Product strategy

“If we don't keep moving forward, we will eventually lose ground in the global market.” Zuidberg Product Managers, Kasper de Jonge and Filmon van Ittersum briefly but succinctly summarise the importance of product developments and advancements at Zuidberg. “We are always prepared for the future. ”

The input for developing products and processes at Zuidberg comes from various sides. “The market changes, and users have different demands. We go along with that,” Kasper explains. “We need to know what the users' requirements are and respond to them in time. If we notice that tractor manufacturers are developing faster than us, we put the pedal to the metal. Vice versa also occurs. Sometimes we have certain ideas, but there is no market demand for them yet. So, we park that idea.”

Raising the bar
OEM partners are an important mirror for Zuidberg. Kasper: “They have their own standards. If they have raised the bar in terms of paint quality, maintenance intervals, etc., we have to adapt to that. For example, if the maintenance intervals at OEM customers go from 500 to 1,000 hours, we have to do the same. Not only because, as a partner, we want to meet the standard of the OEM partner but also to increase the quality of our after-sales solutions.”

“New technical solutions and Zuidberg's competition are other important sources of product development”, Filmon adds to what his colleague said. Filmon: “What are other companies doing? What are they developing? We keep an eye on that. Every quarter, we receive a scan with newly granted patents. We put our feelers out in the market among our customers and competitors. That's how we keep an eye on trends and map out a part of the future.”

Insight, vision, overview
Zuidberg has a Product Roadmap at its disposal to provide insight into the future. Filmon: “Our Product Roadmap is a comprehensive diagram in which we record which developments we are working on now and which ones we will focus on in the near and more distant future. We put that in very broad terms. We don’t only look at the product itself, but also at issues such as packaging, legislation, sustainability and service. The future is always our guide: Where will customers' wishes lie in the future? The Product Roadmap gives us insight, vision and overview.”

Monitoring the delivery of replacement parts is a concrete example of this. “Previously, we did not analyse which spare parts were delivered. Nowadays, we have insight into this and can detect trends faster. If we notice that a certain component is requested often, or more often than usual, we start looking for the cause and make the necessary improvements. In doing so, users have a reliable product at their disposal that they can work with without any worries. ”

Netherlands versus South America
The differences between countries also have a major impact on product developments and advancements. Kasper: “We have grown in that. Zuidberg started forty years ago in the Noordoostpolder, which soon grew to cover the Netherlands; later, we expanded to Europe and now can be found worldwide. Every country and every user has their own preferences and wishes. For each product, we consider exactly where the focus should be. In the Netherlands, our front linkages have to be technically complete, including the front operation and integrated into the tractor. The Dutch are prepared to pay extra for this. In countries where mechanisation is currently at a lower level, such as South America and parts of Asia, the demands on technology are not as high. There, the basic functionality of front linkages and PTOs is a much more important factor. So you always have to look carefully at who exactly the linkage is for.”

Autonomy and electrification
Autonomous machines are going to play an increasingly important role in the coming years, as Filmon and Kasper know. “We already frequently see robotic tools, but self-driving tractors are also being developed. That technology is very close. In the future, it will also be possible for a tractor to hitch a tool for itself. In addition, of course, electrification and alternative fuels are very much on the rise. This will only continue to increase. Every year another step will be taken. We have to keep up with that. That puts pressure on us, but also offers opportunities that we are keen to capitalise on. We want to be and remain a reliable and efficient partner for our customers. Developing and improving products and processes is essential for this.”