Energy - Model Holding AG

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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. 10
SWISS POST GLS Cross-selling As an autonomous competence centre within Swiss Post, Swiss Post GLS has been the national network partner of General Logistics Systems (GLS) since 1998. Patrick Maier, as General Manager, what is the main focus of your activities? We focus on parcel shipment services for business customers to any destination in Europe and beyond. We offer our customers reliable, quality service at a very competitive price-performance ratio. Besides pure shipping services, as a Swiss market participant we are also focused on helping customers deal with existing customs formalities as smoothly as possible. In this field we offer a number of innovative solutions. Which is your priority target group? Our target group includes every company that regularly sends parcels abroad, in particular to other European countries. We appeal to customers that seek the advantages of the transparency offered by an all-in-one parcel network, e.g. track & trace and delivery against signature. This group is happy to use the slightly slower road transport. They benefit from lower transport costs than if they had used the classic express and courier service providers. Of course, we also offer next-day express deliveries to neighbouring countries. Why has Swiss Post decided to offer this service when there are already so many providers in the market offering similar services? And how do you stand out from the competition, i.e. how do you position GLS vis-à-vis providers such as DHL, UPS, etc.? For us it is very important that the Swiss Post customers know that we can cover the full range of their needs – from the classic «Economy» parcel to the «Urgent» Express product in conjunction with our partner TNT. Since 1998 we have successfully positioned ourselves as Swiss Post GLS at the centre of this services spectrum. Are there any conflicts of interest between you and the «Post Office»? We are part and parcel of Swiss Post. By concentrating on business customers in the midspeed segment, and offering better solutions especially in the field of customs formalities, we have clearly defined our position within Swiss Post’s product range. What are the developments likely to face parcel services in general in the next few years? Are there any recognizable trends? The general global economic trend towards a greater division of labour will continue. As a result, demand for different types of logistics will also increase, particularly in the crossborder segment. There distinction between business and private customers, whether senders or recipients, will not be as clear. Active private e- Bay participants often have more parcels than a small business. The technological question is whether the industry will shift from the classic barcode to RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). With RFID all parcel information is stored on a chip attached directly to the parcel. Other sectors, e.g. the packaging industry, have already successfully introduced this form of identification. You have encouraged collaboration with the Model Group and in the meantime correspondingly implemented joint communication operations. Can you sum up the results? Model was and is an ideal partner for us. Besides certain customers in common, both companies also have the opportunity of further growth among each other’s clientele. Another area of common interest between the companies is their strong emphasis on the importance of quality. Thanks to this collaboration, we have gained access to a new group of customers and already been able to establish very interesting new contacts. Where do you see potential for expanding the existing collaboration? There is cross-selling potential in sales in particular. Every one of our mail order customers needs a packaging solution. Packages developed by Model have to be transported. By always keeping your partner in mind, you enhance your own market presence. Do you see a trend in demand for certain types of packaging? Or does your organization have certain preferences? For us as link between sender and recipient, the functionality of packaging has top priority. In particular, parcels must be stable. But a certain degree of security is also important. Parcels with «anti-thief security sensors» have already been developed. All other functions that concentrate specifically on the communicative aspect of packaging are important primarily for our customers. How do you motivate your team to stay innovative? Our greatest motivators are our customers. Their wishes keep us searching for innovative solutions. And when they are satisfied this, too, spurs us on. We, however, are proactive specifically in the field of customs formalities, where we initiate discussions with experts as a basis for researching potential services. Swiss Post is a huge entity. There is no end to your organizational changes. How do you know what is what? Above all: how does Swiss Post ensure that third parties know what is what? The great majority of organizational changes do not affect our customers at all. They are a reflection of the constant need to adjust to new market realities. The only reason why they are discussed in public is because the Swiss Post is an «institution», so to speak. The important thing for me is that we give our customers a sense of stability. What new developments can we expect from Swiss Post GLS in the next few months? We are working on developing an automated proactive information service. This fully automated e-mail service will inform the customer when a shipment is successfully delivered or if there are any delays. For Italy, as the last of our immediate neighbours, we have been able to considerably improve our service by introducing «next-day service». This means that we now offer next-day delivery in all neighbouring countries. Finally, we are focused on intensive marketing of our EU customs formalities service. By offering Swiss senders the opportunity of being treated like a European company, we make it easy for them to participate in the European single market. Many Swiss companies are still unaware that this interesting possibility exists. 11
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Page 3 and 4: KÄGI SÖHNE Biscuit packaging revi
Page 5 and 6: GIOVANELLI FRUCHTIMPORT Exotic ener
Page 7 and 8: FLEXOSTAR · SWISS STAR · PACK SHO
Page 9: CONFISERIE SPRÜNGLI Sweetness and

Energy - Model Holding AG

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