As we approach the end of 2023, we want to take a look back and celebrate the end of another successful business year. From our trips to...
As we approach the end of 2023, we want to take a look back and celebrate the end of another successful business year. From our trips to see customers, suppliers and stakeholders to redeveloping and refining how we do business, each action we’ve taken is a positive step in the right direction for Ellard’s growth.
To support Ellard’s growth trajectory, we’ve invested massively in recruitment to support our ethos of always having the right individuals in the right roles to best support our customers. Amazing support, time and effort, from our HR and Business Improvement Department, have ensured that recruitment this year has been a massive success, fostering a growth culture where personal development is aligned with Ellard’s core mission, to innovate and simplify.
“We’ve done a lot of work this year to really think about what we need from people in their roles at Ellard; to support their development, and to find great talent in a tricky jobs market. We’ve up-skilled and empowered our managers to build their teams, and we’re seeing the benefits of all of these efforts.” Catherine Lockett - Head of Human Resources
Throughout this year, we’ve seen our Customer Service Team take a more proactive approach to customer support. Across all elements of the team from marketing to RMAs, we’ve worked together to improve all processes.
“This year we’ve made huge improvements to the Customer Service team, focusing on making processes and procedures as efficient as possible. The work that we’ve put in has ensured that the customer's journey is as simple as possible.” Adam Robinson - Sales & Customer Service Manager
We’ve seen another outstanding and rewarding year of training, having provided training to 150+ engineers and key stakeholders within our customer base. Our state-of-the-art training facilities boast a fantastic environment to truly learn and understand Ellard’s products. 2024 will see us replicate the success of this year, with the hope of extending our knowledge to even more of our customers.
“Ellard’s complimentary product training has proven to be a great success.
With the use of our state-of-the-art training facility, our customers have gained hands-on invaluable knowledge and support for our range of products.
We aim to increase our sessions this year and continue to build those all-important customer relationships.” Les Potts - Sales and Customer Service Coordinator
The past year has been a testament to the growth of Ellard’s Marketing department. With a blend of proactive and reactive marketing, the team has worked hard to bring the Ellard brand to new and existing customers.
“The marketing team experienced significant development throughout the past year, marked by remarkable achievements. I, as the current marketing manager, began my journey as a graduate, followed by the addition of Jules Drake in 2022, also starting as a graduate. From the beginning of the team to now, our evolution both as individuals and in our work has been a rewarding experience.
As we approach 2024, there is a great sense of anticipation for yet another substantial shift in the team's trajectory. We are eager to unveil innovative ideas in the New Year and are enthusiastic about the road ahead.” Danielle Club - Marketing Manager
Throughout the year, all our departments have explored how they can play a part in making the customer journey as seamless and efficient as possible. This has been evident across all our teams, however we’ve seen unprecedented achievement within our warranty process and credit control.
Christina Lowe has spearheaded the recent improvements within our warranty processes. A true testament to the Ellard values, Christina has been vital to ensuring the customer’s journey is as pain-free as possible. We spoke to Christina to discuss how the process has been.
“I officially started to help with the RMA process in February 2023, within that time frame I managed to work with the process and get 99% of RMA’s dealt with within the 21 days, this has been beneficial for both Ellard and our customers.” Christina Lowe - Customer Service Coordinator
The development of departments has meant that we could focus on all of our customers amid the growing client base. At the start of the year, we implemented our very first Account Management team, a supergroup that focuses on all aspects of the industry. This new department has seen great success in its first year, and 2024 will be no different as they guide our customers through their buying journey.
“This year marked the launch of our Account Management team, and it's been all about understanding our customers and fine-tuning the Ellard experience. We cover everything from industrial to garage doors, blinds, and international clients, aiming to build stronger bonds. Moving into 2024, our commitment remains more communication and face-to-face connections to take our customer relations even further.” Sara Smith - Account Manager (Export)
As we enter 2024, we anticipate significant leaps in our business approach. Beyond offering products, our ethos revolves around a solution-driven, collaborative mindset. This unique perspective will pave the way for unparalleled success in our business endeavours, ensuring strong outcomes and long-lasting partnerships.
We want to continue developing each department throughout the new year, exploring how Ellard can add value to your company past just our product. With this in mind, we have many exciting ventures on the horizon. We are particularly excited about the development of our Technical Team.
"In 2024, we aim to advance our technical team, granting them more time for innovation and growth. This shift involves entrusting the development of our Production team to our amazing technical employees.
Our focus moves towards enhancing products and spearheading innovations. Revamping our Quality Control and Production departments is on the cards, optimising space, streamlining workflows, and heightening efficiency.
Introducing fresh SOPs and testing methodologies is in the pipeline. We're doubling down on customer training while ramping up internal staff development. This sets the stage for our readiness to tackle future challenges and paves the way for Ellard to maintain a competitive edge." Bart Nowak - Senior Technical Engineer
In the coming year, Ellard is poised for substantial growth through an intensive focus on product development. Alongside this innovation, the much-anticipated launch of Conexiom will revolutionise the order journey for our valued customers, simplifying and expediting the entire process.
Moreover, as part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the customer journey, we're taking decisive steps toward digitising the buying experience. This strategic initiative aims to seamlessly integrate technology, making the purchasing process more intuitive, efficient, and tailored to meet the evolving needs of our clientele.
We finish the year with a few words from our Interim Managing Director, Mark Molyneux.
“As Ellard embraces the upcoming year, our unwavering commitment remains clear, to continue evolving, innovating, and prioritising our customers at every turn. With a steadfast focus on enhancing experiences, streamlining processes, and fostering meaningful connections, we eagerly anticipate a year marked by growth, innovation, and success.” Mark Molyneux - Interim Managing Director
