When an engineering firm reached out to Aagard on behalf of their customer to inquire about creating a case packaging machine, the customer never dreamed Aagard would come back to them with a machine far beyond their expectations.
Aagard's team received the request and the drawing of what the customer needed. Recognizing that the engineering firm's proposal would require multiple vendors to build numerous machines creating a massive unit that would monopolize over 11,000 square feet of expensive cold storage space, Aagard made it their mission to use their expertise to create one integrated machine for the client—reducing the size and complexity of the system and the cost.
Although it's a common practice in the industry to work with third-party integration services when building a system, it can come with a great set of challenges. The customer must either hire someone to manage the moving pieces or take the risk to manage it themselves. The third-party integration service proposed multiple machines across multiple factories and manufacturers for this project. Each of these machines would have to be individually tested then shipped to one location to be reassembled and tested again as one functioning unit. This process can be very time consuming, costly and cumbersome.
Aagard's passion is to help their customers win, so Aagard didn't create the case packaging machine originally requested after conversations with the customer. They made a combination case packer, palletizer, stretch wrapper packaging machine in a smaller footprint, a more straightforward operating system, and significant cost savings. Aagard took a very traditional way of thinking and turned it into a revolutionary idea that not only met their customer's needs but challenged their customer to consider a new realm of possibilities.
Building a relationship with the customer is an integral part of Aagard's process. They want to study what the customer needs today and what they need in the future. They see the big picture, considering everything from where the product is coming from once it hits their machine to where the product is going once it leaves the machine. These upstream and/or downstream considerations often lead to a much more conducive system to meet the customer's needs.
After working with the customer through eleven different iterations with three options each, Aagard produced the system that was the right exact solution for the customer. The customer's great appreciation for working with Aagard on this project has resulted in several continual requests for more machines.
Dynamic customer relationships are essential to Aagard's process. Fully understanding the customer's needs, both present and future, upstream and downstream, allows Aagard to challenge the customer with new ideas and produce the most effective system. The Aagard Experience is to exceed expectations.
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