Building a customer-centric culture

If you’re part of the heavy engineering industry, you deserve a partner who understands your evolving challenges and delivers solutions that drive your success.

At HERA, we’re committed to empowering you with innovative research, sustainable practices and tailored support – ensuring you stay ahead in a rapidly changing world.

We play a pivotal role in advancing industry development through our impact-led research and development capabilities, consultancy, education, skills training, verification, and access to essential resources, and help shape the future of Aotearoa, New Zealand’s manufacturing and construction sectors, as well as our national built environment.

Our heavy engineering industry trusts us not only for the expertise we offer but also for our role asan innovation thought leader, change agent, and catalyst for progress. As we navigate challenges and seize opportunities, we are committed to ensuring heavy engineering stays at the forefront of innovation and industry advancement.

Strengthening customer-centric culture at HERA

Recent training on “Building a Customer-Centric Culture” has offered new insights into how we can deepen our engagement with the heavy engineering industry. A customer-centric culture is more than excellent service; it’s an organisation-wide mindset built on creating meaningful, value-driven relationships with our industry. This approach ensures that every interaction, service, and initiative is shaped by their evolving needs and expectations.

At HERA, embedding a customer-centric philosophy means aligning our strategic vision and everyday actions with empathy, adaptability, and proactive support. By embedding this mindset, we aim to enhance the value we provide to industry to ultimately, strengthen build and advocate for itsrelevance and importance to the New Zealand economy.

Key elements of a customer-centric culture at HERA

1. Deep understanding of industry needs

To truly serve industry, we strive to immerse ourselves in their world—understanding their business challenges, regulatory pressures, technical challenges and workforce needs. We also look externally to the evolution of emerging technologies and how these match the needs of industry.. This involves:

Regular feedback loops – engaging in continuous dialogue through surveys, member panels, and one-on-one discussions;
Tailored solutions – offering customised R&D, technical support, and training programs that align with industry needs; and
Research panels and innovation clusters – leveraging these sessions to gather insights, spark innovation, and align HERA’s research agenda with industry priorities; and
Industry engagement – attending and presenting at industry and academic conferences to stay connected with, and inform the latest developments.

2. Proactive communication and engagement

A key part of customer-centricity is clear, timely, and open communication. We aim to foster ongoing engagement by:

Identifying future opportunities – by staying ahead of technology trends and potential disruptions we can anticipate the opportunities they bring for our industries. For example, low carbon circular design, material passports, cosntruction 4.0 and AI;
Thought leadership – sharing knowledge via our monthly Metalbase newsletter, social media, webinars, our website, journal papers, conference presentations, industry magazine articles, our Stirring the Pot podcast, and media engagement; ensures our industry stays informed about global and local developments; and
Member-led events – creating opportunities for our members to connect, collaborate, and shape our advocacy initiatives, such as our Future Forum.

3. Delivering tangible value across all touchpoints

Every interaction with HERA, whether it’s accessing research findings, attending a training session, or engaging with our thought leadership, should demonstrate our commitment to delivering value.

Research projects – initiatives like the Endeavour Construction 4.0 program are focused on future-proofing the industry, offering industry tools to thrive in a changing landscape;
Certification services – provide assurance through certifications and compliance support, reinforcing trust and reliability for industry with their clients; and
Skills development – equip industry with the latest knowledge through tailored education and professional training ensures they remain competitive.

4. Adaptive and sustainable solutions

As the heavy engineering industry rapidly evolves, they need solutions that are not only innovative but also sustainable and future ready.

Sustainability focus – developing and promoting environmentally sound practices that align with global sustainability goals helps our industry meet both current and future demands;
Agility in services – continuously refining our focuses based on changing industry trends, member feedback, emerging technologies and changing regulatory and legislative contexts ensures we stay ahead of opportunities and disruptions; and
Flexibility in delivery – expanding access to our services through both in-person and digital channels, ensuring our services meet diverse needs.

5. World- class collaborations

A customer-centric culture thrives on collaborative partnerships. At HERA, we empower industry by involving them in decision-making processes and research initiatives.

Co-creating research – Partnering with industry on R&D projects that address real-world practical challenges and drive commercial value;
Influencing change – engaging industry to shape and support developments in construction and manufacturing; and
Recognition and celebration – showcasing industry achievements and innovations through awards, case studies, and public acknowledgments to put the spotlight on their contributions to our economy.

Leadership’s role in driving customer-centricity

For a customer-centric culture to thrive, leadership involvement is essential. At HERA, our leadership team is committed to:

Setting the tone – modelling industry-centric behaviours and embedding them into performance metrics to ensure alignment across the organisation;
Investing in engagement tools – exploring tools like CRM systems to track engagement and enhance responsiveness; and
Empowering staff – providing ongoing training and fostering a culture of accountability, learning and initiative at every level of the organisation.

Measuring success: how we’ll know we’re hitting the mark

Our success in building an industry-centric culture will be measured through both qualitative and quantitative metrics, including:

Member satisfaction surveys – tracking feedback on our services and responsiveness during the membership renewal process to meet member expectations;
Engagement levels – monitoring participation in training programs, social media. surveys, and collaborative projects to assess ongoing involvement; and
Industry outcomes – evaluating the impact of our thought leadership on the long-term sustainability of heavy engineering.

Building the future of our industry

At HERA, creating an industry centric culture isn’t just about delivering services — it’s about building enduring partnerships that empowers our industriesto thrive in an ever-changing environment. By adopting this mindset, we aim to be your trusted partner, a champion for change, and a catalyst for innovation.

Every action we take, whether it’s advancing R&D, delivering consultancy, or driving advocacy remains focused on delivering impact for you. Together, we’ll build a stronger, more innovative, and sustainable future for Aotearoa New Zealand’s heavy engineering industry.

To be part of that change, we’d love it if you follow us on LinkedIn to help keep you connected and ahead of the curve with us! Let’s build a better tomorrow! https://www.linkedin.com/company/hera-innovationinmetals/