Looking for the keys to competitiveness

According to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish language Academy, competitiveness is the 'ability to compete'. The crux of the matter is to get to define what thing or things make up this capacity. Factors such as the improvement of processes, improvement of the equipment, the cooperation, the improvement in the management of people tend to be the determinants of this competitiveness applied to companies in general and to the mercanizado in particular SMEs and the protagonists of the presentations from these meetings. Common territories between companies, universal values which to a greater or lesser degree can improve their day-to-day management. As the presenter of the event, Jorge Rodriguez, Vice President of Aspromec and general manager of Group Carinox, "even though we are competition in the market, are all in the same boat, and if something of what you hear today can help you in your day to day, we will be more than satisfied".

As well, and making echo of the 'competitiveness 2010 study' of IESE, which includes Swen Hamann, CEO, Zoller, in his speech, more competitive business and that they have managed to sell more in crisis environments have implemented these 5 best practices: strategic refocusing, excellence in the process, management of people, internationalisation and cooperation.

The transformation experienced in the business world after the crisis is evident. One of the ideas that more emphasis was done in the past meetings was that Miguel Frechilla, director general of Maxi industries, defined as 'natural selection'. Companies that have managed to adapt to their environment are in addition to survive, they have been reinforced. For that reason, must overcome the stage of "complaint" neighbor regretting our situation and take action: "I encourage you to stop complain and think that this is the reality, we played live it, like our parents played them migrate or engage." "Are the rules of the game," said Frechilla. This idea coincided with the presentation made by José Antonio Gómez Vadillo, Manager of Group Vadillo advisers, which contrasted the 'living company' - 'an organisation that after the crisis remains open but focused exclusively to produce' - and 'Intelligent Enterprise'-"the Organization has understood that the crisis (from the Greek krinein) means call into question what has been done so far and is adapting its needs to further changes".

Therefore, that the change "is the way, is not an option", said Frechilla. "We we raise everything." "We must remove 'the fat' are all those operations that does not add value and structure our business environment to the same value chain." One of the main proposals for this strategic refocusing proposed by the director-general of Maxi industries is to extend the value chain to which referred, proposing a comprehensive contract, since that "large customers want to outsource more and more a closed package". These corporate driven also want to reduce its structure and optimise their costs, but "there are many companies that live on the back of this reality." "If in addition to mechanise ask us we sit or paint we must adapt, because the client is willing to pay for it". This added value was confirmed by the head of outsourcing Group MTorres, Javier Bermejo, which confirmed that global procurement operations "saves lot of money and many costs, and reduce the difficulties of management and techniques", although "few workshops can do so", acknowledged.

Today the market is global. As pointed out by Javier García, taim weseroutsourcing Chief, is not currently competing with neighbors of polygon; or if you want to with Spanish companies. Competes with Chinese, Turkish, indios… But if the market has become global, is how compete in it? At the opening of the day, Rafael Zapatero, general Secretary of Femz (Federation of employers of the Metal of Zaragoza), encouraged Aragonese more competitive metal companies, but not "insane way", that is, falling prices, "lowering the GDP and generating less employment". As noted by Håkan Engström, product manager of toolox ssab for Europe, if the competition has a machinery similar to ours, a comparable tool, some similar software used similar materials, but have lower wages, we must offer "something different and better". In the case of steel Toolox, "can not compete with the standard steel for the price, that is why we specialize in already treated steels and guarantee their origin".

But to offer higher quality, faster and lower cost workshops should "organize your machining process," in the words of Alexander Arjona, CEO of Tebis. From Tebis to do so, will centralize knowledge in a database to which the company has access. "We have distributed knowledge in a company." We have 3 or 4 fresadores each specializing in their machine and that each one makes his way. The knowledge is in people. "We must collect these knowledge, and that they are in the company, at the disposal of all". This is also useful to get the most out of the CAD/CAM tools provided by Tebis Iberia: "the CAM system will have many machining strategies, but the system is empty." If we are to achieve a virtual manufacturing is necessary to know the real geometry of: tools, milling machine, piece, assemblies, boundaries of race, etc. "." In this sense, the presentation of Swen Hamann, CEO of Zoller, also sought in the Organization of a workshop as a basis for an improvement in the process unifying information from the workshop with tools like the Zoller TMSolutions, with all the means of production are managed with the same tool: from CAD design to the management of the store and purchasesmachining, measurement and adjustment of tools.

Also, look beyond the walls of the workshop can find ideas of success that they have solved similar problems. What Roberto Hernando, director-general of the distributor of Mazak Intermaher called 'open innovation': "Not reinventing the wheel." "Probably someone in the world will already have developed solution".

Also Roberto Hernando introduced the term 'knowledge management' to promote to the maximum capacity and the intellect of the workers of the company. "It's looking for a management system that encourages each of the people of the company to provide the best of themselves". Because the management of staff is essential in a competitive company.

"A team is a group of people who share interests undertake to achieve a common goal-" stated José Antonio Gómez Vadillo. "But to achieve this commitment, the employer must share their goals and be transparent in its communication". And in the dichotomy between 'living' and company 'intelligent', this value is also essential: "the living company, only reports the workload." The main value that stands out is the personal effort. The Intelligent Enterprise, is transparent. People learn continuously to see 'the whole' together. "The core values are trust and teamwork."

The value of the people was also the protagonist of the presentation of Ramiro Bengochea, President of Aspromec and CEO of WNT Ibérica: 'People, the key to make competitive enterprises'. In this paper, Bengochea shows how six key factors for the competitiveness of enterprises are based on having people with talent in organizations: capital, customers, innovation, cooperation, leadership and stability. "Behind every process there is people, even after the sale on the Internet." "Also the leadership of a company must be well managed and shared."

Internationalization often arises as the salvation of many companies given the situation of the Spanish market. But while employers know this information, few try to carry out. Thus, Javier García, of Taim Weser, found that "subcontractor, except for rare exceptions, is anchored in the small town or in your region and you it is hard to leave." I think that in general is afraid to go out and get to know new clients. "And, in addition, the language is a barrier." Jorge Rodriguez, Vice President of Aspromec, so what it corroborated, stating also that "large firms for which you work tell you that you have to get out, but in Spain few people are willing to make the sacrifice". José Antonio Gómez Vadillo, also contributed this fact: in Spain only 0.8% of the SMEs will have internationalised, compared to 3% of the European average.

But for those who are willing to take the step, you can count on the help of organizations such as chambers of Commerce. The Chief of service to the industry of Chamber of Commerce Zaragoza, Carlos Lapuerta, explained several of his proposals for the internationalisation of companies. For example, the possibility to participate in several trade missions or business meetings in several countries such as China, Japan, Chile and Argentina, Bulgaria, Serbia… Cameras also provide first hand information of these foreign markets, fundamental for decision-making in the company, providing data of high value added in the early surveys, development of market and business analysis to get a guarantee of continuity in the different markets. According to the study phase in which find introduction or penetration of the product in a given market, are located the data requiring timely. Data such as market studies, variable or statistical key figures, demand, consumption, competition or trade fairs to support the international promotion of their products. Workshops for export, whose purpose is to convey the importance of assigning proper and balanced objectives, time and money, as well as draw up a realistic budget for foreign promotion that is a 'tailored suit' are also organized.

One factor that can push the SMEs of the machining outside our borders and internationalize is inter-firm cooperation, essential to devise new business strategies, mainly among small enterprises. Often SMEs themselves and because of their size, do not have access to ideas, tools or networks that can enable its growth and its access to international markets. For this reason, inter-firm cooperation is understood as an utmost efforts, resources and talent, and currently, driven by the dynamism of the technology and the growing escalation of competitiveness in global markets. The own machining meetings are examples of cooperation as long as they serve to share ideas in a context unrelated to market pure competition, since similar companies suffer from similar problems.

Other differences between the companies 'alive' and 'intelligent' by Gómez Vadillo is that "the living company, in many cases has had to reduce its structures, with 50% of the turnover falls and now have 'fear' to take size." Intelligent Enterprise, has also had to reduce its size, but they know they need dimension to diversify and go to other borders. "And what they are getting through cooperation with other companies in the sector."

And not only the cooperation must understand how to collaborate with other mecanizador. Cooperation should also be understood online supplier-customer. Javier Bermejo, MTorres, stated that "collaboration is essential." "We listen to our suppliers and get many solutions through the machining we subcontract". But who brought the best image to understand this need was one of the machining attending meetings, responsible for Mecanizaciones Goerna, an SME of Tudela: "we must be very clear that our livelihood depends on our clients, in our case our great client." We are like a small stupid which have to cross a river with many current. If substantiate their own us ahogaríamos. Why we need a large hippopotamus that helps us to cross on his back while we remove the crust. If we didn't have to us, is just divert its route because it would not be well and, thanks to him not drags us current. "Why there must be a collaboration maximum, also taking into account our client runs its risks, much older than ours".

Dinner of competitiveness

The night prior to the meetings of Zaragoza Aspromec held a dinner at the hotel that would host the Forum the next day. Beyond of Agape, the dinner was a Colloquium participants - the rapporteurs for the next day and several members of Aspromec - which played several interesting topics such as market, quality, foreign markets and how no, the competitiveness of the Spanish mecanizador. It turned out to be a pleasant meeting which said many truths in a more relaxed atmosphere than can make own encounters.

As well, and after reviewing which have been years of crisis for the assistants and their respective undertakings, played the issue of the export, sold to international markets given the 'immunosuppression' of the internal market. Håkan Engström, product manager for SSAB-Toolox Europe, said that "the market Spanish has travelled enough for export". For its part, Javier García, head of outsourcing, Taim Weser, told that "the type of product we sell throughout the world." "Decided not to export as a strategic decision, there is simply no projects in Spain".

As for the decisive factors that make the difference in the services they offer machining SMEs, Miguel Frechilla, director general of Maxi industries, said: "I don't want to be a workshop 'low cost';" "not only price, there is also time and quality". And quality, as it secured the own Frechilla, "as the value in the bullfighters, it assumes". As soon as deadlines, Abel Fernández, responsible for outsourcing of Indra, gave the reason Miguel Frechilla: "When the term is decisive in order, even may increase the final price". And while still hiring in 95 per cent for price, companies must find their way to make a difference. "We must make strategic bets and find out 'where am I to fight in the market to continue' to make this difference", said Frechilla. "At the end and all - added Roberto Hernando, CEO of Intermaher - we know what to do to improve, but often we lack value."

On 28 September it will be the 'day of mecanizadora SMEs' Summit Industrial and technological in Bilbao. Aspromec has organized its ninth machining encounters in this unique setting, in particular in the Conference Hall in Pavilion 1, between 10: 30 and 14: 30. As always, Contracting national and international companies, from their point of view, will speak on the key factors for the competitiveness of the network of subcontracting in your environment., but this time will change the format, dividing the day into four blocks:

1. A first block where two companies as important as Alstom Power and Schuler set forth his vision of the global market for outsourcing. Both companies will be managers of shopping from Switzerland and Germany respectively.
2. A second block where three local companies we speak about their experiences on innovation and cooperation, two of the fundamental values of the meetings of the machining. These companies will be, Mendi Metal Innovation Group, group UMI Aeronautics and MTorres. They will be represented by its directors-general or shopping.
3. The third block will be very interesting for those who wants to go to the meeting looking for new contacts, because it will focus to more than 20 relevant professionals inside the metal world. They are those professionals who over the past two years have made a special contribution in the development of Aspromec activities, such as the meetings of the machining. Here, you will have with the intervention of professionals as representative companies such as Indra, GKN, Ford, Sener, Acebrón group, Reyvarsur, Proto Tech, Maxi industries or Taim Weser, among others.
4. Finally, close encounter with a fourth block, common in all held to date, which will consist of an appetizer will participate where all attending companies.