In this third episode of IFS Management Tips, our CPO – Chief Procurement Officer & CEO – Chief Executive Officer IMM Hydro Est Alessandro Verratti shares with us an important solution about “Resilience, agility and risk management in the supply chain”.

Listen to the podcast:

 

<<The COVID-19 pandemic forces Chiefs Procurement Officies to wonder if the actual supply management system is the best?

The first goal of a Chief Procurement Offices is to improve customer service while at the same time reducing costs. We must admit that most of the times supply chains are designed for cost efficiency primarily.

The challenge for supply chain leaders and their organizations now is to find a new balance between cost, speed and service in a quick changing landscape where uncertainty and higher customer expectations go hand in hand.

To succeed in these scopes is fundamental the risks management policy in order to control threads related to stock management, stock ages and related financial costs, transport costs and related transport time, exchange rates risks, Country risks etc…. If we measure theese risks we are sure to be reducing the gap between European manufactures versus Far-East ones. If we consider what is happening to containers cost trends in the last months the comparison is better and better….

One of the top priorities for companies now is to improve supply chains’ resilience and agility in meeting customer needs, with a strong control of margins.

As management tips, to improve customer service keeping monitored costs and margins, I would consider the following:

• Important and increasing percentage of “domestic” suppliers. E.g., a company who manufactures in Europe, in my opinion, must largely buy in Italy, in Europe or at least from an area compatible with maximum 4-5 days of transit time. In alternative, needs to require European warehouse and or consignment stock contracts to suppliers too far.
• A new European industrial policy able to push and to attract new and big investments in Iron mills, synthetic rubber and plastics industries, chemicals etc… is dramatically needed.

In the last decades we can easily count a hundred episodes of delocalization driven by new hypothetical cost bases and low environmental sensitivity or lower environmental costs with the result of a decreased offer from “European” manufacturer.

Now, thanks to new green technologies, to monetary stimulation and European investment programs like Recovery and Resilience founds, we could have the opportunity to have new or reconverted steel mills or chemical reactors moved by green hydrogen ,sea waves, wind, sun etc….

• Continuous investments in supply chain digitalization. COVID-19 acted as a catalyst, accelerating the transformation. It’s really interesting to be discovering the tools coming from artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA), 5G, IoT, hyperautomation, cyber and data security.

Those technologies can be used on the operational level enhancing strategic planning and forecasting, improving the overall efficiency (OE) of the supply chain, in picking and packing tasks assuring traceability through track and trace solutions, smart packaging like RFID, NFC to assure real-time stock updates and localization.

 

To conclude, I’m sure that we’ll be soon in the condition to over evaluate suppliers with a sustainable environmental policy with a low carbon footprint operating in a circular economy that allows them be “local”, clean and competitive at the same time.>>

In this episode of IFS Management Tips we are going to discover new projects and new investments for a cutting-edge present and for a better future.

Listen to the IFS podcast of Marco Agnifili, Chief Operating Officier:

<<For the IMM group, sustainable manufacturing has been a very high priority over the last five years. It has guided more and more of our manufacturing choices and raised awareness that sustainability and efficiency go together.

What do we mean by “producing in a sustainable way”? Basically, it is a conscious and responsible use of available resources, in order to have as little impact as possible on the environment, increasing efficiency and better working conditions.

We work every day to find “green oriented” solutions.

These were our steps towards a more sustainable path:

– In 2016 for the first time, IMM achieved the environmental certification ISO 14:001 for all the production plants in Italy and Internationally.

– Carried out a plant layout review and optimization of manufacturing plants.

– Rethinking all of the manufacturing flows between our plants in order to reduce transports.

– The Incorporation of manufacturing plants.

– Ensuring a common approach, by spreading the message to all the companies controlled by IMM.

– Renewable energy production systems and trigeneration.

– Specific improvement projects.

Now let’s take a look at some of the IMM projects that have reduced their environmental impact and let’s consider all their effects.

Efficient use of water

The optimization of the cooling system test-room test benches.

The original structure consisted of a unique circuit between the heat exchanger of individual test benches and the cooling tower. This structure was replaced by a double system composed of two different circuits: A primary circuit which works directly with a cooling tower, and a secondary closed circuit that distributes cooled water to the test stands.

What results did this achieve?

– Reduced the need for maintenance on the secondary circuit. In particular, the regular cleaning of the heat exchanger has changed from an average of 4 maintenances per month, to once a year.

– Less consumption of water (less 6.000 cubic meter/year, that means  – 70% );

– No more machine-downtime for overtemperature.

Workplace

The pursuit of better working conditions has led us to carry out a specific analysis on the use of reel take up and pay off systems.

Thanks to this analysis we have decided to increase their safety level in order to minimize the risk, especially for fast Systems (those with peripheral speed higher than 5 m/min).

This new standard, implemented on all the installations at the Atessa plant, has increased the safety level and workstations ergonomics.

Waste

This is a project developed in the Ascoli Satriano plant, about joint analysis of turning system consumables, which consist of oils, oily emulsions and tools.

With the goal of re-engineering the turning system, of working cycles, tools and oils used.

Achievements:

45% reduction of oily emulsions disposal with a total reduction of 25ton

6% reduction of the effect of consumable costs on the total cost of products

Increased production efficiency by about 8%

Use of renewable energy- trigeneration

Increased use of electricity from renewable sources (approximately 1 MW) through the installation of photovoltaic systems in Atessa and Ascoli Satriano.

This installation is planned for the current year (2021)

The trigeneration will concern only Atessa plant. It will include 800 Kw electric installation that will be able to generate electricity, but also generate steam needed for hoses production, cold in cooling system and heat for departments winter heating.

The projects are only the beginning of a long trip on the sustainability path >>

 

Marco Agnifili, IFS COO .

 Today we profile a day in the life of Chris Carpenter.

Chris is one of our Mobile Service Engineers in the UK, part of our dedicated team of specialists, who provide 24/7 on-site support.

So Chris, what time do you get up on a typical work day?

Usually 6am but that depends on the distance and time I’m due on site for my first job.

Can you give an example of where you might be heading?

Anywhere I’m required and it’s usually somewhere in the southwest region.

What kind of job would this be?

The majority of my work is hose replacements on-site.

How did you get into this line of work?

I always had an interest in fixing things. I spent many hours helping my dad fix and tinker with cars etc at home when I was growing up. So when I saw this career I thought I’d give it a go and I really enjoy it. What motivates me and is my inspiration to keep at it, is my Dad. He has a vast engineering back ground and is such a knowledgeable man. Growing up I wanted to be just like him and I wanted to prove to myself and to my family that I can do it.

Unfortunately my Dad had a stroke in 2014 and lost his left hand side of his body, forcing him out of work, driving and building his kit cars and a kit plane he had in his garage! With this my Mum became his full time carer as well. This has inspired me all the more to put everything I have into my work and I hope that one day I’ll be like him and make him proud. He is currently recovering from his stroke and very slowly getting the use back of his left side.

How are customers’ sites looking and feeling at the moment?

With the current changes of day to day life I am finding myself receiving many jobs for the infrastructure of the UK, for example utility companies, waste, haulage, animal feed distribution, farmers and plant hire companies. Everyone who is helping to support the current situation we are in.

What’s the best part of doing a job like this?

The sense of pride. Taking a machine that is completely useless and broken, holding up a site/road closure… repair it and put the site back into work is a great feeling.

Working along side some valued customers with a friendly approach and building relations with them is a great aspect of my job. I thoroughly enjoy a good chat with them and even buying the cakes and putting the kettle on. I even make the tea!

How does the rest of your day shape up?

I usually go from job to job, sometimes these have a lot of mileage between with immense pressures created in our industry when our customers require us on site so quickly. When I’m not doing a job I will try my best to call into my customers to check how we are doing and show that we care what they think. And yes I make tea and bring biscuits and cake! That’s why they nicknamed me biscuits!

What are the biggest challenges you are facing at work right now?

The biggest challenge is the size of the area and building it up. In order to build the area you have to push further out and it’s hard to push further out when I have a seriously high demand in the centre of my area.

How do you see Interpump Fluid Solutions developing in the coming months and year?

I see Interpump Fluid Solutions as a solid company with so much potential. Over the past year we have seen our vans’ signage change and our company image looks so smart. In the next year I think we will develop into a larger on-site service. I would like to grow my area with a larger number of vans operating and continue to service my customers with a great workforce behind me.

From your perspective, what are the big opportunities?

The opportunities are to grow with the business. The training and courses that Interpump give are brilliant and these allow us to do our jobs safely and adhere to all the site rules we come across.

If you could name one thing you most enjoy about your job?

Helping people

What kind of time do you clock off at the end of a typical day?

Usually 6pm. But my phone’s always on.

How do you balance your life outside of work with a demanding job like this?

I enjoy sitting back and chilling online on my games console with my wife and friends.

In the current situation I find myself providing a contactless delivery system to my parents who are at a high risk to Covid-19. This consumes a fair bit of my time before and after work.

What’s your Top Tip for working through these current challenging times?

My top tip is to keep trying and not give up. I take each day and call out as they come. My dad had a stroke not so long ago and my mum is his carer. I guess the thought of the Covid-19 reaching them makes me want to help our nation more than ever. If I can help keep vehicles/machines working it can potentially save lives and help prevent others catching it.

If you require 24/7 on-site hydraulic hose replacement support please contact Chris Carpenter and the team.

In this first episode of IFS Management Tips, our Chief Commercial Officer Pierluigi di Bartolomeo tackles an extremely pressing and highly topical issue: “To be a sales person in times of Covid“.

Listen to the first Interpump Fluid Solutions podcast:

<<We could consider how being a sales person could very often just mean to be more able to “trade-off between” supply and demand (is it a case that the commercial negotiation purpose is finally juts a “trade offer” …?).

For such a reason our continuous target is to try to find out the best way to make customers happy, whatever situation around us we are facing; that’s also why during this so critical pandemic period we tried to promote our slogan “when storms come, some build walls, others build windmills”, simply to try to really live a crisis with the meaning of “change”, more than purely a trouble.

Due to the huge importance of personal contact in a sales relationship, commercial jobs suffered over any other activity, giving no way to count on personal talking, on feelings and on simply shaking hand.

At the same time, we have had an opportunity to make a step forward, progressing further into future technology and turn our attention to alternative tools, like meeting platforms and video-conference systems. No longer planning our time according to flight times and travel reservation agendas, but according to call conference confirmation.

On top of the logical decision to increase the use of video calls to meet with our customers and our partners, we also adopted new technologies like “virtual fairs”. For example, we recently participated in the last edition of Eima, as well as planning virtual conventions with our sales force before end of this the year. We also gave people the opportunity to participate in “online” training sections, where key information on our products and services have been shared on our platforms.

Together with this, we appreciated the successful proposal and opportunity to have a “virtual tour” of our plants; more than a recorded video, we want our tour to be a way to visit the Company and be interactive, sharing questions or asking to focus on specific topics during the tour.

This opportunity has allowed us to bring customers “virtually live” at our manufacturing technologies, alongside our salespeople’s web cams to present our products coming out from machines live. This has proven to be one of the most valuable tools, allowing us to start receiving orders for our new series of products in the range, like new adaptor lines.

In one way, we could say that having a sales role during such a virus period, could also mean to try to convert the sad sound of the word CoVid, adding further meaning of COnferenceVIDeo new approach to market.>>

IFS CCO Pierluigi Di Bartolomeo