Coloplast news from 2013

Coloplast manufactures medical products ranging from dressings and gels to catheters and colostomy bags. Its ‘mission’ is to make life easier for people with very personal and private medical conditions.

Over the course of a week staff were shown how important customer service is, with a range of events taking place. The week saw several users of Coloplast’s products visiting the company’s UK head office in Lynch Wood to talk to the staff about the difference their products make.

Dave Litchfield, customer care team leader, explained: “It is easy for people in our customer care department, who deal with customers every day, to see the difference they make. That is not always the case for people outside of customer care – those who don’t speak to our users every day. 

“Take the IT department as an example. We constantly challenge our IT department with keeping our excellent systems up to date and running smoothly. Events like this help them to understand the importance of their work and how it impacts the customer. 

“By bringing the company together as whole and spending time really focussing on how everyone’s actions affect the customer, it motivates everyone to work to their best abilities and to keep the customer in mind at all times.”

Feedback following the customer visits showed the importance of such events, with a member of Coloplast staff commenting: “I believe these customer insights truly help us do a better job, knowing the situations and challenges our customers face on a day to day basis.” 

Others said that it was great to hear how a Coloplast product has improved someone’s quality of life and that the sessions made them reflect on how they are able to help all their customers. They said it made them want to strive to give the very best service they can.

Other events included lunch and learn sessions, where staff were able to learn more about the products over lunch. Staff based away from the head office, including some of Coloplast’s registered nurses, spent time at the office talking to staff about their roles and how the little things can make a big difference to the customer. 

The week was rounded off with an ‘All American Awards show’ where people who had achieved both external qualifications, such as awards from the Institute of Customer Service (ICS), as well as internal recognitions were presented with their certificates.

National Customer Service Week is an event run by the ICS. It is a week-long opportunity to raise awareness of customer service and the vital role it plays in successful business practice and the growth of the UK economy. Coloplast chose to host its celebrations a few weeks after the national event, to enable everyone to join in as the national date clashed with several important meetings.

The Institute of Customer Service (ICS) – the professional body for customer service – hosts several events each year where its members from across the public, private and non-profit sectors come together to hear about best practice in customer service.

Coloplast kicked off the event with an interactive session where Wendy Lister, Coloplast’s UK training manager, explained the importance of communicating the company culture from the moment anyone applies for a position, not waiting until their first day.

Wendy explains: “Coloplast prides itself on delivering excellent customer service but that wouldn’t happen without the right internal communications, training and support for our staff. 

“Having been to other ICS events and learned how other companies approach various aspects of customer service training, we were proud to be able to give something back and to say “this is how we do it”.”

Sally Duff from the ICS explained the importance of these events: “The ICS is the first port of call for every aspect of customer service. These events allow our members to get together and share ideas with other customer service professionals. It’s about being the best we can be, by learning from each other and sharing our experiences.
“We are very grateful to Coloplast for hosting the event for us. It was a great success – in fact it was fully booked – and the feedback has been excellent. Ours thanks go to Wendy Lister and the team at Coloplast for making us so welcome!”

Wendy added: “As is true across Coloplast, the event was a team effort. My thanks go to Dave Litchfield, customer care team leader, and Theresa Vallier, customer care trainer, for their help with the arrangements as well as for giving excellent presentations on the day.”

Their efforts raised almost £6,000 for the Back Up Trust, a charity that helps people following a spinal chord injury. 
“We want to say a huge thank you to everyone that sponsored us, we smashed our original target and knowing we were raising so much money motivated us to keep moving,” said Vince Quarizzo, one of the people leading the charge.
“It was hard work, to put it mildly! The team was fantastic, everyone pulled together and supported each other and it made us all immensely proud to stand at the top of the mountain holding the Coloplast flag.

 
“The whole team deserves a pat on the back for their achievement but more so for the manner and spirit in which they achieved it. After eight hours of walking, lifting, pulling and pushing they were still smiling and singing. A truly incredible bunch of people.

“The individuals who took part came from different parts of the business and all had different skills and views. However, on the day they demonstrated every Coloplast value in abundance and pulled together as a team and achieved an astonishing feat. I am proud of every single member of our team, of how we looked after each other and cheered the other teams on, even when we were exhausted.”

The team – which consisted of Andrew Dawkes, Clare Kelly, David Litchfield, Debbie Field, Gemma Harper, Pep Merola, Jon Carr, Lee Buckingham-Simpson, Lucinda Hallam, Marina Martignetti, Peter Smith, Rachael Dawson, Robert Houlden, Sam Cox, Steven Robinett and Vince Quarizzo – would also like to thank RGK (www.rgklife.com) for loaning them an off-road wheelchair for the climb.

An estimated one in ten British people are affected by some form of bowel problem. The declaration sets out some practical steps designed to help improve the quality of life, independence and wellbeing of people who live with a bowel problem.
Martin Beynon of Coloplast said: “Bowel problems can affect men and women of all ages and embarrassment means that many people struggle to speak about these problems – even to their GPs. We are working to bring about changes in policy which will help people regain their independence and improve their dignity and quality of life. The declaration of bowel independence highlights areas where improvement is needed and suggests some practical steps which could help to achieve this.”

The launch of the declaration was led by Baroness Masham of Ilton, founder of the Spinal Injuries Association, who hosted a reception at the House of Lords to mark the occasion. Guests included other peers, health professionals and MPs – including Anne McGuire, Shadow Minister for Disabilities.

The meeting heard from two users of Coloplast’s Peristeen anal irrigation system about how this had transformed their lives, giving them the independence that their previous bowel regimes had not. 

The declaration of bowel independence calls for:

• Raising public awareness of bowel management problems and the impact they have on individuals.
• GPs to offer a proactive approach to bowel management problems, particularly for those people with neurogenic disorders and chronic conditions. 
• Development of guidelines and clinical pathways to improve outcomes for people experiencing bowel management problems.
• Provision of specialist continence services for people with bowel management needs.

To hear more from the Peristeen users at the launch of the declaration and access lots of useful information about bowel problems and treatments, visit the website www.my-bowel.co.uk.

The company is offering to provide business cards – printed on transparent plastic rather than conventional card – to any employee who has a profile on LinkedIn. The offer extends to all levels of the business, to encourage all employees to search for new talent.

Each card carries a unique QBR (quick response) code which, when scanned by a smart phone, links the user straight to the LinkedIn page of the card’s owner.

The objective is to help Coloplast staff network both online and offline as part of a recruitment exercise aimed at ensuring the company continues to recruit the very best people for all levels and roles within the business.

The company offers existing staff a bonus of £600 if they successfully introduce someone to Coloplast, followed by a further £600 six months later when the new recruit has successfully completed their probation.

Sam Sedwill, HR director for Coloplast, said: “Coloplast continues to grow and develop and we want to recruit people who can grow and develop with us. Our existing staff are our best recruiters because they can tell friends and family what it is really like to work here.

“We hope this creative twist on the classic business cards and the encouragement to become active on LinkedIn will increase the opportunities our people have to talk to others about Coloplast as a great place to work.”

Sam Sedwill, HR director for Coloplast, hosted the event for members of the Peterborough group of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which helps HR professionals in and around the Peterborough area with their continuing professional development. Around 40 people attended the event, during which Sam spoke openly about Coloplast’s goals and how its strategies translate in the workplace. Sam explained why they hosted the event: “At Coloplast we place a great deal of focus on personal development. We can only be the best if our people are the best.

Aligning our business goals and strategies didn’t happen overnight and we are learning every day as we continue on our journey from good to great. Being able to share that experience with other HR professionals means we can help others to be the best they can be and we also learn a great deal from the experience.“Sharing experiences is an invaluable way of learning and we are delighted to be able to help people outside Coloplast. Last year we ran a marketing workshop with a group of young entrepreneurs to help them understand the basics of marketing and this latest training event is just another way of supporting the business community.”

In a new global study carried out among 412 patient groups from 39 different countries Coloplast is ranked at the very top in front of large international competitors such as Johnson & Johnson and Smith & Nephew. It is the second year in a row that Coloplast is ranked as the best medtech company by patient groups.

In total, the patient groups have ranked 30 medtech companies on six indicators. Coloplast is ranked highest on each of the indicators.

Strong customer focus

”We are both glad and proud that so many customers from all over the world believe that Coloplast is the best medtech company. I believe it is an expression of the fact that we are truly making a difference for the people around the world that need our help”, says Senior Vice President for Global Marketing in Coloplast, Nicolas Nemery. He adds:

”Our products address critical needs but if you ask our customers they would prefer to live a life where they wouldn’t need them. That’s why we make it a priority for our products to be reliable and intuitive and make sure that our customers get the guidance they need. We are committed to understand our customers and have always worked closely together with them and involved them in the development of our products. I believe that is the reason that we for the second year in a row have been ranked as the best medtech company”.

PatientView, an independent research organisation, conducted the survey in March 2013.

Coloplast’s results

A total of 38 patient groups have evaluated Coloplast in the survey. These particular groups represent a broad spectrum of chronic diseases, including cancer, urinary and gastrointestinal diseases. The participating patient groups were asked to assess medtech companies' abilities on six indicators (Coloplast’s position in brackets):

1. Whether the company has an effective patient-centered strategy (1st )
2. The quality of the information that the company provides to patients (1st )
3. The company’s record on patient safety (1st )
4. The usefulness of the company’s products to patients (1st )
5. Record of transparency with external healthcare stakeholders (1st )
6. Whether the company acts with integrity (1st )

Background

The study was conducted and funded by PatientView, an independent global research organisation with close ties to patient and health groups worldwide, in March 2013. The study results express the views of more than 400 patient and health groups regarding 30 individual medtech companies and the medtech industry as a whole.

Participating patient groups were required to know enough about the pharmaceutical companies and industry to assess them meaningfully.

In 2005, Matt was training for an under 21 Six Nations match against Scotland when a scrum collapsed on top of him, dislocating his neck and trapping his spinal cord, leaving him paralysed from the neck down. Matt has since set up the Matt Hampson Foundation which provides help, advice and financial support for young people seriously injured through sport.

Matt’s courage to get on with living his life and his determination to help others resonated with Coloplast’s own values. The company’s support of the foundation began last year when Coloplast staff took part in the annual Walk4Matt, raising £8,000 for the charity.

This year, Coloplast has decided to take it even further and make the Matt Hampson Foundation its charity of the year.

Sue Kernahan, Coloplast’s general manager, explained: “We have been honoured to work with Matt in recent months to raise awareness of one of our products, Peristeen, which can make a real difference to the lives of people with spinal cord injuries. Matt has been using Peristeen for around two years and has become almost as passionate about it as we are!

“Having spent time working with Matt we have learned about the work he does through his foundation to help others like him. At Coloplast we have a mission, through our products and the service we provide, to make life easier for people with intimate healthcare needs. Matt has a mission to help people who are injured through sport and, in many cases, there is an overlap between what we can do and what Matt can do to help. Spending time with Matt and learning about his work inspired us to link up with the charity to help provide support to people who need it.

“Every year we choose a charity to raise money for and this year we are delighted to be able to raise money for the Matt Hampson Foundation, to help Matt to further the amazing work he does.”

Matt commented: “As awareness of the foundation grows, more and more people are asking for our help. It’s great to see the foundation achieving what it was set up to do but in order to help more people we need more funds. For Coloplast to donate £40,000 is fantastic and will enable us to help even more people to see that there is life after a serious injury.

“Coloplast is an inspirational company to work with. Its products are life-changing in ways that many people can’t imagine. Everyone at the foundation is honoured that Coloplast has chosen us as its charity of the year.”

To read more of Matt’s inspirational story, visit www.matthampsonfoundation.org.

The Red Dot Design Award is an international and prestigious product design prize that was founded in 1955.  Each year, thousands of products are registered for the Red Dot Design Award by both designers and manufacturers.

Red dot is a consumer award that focuses on the user experience and aesthetics of the product. A jury that consists of renowned design experts from all over the world evaluates the products and picks the winner. Winning products are presented in the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen.

“First of all, as a designer it is always an honour to know that someone appreciates your design” says Marlene Corydon, Senior Project Manager at Coloplast.

“I’m so happy that we have created a solution that has real value for real people. The SpeediCath® Compact Set is discreet and a non stigmatising accessory compared to a traditional catheter that can draw unwanted attention in public. Now, you can actually show the world what’s in your bag without having to be confronted with a very sensitive situation.”

Coloplast Design DNA

The SpeediCath® Compact Set catheter was developed along with the Coloplast  Design DNA.

“In Coloplast, our design DNA is sort of a philosophy. The purpose is to create products with a clear Coloplast identity that deliver reliable and consistent user experiences. It creates the right amount of creativity and direction to our products,” Marlene explains.

“Design DNA is not to be understood as a step-by-step manual. Rather it enables us to think design in the Coloplast way every time we develop new products. It helps us create a clear and recognisable Coloplast experience by integrating design thinking from the starting point.”

The design team behind the The SpeediCath® Compact Set will receive the prize July 2013. Every year Red Dot Design Award evaluates over 11,000 products from more than 60 countries.

The factors assessed in the survey included leadership (how employees feel about the head of the company and senior managers) and wellbeing (how staff feel about pressure levels and the balance between work and home life) as well as workers' views on their immediate boss, their colleagues, scope for advancement and their pay and conditions. Staff were also asked how much they believe their firm puts back into society in general and the local community in particular.

The judges reported that staff at Coloplast get a great deal of job satisfaction just knowing that their products make life easier for people. When asked if their firm makes a real difference to the world 87 per cent of Coloplast staff said that it does - the second highest score in The Sunday Times survey. The Sunday Times found that the recent launch of new products, which will help the company to do just that, helps make workers proud (83 per cent) and excited about where the organisation is going (77 per cent).

Coloplast general manager, Sue Kernahan, says that the results reflect the ethos of the company. She said: "We try to reflect our mission in the values and behaviour we have not just towards our customers but towards our colleagues. We pride ourselves on listening and responding." HR director Sam Sedwill added: "We value the opinions of every member of Coloplast staff and are determined to make Coloplast a great place to work. It is wonderful to see that determination reflected in the results.

"What makes this Sunday Times recognition even more satisfying is that it is the result of an external organisation talking to our staff, then naming us once again as one of the UK's top 100 companies to work for. To rise from number 99 to number 68 in the table is an amazing achievement and a recognition of all that we have done in the past year." Coloplast was presented with the prestigious Sunday Times Best Companies to Work for 2013 award at a glittering ceremony in London where company representatives celebrated alongside other winners including multi-national companies and public sector organisations.

Ten staff from various areas of the business attended the event, staying overnight in a London hotel after the Oscar-style awards presentation dinner. Dominic O'Connell, business editor of The Sunday Times, told the winners: "You have set the benchmark for workplace excellence."