Stéphane MULLER

After take-over of RENAULT Ag. by CLAAS, accompanying very intense product development, brand repositioning & international development by creating the factory marketing:

Step 3 - Developed upstream marketing driving product direction and strategies

 In charge of strategic pricing tractors
 Set up and coached Market-, Customer- and Competitive AG-Intelligence (now benchmark in the Group)
 Developed Ag-machinery expertise for the benefit of Marketing & Validation (RG-Plan), through field & academic research projects on tractor performance

Step 2 - Developed marketing-mix

 Developed premium product positioning (at least 2 model changes per year): changing product documentation philosophy, building simulators / mock-ups to demonstrate USP's, pushing benchmarking & third party tests to highlight performance
 Improved current and developed future product pricing for the sake of accurate NPV calculation and margin achievements: international farm gate pricing surveys, implementation of pricing tool under SAP-BI
 Embedded pricing in the new country management

Step 1 - Secured product development processes

Founder & Head of SAP-Variant Commission (cross-functional organization out of Marketing, Sales, Engineering, Production, Finance, Informatics) steering product developments & market introductions under SAP

After SAP-launch late 2005, malfunctions in the product development/introduction urged to create a SAP-Variant Commission in order to optimize processes, introduce procedures and roll-out knowledge :
 Despite resistance to change, understanding & respect of processes were implemented
 Creation of a SAP-Release Department (link between R&D, Production and Sales) to secure perenity

After take-over of Cargo Van by AFE-Carrosserie, elaborated as Group Marketing Manager jointly with the Board of directors, the "Renaissance"-Project (Product, Industrial, Organizational) for CARGO VAN, European leader of industrial bodies in kits

Step 2 - Organizational Axis

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ERP Project Manager (05/04 – 03/06)
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 Successful specification & implementation of a new ERP in a very lean structure

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Head of Customer Care Dept. (04/03 – 05/04)
(Sales admin./Logistics /Technical Dpt./R&D)
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 Managed the change towards more efficiency in the newly created Customer Care Department,i.e.:

Sales Administration & Logistics :

- Implemented electronic customer database (product/price)
- Streamlined order & info flow from Sales to Technical Department (electronic order taking, 5S)
- Improved quality (lead-times, grouping for transport) and visibility of production plan
- Building up versatility through intensive training

R&D and Technical department :

- Computerization (Office, Inventor), training of users
- Improved productivity / quality through the development of automatic calculation in Excel for the creation of production orders

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Step 1 - Product/Industrial Axis
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Productline Manager & Industrial project manager (09/01 – 04/03)
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 Objectives of the CEO of the Holding AFE-Carrosserie
Launch of a new product with an increased price/quality ratio to replace the aging existing line in a very competitive environment and increased customer expectations

 Internal Achievements:

o Project Management of R&D, Technical Services, Methods, Purchasing and Controlling

o Creation of the product specifications after establishing customer SWOT and usage profiles, consultation of the European subsidiaries / agents

o Definition and implementation:
- New factory assembly technology (from mechanical attachments to elastic bonding)
- New mounting technique for the customer called "SNAP-FLEX": faster and easier
- New Design (Bio-Edge),
- New product innovations: car type sealing instead of PUR, aluminum frames
- New Processes: new tools and mounting tables, new workflow, operators' training and control, assembly instructions, quality process & control
- New computer system for taking customer orders and execution of production orders

o Monthly monitoring of the development product / project profitability meetings products / milestones

o start serial production in early 2003 (level of investment: 250 K €)


 External Achievements:

o Design and production of all the documentation for the European sales force: product descriptions, prices, sales and technical arguments
o Creation and implementation of training products / new technology
o Advertising newspapers, press kits and Innovation Award
o Official presentation to VUL & VI international exhibition (IAA) in September 2002 and Salon Body in April 2003 with very positive feedback with regards to aesthetics, quality, innovation: a milestone in this industry

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European Product Manager (08/00 – 09/01)
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 Developed short term product offer and elaborated the long-term product development scheme with synergy-effects within the AFE-C Group (4 companies)
 Implemented market & MS-analysis, P&L-calculation
 Improved sales efficiency while creating from scratch the entire international sales support in terms

 Objectifs du gérant de la filiale française:
Revalorisation du SAV classique, porteur traditionnel de marge mais fortement concurrencé

 Réalisations internes:

o Re-définition du positionnement clientèle du SAV traditionnel au Service-Clients type automobile: Programmes d’Entretien, Services de Sécurité, Service Environnement, Service Pièces de Rechange, Service de Formation cariste
o Déclinaison de cette politique dans la création (ex-nihilo) de toute la documentation pour les commerciaux et les managers-service: Présentation d’ensemble, Fiches produit, Argumentaires techniques & commerciaux, Parades aux objections clients, Argumentaires concurrence, Logiciel de fixation des prix
o Création et mise en place de la Formation pour la force de vente sous forme de séminaires au siège et de workshops régionaux en succursales


 Réalisations externes:

o Publicité dans les journaux, Mailing/Hand out Salons afin de promouvoir ce nouveau concept, et les différents services, actions promotionnelles par Mailings (PdR, Environnement, Contrôle Technique).
o Préparation d’une nouvelle prestation: Management de parc par clef électronique (Contrôle d’accès, formation, entretien etc.)

Définition et suivi des stratégies de positionnement prix/équipement:

 Pour les produits courants (AX, ZX, BX, XM) et les séries spéciales

Pour un segment en France (M1) et pour toute la gamme en Angleterre, Belgique et Portugal :

o Analyse de marché (Presse, Expositions, Base de données) en relation avec les filiales
o Détermination du meilleure rapport prix/équipement dans un souci d’optimisation volume/marge
o Négociation pour la direction Marketing avec les directions commerciales et financière
o Préparation et présentation des reportings de marchés en comité de direction générale

 Pour les produits futurs (SAXO, XSARA, PICASSO, BERLINGO)

o Prospectives de marché à 5 ans en terme d’évolution prix/équipement (Airbag, ABS, législation..)
o Définition gamme (Motorisation, Equipement) avec les chefs de produits futurs et les directeurs de projet
o Définition et suivi critique de la stratégie de positionnement de la conception au lancement
o Argumentation des positionnements lors des bilans de rentabilité semestriels
o Présentation des politiques de lancement en comité de direction directement au PDG

After introduction of the new logistic program "DIALOG", intermediate between IS at Headquarters and operationals at German Subsidiary to optimize processes, introduce procedures and roll-out knowledge

Implementation of a logistic loop (informatics, After-sales, Quality) to ensure latest physical de-protection of cars (Group Quality issue)