Bioproducts: The results are in
We have regarded regular customer surveys as a useful tool for some 20 years when it comes to pulp. Now, having conducted our first in-depth survey of our growing solid bioproducts customer base, together with third-party market research company, Opticom, we were delighted with the feedback.
Hannah Stenberg, Customer Experience Manager, explains: “Ensuring that we make the absolute most of our forest resources is an essential part of Södra’s strategy. The more we invest in R&D and innovation, the more we see the potential of forest bioproducts to help create a more sustainable future. The survey results show that we are on the right track.
“It is clear that we’ve built up a loyal customer base and that we are closely associated with sustainability. The survey concentrated on customers within Sweden and Finland, primarily in district heating, wood pellets and solid fuels.
“We will be contacting customers to explain how we will use the findings to improve in the future, but some key takeaways include:
- Most frequently mentioned words when thinking of Södra included reliability, stability and reliable supply.
- The vast majority of respondents are positive overall towards Södra with 20 percent ‘very positive’.
- The vast majority said they would likely choose Södra again as a supplier with 60 percent being ‘very likely’.
- Södra is also considered strong when it comes to sustainability, especially in terms of thinking and acting sustainably and in its use of raw materials.
- Södra was viewed as having a competitive advantage in numerous areas, especially within supply chain, competence and attitude.
“While we were generally very pleased with the results, we still have room for improvement with customers feeding back that they would like to see longer-term pricing strategies, further reduction in environmental impact, especially in transport, and more communication and transparency. These are all elements we are working on. The removal of emissions from the supply chain was a common concern. We have plans to roll out our Conscious Delivery initiative to all business areas, for example, offering customers the chance to work together for more sustainable deliveries.”
Johannes Bogren, Vice President Södra Bioproducts: “It's heartening to see that our customers value the low carbon footprint of our products but also feel the need for greater collaboration to find more sustainable solutions for the future. We are totally on board and determined to make it happen.”
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Subjects: Pulp