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INSPIRED FOR TUBE Furniture
pened with the BLM Group” .
“When Virco purchases a new machine, the selection
is not made on the basis of the cheapest
price alone, but it is made according to the
possibility of it being inserted in the production
process that we intend to implement. Important
features, such as programming ease
and after-sales service/technical assistance are
evaluated.
Automation without doubt, but
managed by man
As regards competition with the markets like
China and others that are growing such as
Thailand and Vietnam, Virco strategically focuses
on three main issues: good service, good
quality and the ability to meet the customer’s
every need with new products.
“When a customer requires new articles, we
are able to respond very quickly,” emphasises
Farrell. “At the end of June, a school requested
a completely new product for delivery by the
beginning of August. We designed, manufactured
and supplied it in less than two months.
To achieve these goals, it is fundamental to
have the right people. If not, then there is very
little you can do. Therefore, automation at Virco
is not to be understood as a way of replacing
human resources, but of improving the
process and to do so competent people are
needed”.
This is the reason why we put
our most difficult pieces on the
BLM tube bending unit, as we
have skilled people who know
how to operate the machine
and are able to manage the
product”.
Production is carried out mainly at the Virco
facilities seeing as there are various divisions,
however, there are still some small jobs that
are outsourced. “Some parts of our products
are laser-cut” – continues Farrell – but before
thinking of installing such a system, I have to
have the right people. Today, the problem of
outsourcing lies in programming; if you want
to run a just-in-time production to meet the
customer’s demand precisely when required,
outsourcing creates a problem. Of course, there
are also advantages, but with the increasing
flexibility of the machines, we should aim at
doing more in-house and outsourcing less. In
the future, we should, therefore, invest in the
process”.
Virco considers the assistance that it offers
its customers of utmost importance, starting
from the support offered to school managers
for purchasing furniture on a large scale, thereby
saving time and money, and continuing
with scheduling collection to recycle the old
furniture. Our program “Cash for Cardboard”
has allowed the school community in the Conway
area to recover more than 100,000 dollars
through recycling. We at Virco are proud to be
renowned for our continuous commitment
towards quality, which includes employment
and the environment”, concludes Farrell.
20 MAY 2011 NUMBER 14