Whirlpool 2001 Annual Report Download - page 22

North America Operations Review20
Innovative thinking — focused on creating clear differentiation
in the minds of consumers —led to the launch of the Whirlpool
brand AccuBake Duo System oven. It’s an advanced cooking
oven that gives consumers the unsurpassed time-saving
ability to ensure uniform baking of all types of food through
unique temperature management technology.
The
KitchenAid brand continued to broaden and extend its
product line for home cooking enthusiasts who value the
quality and prestige of the
KitchenAid name. Introductions
by the
KitchenAid brand in 2001 included new countertop
appliances — such as juicers, the Professional 6 stand mixer,
culinary tools and kitchen textiles — E
NERGY STAR qualified
dishwashers and refrigerators, and the
Pro Line series of
ranges and cooktops for consumers interested in the finest-
quality cooking experience for the home.
The
KitchenAid brand also launched Inspired Chef , a unique
new business that emerged from Whirlpool’s corporate-
wide innovation effort.
Inspired Chef is a national, in-home
cooking school featuring instruction by working chefs, who
provide an intimate, one-of-a-kind culinary experience for
people who love to cook. In turn, the home environment
gives
Inspired Chef great opportunities to promote and sell
professional cooking products and accessories, many of
them under the
KitchenAid brand.
Whirlpool also made significant inroads in developing
Internet-linked kitchen appliances during the year. When
introduced in 2002, these
i enabled appliances from the
Whirlpool brand will reduce the time to manage daily
cooking and household chores, while increasing consumer
opportunities for personal or family pursuits. The first of
these appliances will appear in new planned communities
offering Internet-connected homes.
Whirlpool’s customer focus extends throughout our organi-
zation, including our Customer Centered Manufacturing
approach, which has created new capabilities for rapid
product-line changes in tune with quickly evolving
marketplace demands. Combined with ongoing initiatives to
improve efficiency and flexibility within manufacturing
processes, our increasingly Internet-enabled supply chain
helped to improve our overall productivity and increase cash
flow. Our brand organizations also are using the Internet to
improve communications and stay in constant contact —
every hour of every day — with our North American trade
partners and customers.
North America Operations Review
United States
Canada
Mexico