Galician machining companies seeking to improve their competitiveness

This is one of the premises of these encounters of machining, find allies within the sector to help SMEs to grow into a battlefield undermined by the economic situation we live in today. That was one of the keys indicated by the President of the Association of metallurgical industries of Galicia (ASIME), Julio Gómez. In a speech short and sober, he appealed to employers present at the Conference to find solutions to help overcome the slump in the evolution in the market. The need for adequate training, calling on the University, was another key referred to by the President of this partner in the organisation of this day.

Jorge Rodríguez, director-general of Carinox, made of presenter in these papers, with a touch of humor on their strict measures of time of each of the actors who took part in the chat.

He then took the floor the commercial director of the industrial area of Interempresas, Angel Hernandez, who cited needs inform companies of machining and the tools available to you are to stay up to date on developments in the sector. Angel Hernandez said the opportunities, challenges and challenges posed by the new era of communication 2.0 for this type of companies.

The presence of the Director of the Summit, the subcontracting fair, Carmen Gorostiza, was very well received by everyone. In a very entertaining speech, and becoming available to all employers, it spoke of needs go to these meetings in which "all have something to say, you do the more difficult it is to manufacture, you must go to tell"", and a way of doing this is to go to the fairs".

After these short presentations was the turn of prominent members of different companies who market worldwide. A real luxury to have the experience of these people. Opened the way the director-general of Toolox - SSAB, Häkan Engström, who spoke of how improvements using latest generation steels. This type of metals, composed of low carbon, show a greater resistance to fissures.

For its part, the director-general of Intermaher, Roberto Hernando, began his presentation, 'We Innovemos product but also in management', commenting on the objectives of the people in his position, achieving an annual growth of between 4 and 6 per cent. "How to get this?" He responded with two concepts: 'Open innovation' and 'Knowledge management'. In the first point cited that it is not necessary to reinvent anything, not reinventing the wheel, surely someone in the world already her there will be tried. With the second aspect, he narrated the need to take advantage of the talents of employees. This was the first time that leaving this word in these days, a key point for many of those who took part in the meeting. "Employees need to self-organize, solve their problems", putting Toyota as an example of this use of the intellect of the members of a company to achieve significant growth.

The customers value the result, not the effort

Alejandro Arjona, CEO of Tebis Iberia, who gave the guidelines to "optimize the processes of mechanization in the workshop" then took the floor. Their recipe "search more quickly, more quality and less cost". The problem for Arjona is that they are not always used the appropriate tools which are the key to a good result. "Blunt or small tools available that you do not reach your goals." For this he proposed to improve the teams of specialists that can get the most out of these teams and the workshop. "For a correct use is necessary training," he said. A deep caló in attentive viewers phrase: "the result is what you pay, not the effort".

After Arjona, he took the floor one of the parents of these meetings. Ramiro Bengochea, CEO of WNT, who spoke of the human part of the companies, people, who according to his words are "the key to make competitive enterprises". Bengochea was directed to the public very direct, calling that not always achieved. His presence filled the area in the room for the word with a nearby speech-enabled. This paper came out one of the keys of the meeting on various occasions: the talent. This virtue is found in people who are these entities, which are basic for their competitiveness in the rugged market.

For Bengochea these talented people are not exploitable without strong leadership. Companies need the character of a leader to evolve in the market and this is in people with this virtue. The key, in his words, is "find the function of these people with talent within a company". Also referred to the importance of rowing in a similar vein, involving all branches of the entity in a few well-defined objectives. "Companies need stability to grow, and these can be, when you have a group of people loyal to principles and competitive."

Then came the turn to Antonio Morares, 'Development Manager' of Castrol - BP, who played the fiber of the public in his paper 'Making a winning team'. In his talk made a comparison between the company and the most winning team in Spanish soccer history: the 'red', which was proclaimed champion in the world of South Africa 2010. The keys listed by Morales in a company are the talented individual and, therefore, that of the team, the leadership and the structure of this. "The selection was not the best in the world, but yes four or five of the best in their posts, until the Netherlands played with a 4-3-3, but the key is to promote a culture of team, add value,...". A brief talk in which with its comparison seemed to convince an attentive audience.

Before the 'break' the coffee he had to close this first part of the papers to the director-general of Zoller, Swen Hamman, who in his talk on 'Restructuring, key process for the future' presented the system TMS, 'tool managment solution'that they have implemented in your company. With this system improves the quality, reduce costs and ensure delivery on time. This method originated in the search for the challenges of the companies of the machining workshops: quality, immediate strategies and costs, and all of this looking to improve the competitiveness of these enterprises. Competitiveness, in his words, is achieved through several points: "the first is the strategic refocusing, to evolve and keep you always competitive;" the second, excellence in processes that certify the quality; third, manage people; the fourth aspect, go in search of the internationalization, another of the key points of the Conference; "and last but not least, cooperation."

Together and scrambled

The pause for coffee served for the exchange of views among the attendees. There were mixed small entrepreneurs in the sector of the machining of the community who, now yes, were more open to exchange views with the speakers. These were made available for attendees to collaborate on everything thing that Nexus hands necessary.

One of the attendees was very willing to join forces with those present to seek solutions. He proposed creating a partnership to somehow communicate their position and find a way to reach more market, still 'very small'.

After the coffee it was time to tell the experiences of local firms, the contribution of the director of engineering plant of GKN Driveline of Vigo, followed by the financial and commercial Director of the Acebron Group, Rebecca Acebrón San Miguelwho had first-hand experience of a small family business that began thirty years ago with a small workshop of change of wheels and has become a company with international activity.

The penultimate presentation was carried out by the director of shopping - subcontracting of Indra Sistemas, Francisco Javier Salorio, a Coruña in a privileged position in one of the most powerful companies in the country.

The Act was closed by the director-general of Vadillo advisers, José Antonio Gómez Vadillo, an expert in the art of public speaking.

It will swell by clicking her...

It was the hour of the debate, the time of conclusion of the morning and find possible solutions. Jorge Rodríguez, as a moderator, returned to get raised the issue of internationalization: "If you come you large, try to leave the province of to the side." "80% Of the Spanish companies are in our community and abroad, but not go out to the neighboring community, here are Portugal and there can find new markets."

At the time of sharing views speaking a member of the present University of Vigo between the public, making available to the sector for how improving training with the limited tools available to this organization. For many the pace of work in the street and the rhythm in the centres is very uneven and is the main problem in finding the talent that many demand.

Roberto Hernando released a question here: do you why when is offer a few days and these, with interesting papers, in Andalusia met 200 people here do not reach 60? What happens in Galicia?. José Antonio Gómez Vadillo requested the microphone to say that here were brave 60 wanting answers change their situation. Among those present laughter, some blamed it for the idiosyncrasies of the gallegos, suspicious and reluctant to change, but many insurance receiving the nudge needed to improve the situation.

The day ended with the grand finale of Ramiro Bengochea with a phrase which has already become famous in these meetings of machining: "What we are trying to here is seeking entrepreneurs with courage." And, what is courage? "Courage, friend, is a total panic but continue riding".

Ángel Hernández, as a representative of Interempresas, based his presentation on the possibilities offered by the new global communication for companies such as the present in the meetings. We publish here a small summary of the basic ideas.

In a sea of doubts with a common goal

Something as natural as the communication, which we began to put into practice, from the moment of birth should not hold secrets to humans. And this is so. However, when we talk about communication within the company, things change: the 'siege' to which we are subjected (e-mailing, social networks, marketing 1.0, 2.0,...) is not surprising that companies walk a little despistadas. And this dismissal affects all types of businesses alike: a which have sufficient performance to provide quick responses so far as to those who are about to enter the 'scrap'. However, like it or not some and others, all are located by active or passive at the crossroads of resolve where to throw in the field of communication. With the aggravating circumstance that the objective of all of them is the same: get customers. Because if a few years ago it was enough to make well and was the client which 'we came', now things have changed. With the turn of the century came us over the global market and development of ICT at unknown speed. But, with just almost time to assimilate it came the CRISIS. This was really a crisis. And despite being the metalworking sector accustomed to cyclical swings in this occasion looked like, and it seems, that the change of scenery is more severe than in other occasions. Now the company needs to turn the market to understand it and know where to go, but the market is changing and new communication technologies seem to have been allied with him. The company needs more than ever to establish a dialogue with the market. It is the time of the communication 2.0. It is time to move information and pick it up also. It is the time to communicate. The problem is how?.

Towards outside but also inward

First of all should be aware of the importance of communication, internal and external. The internal, to establish a complicity in their daily project between shareholders, employees and managers. The external, to establish a communication of round-trip with suppliers, customers, social entities, associations, administration, banks, insurance companies, competition and potential collaborators. Thus, the first thing is record to fire the importance which means communication for the company. And company refers to all persons who work in it, but especially administrators, owners, managers.

The second task is to analyse and define what are the strengths and weaknesses, which those of our competition, which features has the market and if the channels and means that I use or intend to use to communicate are the right ones.

Once defined the signs of identity and the environment only is undertaking the third task: move to action, creating an image and prestige and strengthened with partners in all areas, including the communication.