Schneider Electric Case Study

The Problem / Context

Schneider Electric, a global leader in digital automation and energy management, sells electrical panel components to specialist panel builders worldwide. Despite having a suite of software tools designed to support panel builders through the design and ordering process, Schneider had limited visibility into how those tools were actually being used in practice. They commissioned research to understand the real experience of their VIP panel builder clients across three markets with distinct cultural and business contexts: Bulgaria, Lebanon, and the United Kingdom.

My Role

I worked as service designer and user researcher on a two-person team, within the agency that won Schneider's competitive tender for this project. My colleague led client relationship management; I led the research and was the primary driver of fieldwork execution. This included coordinating directly with panel builders across three countries to schedule and structure site visits, managing all logistics for international travel, and taking the lead on interviews in English across the UK and Lebanon given my language proficiency. In Bulgaria, I conducted fieldwork with a local translator. We also brought a Schneider project manager with us to Lebanon, coaching her on research observation so she could experience findings firsthand without introducing bias into the interviews.

We began the project with remote stakeholder interviews at senior levels within Schneider, which served two purposes: sharpening the research brief to ensure our findings would land internally, and building early buy-in from the people who would ultimately act on our recommendations. At the close of the project, we travelled to Schneider's head office in Grenoble for a full day of findings presentations and co-design workshops with senior leadership to define next steps together.

Methodology

Qualitative fieldwork and interviews across Bulgaria, Lebanon, and the United Kingdom, combined with remote stakeholder interviews at Schneider at the outset. On-site visits with panel builders allowed us to observe their actual working environments and tool usage in context, rather than relying on self-reported accounts. We synthesised findings into customer journeys, process maps, and a comprehensive service blueprint covering the current situation, pain points, and potential solutions.

Key Findings

The most significant finding was a fundamental gap between Schneider's self-image and the reality on the ground. Schneider believed their panel builders were using the company's software to design panels and place orders in a smooth, integrated flow. In practice, panel builders had developed elaborate workarounds to compensate for gaps in the software tools and delivery timelines, as well as to better integrate with tools they were using that were not provided by Schneider.

Cultural context shaped the experience significantly across markets. Conceptions of hard work, formality in business relationships, attitudes toward timelines, and the political environment in Lebanon all created meaningfully different expectations for how Schneider should show up as a partner. A one-size-fits-all approach to client relationships was not serving any of the three markets well.

What I Delivered

Customer journeys, process maps, a full service blueprint, and an executive summary, presented to senior leadership at Schneider's Grenoble headquarters. Findings were communicated in a format designed to be actionable by internal teams without our ongoing involvement, given that we would not be present for implementation.

Outcomes / Impact

The research had immediate and longer-term effects. In the short term, Schneider followed up directly with every panel builder we had spoken to, addressing the specific issues they had raised and demonstrating that their participation had led to concrete action, helping rebuild trust with a client group that had felt unheard.