29 July 2005

Customer focus and innovation – British Sugar’s long-term strengths

Annabelle Lloyd, has had a busy first eight months with British Sugar, not least in taking on the responsibilities of Director of Commercial (UK) from her initial appointment as Director of Sales. 

In both these roles she had taken a long, hard look at the interesting challenges facing the company and found a company with expertise in product development and unrivalled customer service, giving it the perfect basis for future success.

”Innovation and customer focus are at the heart of our future strategy,” says Annabelle.  “The market is changing because consumer behaviour is changing. Our response to that is our top priority.”

“It is vital that British Sugar maintains its reputation for high quality service. We work hard to make sure nothing slips through the net. That’s one of the reasons why our customers tell us that we’re the best in class in terms of delivery and product reliability.”

”British Sugar’s future plans are built around an increased emphasis on innovation but it’s not a new concept for the company. Although the results of a great deal of work are only now beginning to be made public, our new product development programme has been a long-term commitment.”

”The successful launch of Celebration Sugar is a good example of results from long-term work. When we launched Celebration, it followed two or three years’ work behind the scenes. A great deal of British Sugar’s innovation has been in the background, perhaps not attracting the attention it deserves.”

The company’s reputation for reliability and cost efficiency was been built up over many years. “We’ve given our customers what they have asked for: a supply of sugar delivered in a regular and efficient manner,” she says. “As a customer you know that British Sugar will always get it there, 24/7”.

The future will be about growth. In particular, it will mean growth in the number of products on offer. “We already have an extensive range of sugar-based products but, from a product portfolio point of view, you’ll see our range growing rapidly, particularly in some niche areas”, she says.

“Product development must be driven by customer need. If what we do isn’t of direct relevance to our customers, then we’re a second-class supplier. I want our customers to be successful and if we can help them through innovation, then our customers will continue to succeed and we will continue to grow,” she says.

“We have to ensure that we are the partner of choice, with integrity and professionalism driving additional value.”

Annabelle describes the Food Centre, British Sugar’s research facility in Peterborough - as ‘fantastic’. We’re now starting to focus everyone’s efforts on our customers and ultimately the end user, through value, professionalism and integrity, “ she says. “Life is changing. British Sugar sees itself not so much as a sugar producer but as a supplier of solutions to customers’ needs.

That does not mean losing sight of British Sugar’s traditional strengths. We want to continue to deliver excellence in service, quality, innovation and distribution, she says. It’s important to remember that you’ve got to get the basics right.”