications
This latest solution draws on Vallourec’s previous success with Jira software. Inquiries about Energy Transition Opportunities (ETO), for example, are addressed through the Jira platform that leverages the expertise of the entire ETO team. In the future, Vallourec will be able to replicate this methodology to other applications. The aim is to continue to make the most out of all the tools at the disposal of the Group to help internal teams offer clients comprehensive and timely support for all their projects and challenges.
