Customer satisfaction: a major focus for Airbus Helicopters

Transformation plan, new media, extended warranties including labour, user manuals: Airbus Helicopters is focusing on customer service to set itself apart from competitors in an increasingly tense market. It is in this context that Airbus Helicopters, supported by SQLI, launched a new e-commerce website with renewed design and ergonomics, reflecting the innovative image that the manufacturer wants to convey. A high-visibility project with one ambition: become a reference for the Group's future e-commerce sites.

A customer satisfaction target

With a payroll of more than 22,000 people, Airbus Helicopters is the world's leading manufacturer of civil helicopters and one of the leading makers of military helicopters. It conveys a strong innovative image through smart design and equipment incorporating all the latest technology.

As part of its customer satisfaction improvement strategy, and to give new impetus to online sales of spare parts, Airbus Helicopters wanted to rethink its global e-commerce platform. Indeed, this platform no longer satisfied the new uses of its 3,000 customers or their requirements in terms of speed of service.

The aim of this new portal is to:

• Enhance the image of Airbus Helicopters through latest design trends proposed by WAX Interactive,
• Improve customer satisfaction by implementing features with short response times and more intuitive ergonomics,
• Increase site usage and sales of spare parts,
• Create a scalable technological base, capable of accommodating future features,
• Offer new services such as Helicopter kits.

Furthermore, convinced of its technological expertise - SQLI has been a hybris Gold partner since 2010 - and its experience in e-commerce, Airbus Helicopters has entrusted SQLI with the setting up of its global platform. This is a strategic project for the European manufacturer because of its high visibility for its customers.

A global redesign project completed within a year

The expertise, versatility and complementarity of the SQLI teams have allowed them to respond, within a year, to clear quality and lead time requirements, supporting Airbus Helicopters in all aspects of its digital project: advice, UX, development and integration.Based on the Hybris solution, the new portal was launched in Australia, then France, Germany and Spain last spring.

It was then recently deployed in the United Kingdom, the USA and finally Singapore and Mexico last December. In order to best satisfy its customers, the platform offers a wealth of information on some 230,000 listed products (technical description, stock, etc.). 

Everything has been done to ensure maximum simplification of order management and real-time tracking of order status for customers of the site. This service also will be rolled out as a mobile application.The system now fully meets the expectations of the manufacturer: it meets its sales targets and produces a growing customer satisfaction rate through a fast, seamless solution. Airbus Helicopters observes the placing of an order every 7 minutes.

Matthew Congy, Customer Portal Domain Leader at Airbus Helicopters, says: "All the commitments have been respected by SQLI, which has delivered the high level expertise and e-commerce support we needed. We were able to confidently move forward together to deliver the project. I have full confidence in SQLI which I consider as a real partner that will continue to accompany us in our future projects, such as the online sales of Helicopter Kits”.