Internalizing values at Premier Farnell
| Published date | 01 November 2004 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14754390480000575 |
| Date | 01 November 2004 |
| Pages | 16-19 |
| Author | Hilary Wingfield |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
16 Volume 4 Issue 1 November/December 2004
REMIER FARNELL IS A global marketer
and distributor of electronic, maintenance,
repair and operations (MRO) products and
specialist services. This article describes how,
over the last six years, it has transformed itself from
taking a one-size-fits-all approach, to being a highly
customer-focused business. As CEO John Hirst put it,
“We used to be a company that said, ‘We’ve got
hundreds of thousands of products – come and see.’
Now we say, ‘We’re a company with hundreds of
thousands of products: tell us exactly what you need –
because we understand.’”
Setting the scene
When Hirst joined the company in July 1998, he saw in
Premier Farnell a business with huge potential. The
Group was formed in 1996 through a US$2.8 billion
acquisition of the North American electronic catalog
giant, Premier Industrial Corporation, by the British
company, Farnell Electronics. The UK business was
acquiring a much bigger US organization and, as is so
often the case, the change process was not a smooth one.
The HR division was briefed by Hirst to set in place
HR strategy, processes and policy that would drive an
overall culture change. In 1999, the Group launched its
“Investment for Growth” program – to which the
complementary HR strategy was pivotal – including a
multi-million dollar investment in new systems, talent
and technology.
One of the first steps taken by the newly appointed
P
by Hilary Wingfield
Premier Farnell
Internalizing
values at Premier
Farnell
Engaging employees with company values
to increase customer focus
Hilary Wingfield, group
head of organizational
effectiveness at Premier
Farnell, describes how the
company used internal
values to engage
employees to become
more customer-focused
and deliver sustainable,
long-term, profitable
sales growth.
FEATURES AT A GLANCE
,
,
,
,
INTERNALIZING VALUES AT
PREMIER FARNELL
THE TWO DIMENSIONS OF
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
MANAGING THE HR
CHALLENGES OF A MAJOR
GLOBAL MERGER
RETHINKING REWARD AT THE
NATIONAL CRIME SQUAD
THE “FIT FOR PURPOSE” HR
FUNCTION
,
© Melcrum Publishing Ltd. 2004. For more information, go to www.melcrum.com or e-mail info@melcrum.com
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