Our Clients
We are happy to tell you more about Argil and our clients testimonials
What Tetra Pak said
Philippe Tafelmacher, Vice President,
Tetra Pak International, Switzerland
- “As a Customer focused company we thought we knew what our Customers wanted. Over the last five years Argil has helped us really find out what they need …and then they facilitated our actions to deliver on these needs.”
- For five years, Argil has helped us uncover what our Customers really want …and facilitated our culture of delivery.”
- “I feel very humble, having our Customers sit with us, for so much time. It increases our sense of responsibility that we can’t let them down and we must deliver. This process helps us to be proactive. I am totally committed to the hard work that has to be done. CSXpress, married with a Strategic Process, has validated that we need to do CSXpress once a year, 18 months in retrospect was too long. We have seen the ‘blind spots’ through this process.”
What Brookside Dairy said
“We are heading in the right direction. We are more daring, more risking, and have more openness. There is more at stake for both of us, but also a lot of potential. The foundation is firming up. It has been a very good session. Weve communicated.”
David Heath, Managing Director,
Brookside Dairy Ltd, East Africa
within the comments I have read. It is genuine material helping us to build a stronger relationship.”
What Spin Knit Dairy said
“An awareness has been raised. The process allows us to give Tetra Pak feedback for what our concerns are, and then, together we are able to find solutions. The process is improving our relationship. This is a mutual effort …we are in business together. I know we are moving in the right direction.”
Bupendra Shah, CEO,
Spin Knit Dairy Ltd, East Africa
What Ceres Fruit Juices said
“An awareness has been raised. The process allows us to give Tetra Pak feedback for what our concerns are, and then, together we are able to find solutions. The process is improving our relationship. This is a mutual effort …we are in business together. I know we are moving in the right direction.”
Pieter Hanekom, Managing Director,
Ceres Fruit Juices
What Fonterra said
“It has been a good day…the best in getting down to some good, honest open talk. Of course when we walk out of here we will have problems, we know that; and the key will be to remember, as leaders, that we made promises to each other and ourselves AND to Growing the business”
GM Manufacturing
What GlaxoSmithKline said
Linus Gitahi, Managing Director,
GlaxoSmithKline, West Africa
“This session has been very worthwhile. I havent been to a Customer session like this before. It is not only Tetra Pak that is benefiting from all this information but also GSK. We need the feedback as well. The only way we can be serious about this partnership is if we make it a two way process…. we are now starting to talk about business development and not just about the machines. Its now time to talk about the future.”
What Ceres Fruit Juices said
“A lot of issues were discussed today which are important to the market and to each of us (Tetra Pak and Ceres). We are totally committed to Tetra Pak and to be in business with them.”
Pieter Hanekom, Managing Director,
Ceres Fruit Juices
Robert Perez, Managing Director, Vice President Sub-Sahara Africa,
Tetra Pak South Africa
“This process, with Argils facilitation, has really helped us understand our Customers needs and then add value to our offerings. Argils facilitation has helped us develop a deep, honest relationship with our Customer where we can talk straight.”
Bryn Thomas, Marketing Director, Tetra Pak, South Africa
“Argil has helped in the facilitation of our Customer Satisfaction Process. We have CSXpress which uncovers the detail and gets to the point quickly. It enables us to get to issues fast, the people are engaged, things happen and then the follow up is quicker.”
Eric Schmidt, Managing Director, Tetra Pak, Kenya South Africa
“This is a healthy process. Two companies are taking a risk, with one side saying what they think of the other and the other side listening to what has been said. I have seen no manipulation within the comments I have read. It is genuine material helping us to build a stronger relationship.”
What Woodlands Dairy said
Hennie Kleynhans, Managing Director,
Woodlands Dairy, South Africa
“Overall we have started talking, communicating with one another. It has rekindled that trust again, …were on the right path. Its been useful for me to establish focus areas, a basis from where we need to work and what we have to do to grow.”
Our firm Opteon, has consistently made use of Paul and his company Argil since 2011 – the work delivered has always been professional, on time, and with high levels of excellence. Paul himself is very personable (someone you can joke with, but also discuss important business issues, as well as garner his perspectives on business development, strategy and growth). We rely on the expert insights and services of Paul and his colleagues.
Patrick Verryn,
General Manager at Opteon
“In the bigger scheme Argil Organisational Effectiveness absolutely has an impact on your long-term profitability. People are a long term investment and we are creating the base for our growth. It creates the changed environment and helped us to implement what we had verbalized at the Exec level. Its not the balanced scorecard – but it works very well.
Peter Starling, Managing Director,
NCP Alcohols
“With Nedbank, the achievements have been great. Within the relationship matrix there were misconceptions of views – us and them. We can be very grateful to the Argil process for turning the relationships around and breaking down the barriers. Issues have been dealt with from both sides. We have moved from being poles apart and I won’t be surprised if we are performing much better now. It’s been an unbelievable success with Nedbank. I am looking forward to hearing from Nedbank again.”
Grant Dunnington, Managing Director,
SBV
What Nampak Sacks said
Tim Elliot,
Managing Director, Nampak Sacks
- “If there are any more skeptics about the Customer Satisfaction Process, here is the hard evidence. (One of our Customers) has given us 25% more business “because now you are listening”. Now thats Growth!”
- “One is never too sure how processes are going to work, but with this one I have been very surprised with it. I’m impressed with its “staying power”. It takes courage! Dont do it unless you are prepared to take it on with total commitment. The Argil Process has been significant for us.”
- “We grew our Turnover by R30m via increased market share from our key Customers exposed to the Argil Process.”
“Argil understands their Process very well, but its through the effective facilitation that the outcomes have had meaning for Nampak Sacks. The Process in itself is innovative compared to other interventions I’ve seen.”
Craig Dingley, Sales Manager,
Nampak Sacks
“Argil has opened doors in terms of growing our market. The whole process increased the confidence of the market in us and putting us on a continuous improvement path. The whole Argil Process was an innovation for us.”
Aaron Ganesh, Manufacturing Director,
Nampak Sacks
“This is a very clever process. Somehow it has some magic, and got us around the table together. I never thought I would be sitting around the same table as John Robb again, to discuss business.”
“We’ve come a long since we started this process – Nampak Sacks started with Argil 6 years ago in that time we have seen a change in Nampak Sacks. We’ve seen that you’ve changed and that’s why we went to Argil. What I’ve seen today is that there is a lot more we can do – there is huge potential with our synergies.”
Pete Strauss,
Managing Director, NPC
“We are encouraged: we are pleased to be exposed to this Customer process. We have definitely established the gaps. We want to thank Nampak Sacks for this process. It is in both of our interests.”
Richard Steveni, Procurement,
Premier Foods
This process has given us a better insight into ourselves and how we operate – what impact we have on the people around us.”
Piet Strauss,
Managing Director,
NPC
“This process has really made a huge difference to the AIDC. Externally: our relationship and credibility with our stakeholders has improved.
Internally: the process developed a needed focus. By far the best strategic process weve ever used.”
Dr. Paulo Fernandes, Managing Director,
AIDC South Africa
Robin Moore, MD,
Nampak Flexible
- “We’ve reduced our working capital by 40% – a $10m saving through the focus that the Argil Process gave us.
- “We have brought together some key initiatives to enable us to raise our Customer performance, and this Argil Organisational Effectiveness process underpins all these processes, by helping us to become much more open and honest with each other internally …using a common language.
VIEW ROBIN MOORE INTERVIEW ON THE CUSTOMER GROWTH PROCESS
“There has been 500 000 tonnes Growth. It’s had a huge impact on our culture and moved us to focus externally. It’s been a massive marketing drive for us and has produced many opportunities.
Craig Bentley, General Manager,
Unitrans Sugar and Agriculture
What Illovo Sugar said
“This is positive for us: its a win:win. Our discussions have been open and honest and
we feel that you’re taking us seriously.
Etienne Rousseau, Mill Manager
Mtubutuba, Illovo Sugar Ltd
“Argil created strategic conversations for us with one of our key customers that brought about significant savings for both companies.
Ian Visser, CEO,
Premier Foods
Theunis Nel, Managing Director,
Unitrans Sugar and Agriculture, South Africa
- “We have moved our relationship from a contractual vendor/ supplier to an open Partnership – this has allowed us to really get to know each other, and to grow together. Now we are a real Partnership growing together in Africa.
- “We have done many interventions before, but this Argil Process has helped us to refocus on what’s really important to the Customer, not just to us. This has positively changed the culture of our company, resulting in us becoming more Customer (externally) driven, rather than operationally (internally) driven. This will be the new future, it’s exciting.
What Daimler Chrysler said
“Argil has achieved more for this relationship in six hours than we have achieved in three years. Certainly from the engagement that we’ve had with our Customer, the benefits are starting to come through. Argil has opened up our minds to concepts, which were passive, i.e. Strategic Customer Relationships. We can certainly see the results of the first intervention.
Stephen Hayton, Divisional Manager Sales Commercial,
DaimlerChrysler, South Africa
What Tongaat Hulett Sugar said
“I must compliment Unitrans and the process. It is the first time in 20 years that I have seen such comprehensive feedback from one of these “surveys”.
Dave Meadows,
TongaatHulett Sugar Limited, Hulref
What National Foods said
- “I think this is very brave of you Dave, well done! It is an excellent thing to do and I am very pleased to be a part of it. A great initiative.”
Chris Burnett
National Foods
- “…it has been a very well run day and a very interesting process. I think when Dave and Jackie first came and presented to Jeremy and we said we really wanted to learn from the process and I think we have. Like Chris, I share his admiration, I think you are being very brave and it is a very similar problem we face, we also very much going toward our customers and trying to understand them. So I congratulate you and hopefully we can move both our businesses forward from this. Thank you to all and all your teams and we look forward to moving forward. I think the last thing, I would really like to emphasize for this to work, we have just got to keep it simple and not try to over complicate it. Knock over the simple ones because there are some easy wins and then take it forward from there. In summary, thank you all very much, we are very excited about it and we think there is great potential.
Mike Lashbrook,
National Foods
“This is positive for us: its a win:win. Our discussions have been open and honest and we feel that you’re taking us seriously.
“We heard our Customers concerns and Argil assisted us in improving the relationships. They created awareness amongst staff to take ownership of this process in the business.”
Etienne Rousseau, Mill Manager Mtubutuba,
Illovo Sugar Ltd
“If it was not for this Argil Process we would definitely have lost our no.1 Customer. Now we are poised to grow with them.
Dennis Holden, MD,
Nampak Tubes and Tubs
What British American Tobacco said
- “I think the process is very comprehensive, I think it is commendable and quite brave of Hunyani, it is not always easy to ask the question, let alone take the feedback. I have a level of comfort around the fact that we have gone through the process, that people have been open and participative. That again the challenge, and it is on both sides, is to make sure we deliver on these things because it is certainly not only Hunyani that will gain from this process; we choose if BAT will gain significantly. The challenge is there to make sure we follow through and deliver. That is what I am walking away with. Where we want to be in one year and where we want to be in three years. BAT is very demanding on the suppliers and I use the word demand, but we will give you a hard time if things are not delivered according to expectations or agreement, but I think to look at it positively it is not about us hammering you if you haven’t delivered it is about us challenging you and working with you to make the delivery. It is not going to be a smooth road, but there is always going to be direction.
Avril Evans,
British American Tobacco
- “BAT now looks for well developed, long term relationships with suppliers which makes a lot of sense from a business point of view. To have strategic relationships, certainly long term relationships. I think this will contribute very positively towards putting us on a solid footing for the future. I think with all of these things, the next level is driving through the delivery. BAT will provide every support and let’s keep the ball rolling. Generally I think – excellent. I think we just have to make sure that it stays top of the agenda.
Richard Morgan,
British American Tobacco
What Nestle said
“What we have done today is started a relationship that will grow into a very good partnership and I have no doubt that Hunyani will deliver some very quick results. I think in the last year some of those efforts are already visible and just based on my experience in the last year I know I am going to be pleasantly surprised in another 12 months. I look forward to a year, a couple of years (hopefully I am here still), that we grow a very decent partnership.
Chris Coxell,
Nestle