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Original Date: 06/29/1995
Revision Date: 01/18/2007
Information : Unigraphics Profit Center
Wainwright’s Unigraphics Profit Center has evolved as a successful stand-alone unit that conducts business with outside customers. This Center resulted from a 1985 strategic investment decision to procure the Unigraphics system to develop machining packages for its CNC machines. Originally purchased because of its powerful solids modeling software, analysis tools, and capability to do complex work, the Unigraphics system was also chosen by a Wainwright customer as its standard design tool. This factor would allow easy file transfer between the two companies. Because yet another customer was having difficulty using the Unigraphics system, Wainwright began helping the company properly use the system. As this relationship progressed, Wainwright was contracted to do Unigraphics work for that customer, and the outside work on the Unigraphics system now accounts for 80% to 90% of the Center’s total work.
The Unigraphics Profit Center has prospered because of Wainwright’s expertise on the system, but other factors have also played important roles in the growth. The company maintains a strong philosophy in sharing information and expertise. Although sharing of what it knows with its customers led to this initial work for others, Wainwright also believes that there should be direct dealing with the end customer on any technical issues. Potential problems are identified, the customer is contacted and then consulted on whether the problem should be corrected.
Also, Wainwright asserts that from its perspective, relationships with its customers and suppliers are based on trust, respect, and good communication. In support of those relationships, the company expends significant effort on sharing knowledge and expertise with both. And just as Wainwright addresses its suppliers based on these important qualities, it is working with its customers to cultivate a similar environment where Wainwright’s position towards suppliers is parallelled from the customer’s perspective. This critical balance of two-way trust, respect, and communication is the principal reason behind the success of the Unigraphics Profit Center as well as the success of Wainwright as a business.
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