AFNIC relies on EFQM to develop with agility
The Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération (AFNIC) received its EFQM diploma, level R4E 4, in the summer of 2015. This approach is structuring the development of more and more new domain names.
AFNIC is a key player in the management of .fr domain names. What’s the point of embarking on an EFQM approach?
Mathieu Weill, CEO of AFNIC: “It’s true, we’ve been managing the .fr domain for 20 years. Nevertheless, every 5 years, we are put in competition for this activity, which represents 90% of our sales. The fact that we are recognized for our work and our know-how is a strong argument in favor of remaining indispensable. That’s one of the reasons why we embarked on a quality approach as early as 2008, in the context of the first call for tenders for the .fr domain, which took place in 2009. Without seeking certification, we worked on a process approach comparable to that required for ISO 9001. On the strength of this experience, we initiated our EFQM approach in 2012, for the second call for tenders.”
How to–the EFQM approach?
MW: In 2012 and 2013, we carried out a self-assessment with our partner AQM Conseil. Then, in 2014, we contacted the AFNOR group to launch our external assessment. The self-assessments were important for mobilizing all the teams, particularly at managerial level, and also for highlighting key areas for improvement. For example, in 2013 and 2014 we worked hard on results orientation and on deploying an approach through quality tools.
What are the main areas of progress that the approach has enabled you to achieve?
MW: As far as the structural aspect is concerned, it was the deployment of a real problem-solving culture, so as to avoid jumping straight to the solution, as is often the case in organizations like ours, with a strong technical culture. On the business side, our main focus has been on developing customer satisfaction. Today, we achieve 99% satisfaction with our domain name resellers. Finally, on the technical side, the availability and performance of our domain name registration infrastructures have improved from
90% 3 years ago to 99.5% 1 year ago.
Has EFQM led you to think your business differently?
MW: There’s no doubt about it. Our organization has become more mature. Particularly in support functions such as purchasing, HR or finance. In this way, we have set our administrative and financial activities on the road to better internal communication, so that everyone can appreciate their qualities, make them their own and find a response to their expectations.
How do you promote your EFQM approach?
“Since 2010, in addition to .fr, AFNIC has launched new domain names such as .paris, .sncf and .total. These now account for nearly 10% of our sales. We are becoming more and more a third-party operator. EFQM gives us a global vision of all these changes, and enables us to communicate calmly on the subject. We’re in the bunkers of the Internet. Nobody knows us. And we don’t want to be because of a breakdown. On the other hand, if our commitment to excellence can be appreciated beyond our direct customers and the government, then we’re ready. To do this, we need models like EFQM, which adds value to our business and reassures the Internet community.”
Do you find EFQM a complicated model to implement?
“It requires rigor and method. But I don’t mind it. What you need to do is quickly find internal relays. If you’re isolated, it won’t work. EFQM can’t be decreed. You have to convince people of its usefulness. It’s true that it’s an extremely structured model that certainly needs to be better adapted to certain organizations. As far as we’re concerned, we didn’t encounter any major obstacles. If anything, it was a breath of fresh air that helped us to see our business as a whole and to optimize our change management.
Company profile
- AFNIC is a non-profit association under the French law of 1901, founded by the French government and the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et Automatique (INRIA) in 1998.
- 15M sales.
- 80 employees at St Quentin en Yvelines, near Paris.
- 2.8 million .fr domain names, 5 ultra-marine top-level domains (.re for Reunion Island, for example) and 17 new extensions for territories, brands or economic sectors (such as .paris).
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