Volvo 2001 Annual Report Download - page 12

Quality
In today’s competitive environment, the
quality commitment of Volvo extends
beyond industrial craftsmanship and engin-
eering skill to embrace care for the custom-
ers and their needs throughout the lifespan
of the product. Most of Volvo’s customers
operate in highly competitive industries. To
achieve maximum operating efficiency, they
require maximum utilization of their trans-
port equipment, with minimum downtime
for service and maintenance. As a result,
quality is assigned the highest priority at all
stages, from product development, manufac-
turing, distribution and service to new leas-
ing and financing services.
Safety
Safety is historically an integrated part of all
Volvo products, processes and services.
Today the basis of the safety concept has
evolved to encompass safety in a wider
extent, on one hand the interaction with
others on the roads and on the other the
comfort and working conditions for drivers
and operators. A series of pioneering safety
innovations has made Volvo a world leader
in automotive safety over the years. A high
standard of safety represents a major contrib-
ution to efficient transport.
Environmental care
The Volvo commitment for environmental
care is manifested in how products are devel-
oped and how the operations are managed.
The expectations of environmental per-
formance for the products and operations
come from the customers but also from
authorities, investors and the general public.
Decreased emissions and continuous
reduction of fuel consumption are the major
priorities in the development of new pro-
ducts as well as in the industrial system.
Volvo is constantly developing new systems
and products designed to enable alternative
fuels to be used both in concept vehicles and
commercial applications. By offering trans-
port equipment with a low environmental
impact, Volvo is enabling proactive custom-
ers to compete for contracts subject to strict
environmental conditions.
Wanted position in 2005
In order to reach the vision to be valued as
the world’s leading provider of commercial
transport solutions, Volvo has set its wanted
position in 2005:
No 1 in image and customer satisfaction
Volvo works in close cooperation with its
customers within product development, and
customers surveys are used on a regular basis
to find out how customers perceive Volvo.
These surveys provide a basis for systematic
improvement of our performance.
Sustainable profitability above average:
The commercial vehicle industry is a cyclical
business, mirroring the ups and downs of the
world economy. In such an industry, business
cycle management is essential in order to
provide a sustainable profitability. Business
cycle management stresses the importance
of solid knowledge of the industry and the
ability to respond to changing conditions
with appropriate measures such as invest-
ments or capacity reductions.
The Volvo Way
“The Volvo Way” is a strategy docu-
ment describing the values, the cor-
porate culture and the basic princip-
les that should guide Volvo em-
ployees. The values summarize what
Volvo stands for and the focus its
employees have. Much of what make
Volvo special compared to our com-
petition lies in the culture of the
Company.
Wanted position in 2005
In each of our businesses:
• number one in image and customer
satisfaction
• sustainable profitability above aver-
age
• number one or two in size, or supe-
rior growth rate
STRATEGY AND
BUSINESS ENVIRONM ENT