Going the extra mile for customers

Building digital customer relationships

In 2020, we have changed the way we work and expanded digital communications to engage with customers.

In Spain, for example, we made particularly good use of digital channels to maintain close relationships with our customers. We even used these digital channels to grow our business by reaching out to a broader range of our customers.

In France, we built a whole new sales and customer service platform, making use of state-of-the-art digital tools to provide customers with up-to-date information.

Similar efforts across the Group ensured that our teams were not only able to support their existing customers during the COVID-19 crisis, but also managed to build new digital relationships with customers.

Innovating to meet customers’ needs

We have a very disciplined approach to innovation that starts with our customers. We capture the voice of customers in many ways. Regular interactions, visiting their sites to see how products are used, and an annual global customer survey (Net Promoter Score), all help us to understand their requirements and expectations.

Building on their valuable input, we develop systems and solutions that are lighter, more efficient and sustainable, that can benefit the whole community.

Co-creating new products

Aliaxis launched about 60 new products in 2020. Some of these were smart improvements – easier connections, easier installation – solving specific customer problems. Other new solutions tackle larger concerns and improve the living conditions of communities. In Latin America, we launched MaxiCanal, a new roof gutter system – designed in collaboration with customers – to cope with extreme heavy rain.

Rainwater harvesting innovation

Among the major innovations we brought to market in 2020 were water tanks and rainwater harvesting in India.  We saw an opportunity in an adjacent segment we were not operating in and used that to drive significant business growth.

Watch the video on our India performance page

Instead of marketing a single component, we offer an end-to-end solution for rainwater harvesting, which helps customers conserve water in line with government regulations. With anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties, our water tanks also provide significant health benefits.

We are the first to offer a complete system like this in India, and there is growth potential in other geographies for similar rainwater harvesting systems.

Addressing the challenges of urbanisation

Besides addressing water management challenges, we also play a role in supporting growing urbanisation. For example, we provide advanced solutions in wastewater and drainage systems for high-rise buildings.

We work with universities to design solutions for the most difficult problems, using various testing scenarios, including pressure simulations. Using a lift tower, we carry out experiments in collaboration with the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, helping us to develop a series of unique products, ideally suited for high-rise buildings.

Our special pressure regulators help to manage water in a high-rise building – where something as simple as flushing a toilet on the 50th floor results in complicated technical challenges. That creates large pressure fluctuations, which can be difficult to manage.

Architect testimonial, a high-rise building in Colombia

“The expertise from Aliaxis in hydro sanitary facilities and the application of new technologies was very important for us. And so was the support given by Aliaxis to our engineers to make the right decision for a more efficient and reliable design of ICON 60. It is a project for multifamily housing that has 117 apartments on 24 floors, located in the city of Ibagué. We installed the Studor ventilation system, an efficient system, preventing the return of bad smells that sometimes generate discomfort for the occupants. Additionally, it is a system that does not require maintenance, eliminates ventilation pipes, which allows less space for ducts and improves installation times.”

Architect J. MAURICIO MENA S. from DYCO SAS in Colombia

Increased focus on green innovation and recycling

As part of our sustainability engagement, we have made progress during the year on resolving some of the hurdles around recycling. Products like Ecolotube (Canada – 50% recycled material) and HomeTech (France – 20% recycled material) have led the way.

We aim to integrate more recycled raw materials across all our operations, as it is our main lever in reducing our carbon footprint. Lighter products also provide an economical advantage, bringing a cost benefit for our customers, as well as opportunities for growth. In Italy, we have redesigned our PVC fittings to be 20% lighter, easier to transport and easier to install, with a carbon footprint that is 25% lower.

We are fully integrating the environmental impact of our products in our innovation process. This means assessing the lifecycle analysis, our CO² emissions and the impact on energy, water and materials use. These are important criteria in our new product and solution development, playing into our green innovation agenda.

Responding to the priorities of our customers and other stakeholders, we work on more environmentally friendly solutions.