Energy - Model Holding AG

SIA ABRASIVES
Saving energy:
project team work
Interview with
Walter Gygli, head
of Conversion
sia Abrasives
Industries AG
The sia Group
based in Frauenfeld
ranks among
the world’s three
leading suppliers
of innovative
abrasives systems.
It develops,
manufactures and markets complete
abrasive systems tailored to the specific
requirements and applications for
surface preparation and finishing of all
kinds, and in doing so has turned sanding
and grinding into true surface technologies.
At sia Abrasives Walter Gygli has formed a
working group in the field of manufacture to
optimize work processes. The respective
groups bring together colleagues with the appropriate
qualifications. They are authorized to
appraise their work, the work processes and to
some extent also the association auxiliary functions
such as materials management, dispatch,
etc. These teams also include suppliers and
partners, who often have greater knowledge
about specialized topics than sia employees.
All the members of the defined project team,
whether from sia or Model, identify very
strongly with overriding corporate approaches
to marketing parameters, general market
framework, etc. The group is focused primarily
on identifying advantages for all sides. Therefore,
it is absolutely essential that the goals are
clearly defined from the start and accessible to
open solutions.
sia Abrasives attaches great importance to
clear leadership for their combined sia-supplier
project teams. Walter Gygli recognizes that
leadership cannot come from above, but directly
from the people involved. Problems are
analysed on the spot as they arise. In this way,
specific questions can be answered immediately.
Team members must also be available in
times of pressure. But it is also important that
the goals are not too ambitious. They must be
clear and, especially in the beginning, simple
and easy to fulfil quickly. «It is always obvious
if leadership is team-oriented because the
leader discusses lots of topics, problems and
decisions with the group, instead of dealing
with them himself or in one-to-one conversations»,
says Walter Gygli.
Of course, it is necessary
to establish a
sense of trust between
the individual
teams, particularly if
external teams are involved.
For instance,
a supplier can sometimes
provide a solution
for seemingly intractable
problems
without much effort.
The specialized knowhow
and the associated
approaches to
solutions that Model
brings to this optimization
project make it possible to find solutions
quickly. In this respect, of course, we can
draw on years of exchanging experience and
mutual trust. We get to the heart of the problem
very quickly and are able to solve it in no
time. Model fulfils the function of a nodal point.
It informs us if employees have dealt with a
similar topic in the past. To establish a solid
working basis, it is necessary to keep up a constant
exchange of information, both of a general
nature and concerning routine matters. According
to Walter Gygli, there is still potential
here. For instance, it would be sensible to build
up a joint database on the range of available
packaging. It would also be useful to take a
closer look at the possibilities offered by supply
chain management.
Various measures have already been adopted
to enable the individual groups to share responsibility.
However, it is important to realize
that we are working here at two different levels.
On the one hand, there is the personal aspect,
in which we need to find the right approach
in dealing with one another, and on the
other there is the composition of each team
and its range of tasks. It is necessary to give
priority to establishing these guiding principles
and, over and above this, to fostering a strong
sense of responsibility. Model’s packaging developers
also profit from the input of individual
sia employees, which helps them to continuously
improve and optimize existing packaging
solutions.
As optimization processes are seldom finished,
it is important to benchmark the cooperation so
as to uncover and eliminate «energy-wasting»
activities. Each participant learns to think well
beyond the scope of his own operations. The
exchange between sia Abrasives and Model
employees embraces a variety of know-how,
experiences, interests and personalities. At the
same time, it is important to ensure that good
workers are not overwhelmed by too many
projects, thereby undermining their efficiency;
overload demotivates. The more work that can
be saved, the faster decisions can be made. A
pleasant side effect is the improvement in the
efficiency of individual team members. Interoperational
teams strengthen the motivation of
the individual members. It is possible to solve
problems without wasting too much energy
and to share decision-making. This is the key
to mutual identification and a partnership of
shared interests.
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