Maurizio Zani: Production Manager of Errecom
1) We know that you and Luca, the President of Errecom, are good friends for many years, yet your adventure in the company only began lately. Would you like to tell us some details about it? What brought you, after years of experience as a production manager in the engineering sector, in Errecom?
As you mentioned, Luca and I are old friends. We met in high school, we were just kids, but we have so many good memories together! We immediately realized we could rely on each other and, years later, I can tell we were right! Obviously, growing up, our lives kind of took two different paths. I got married, and we both committed ourselves to our careers. However, we always kept in touch and never lost sight of each other. A few years ago, during one of our routine calls, I told him about my desire to find a work environment more suitable for me. So, I asked him to keep me informed if he heard of any openings in our area. Guess what? He told me he was looking for a production manager for Errecom, someone skilled and experienced and, at the same time, someone he could trust. We both found the answer we were looking for in each other’s needs: that’s how my adventure here began!
2) Compared to your previous work experience, what did you find in Errecom that impressed you the most?
In addition to all the benefits that my colleagues from other departments have underlined several times (such as the focus on quality and reliability), I would like to mention the comfort that the employees experience while working. Everywhere in Errecom you can feel a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. It is not something you can take for granted: especially in a production department! For example, at Errecom, this department is also air-conditioned, guaranteeing our employees a cool environment in summer and warm in winter and making it easier for them to carry out their daily tasks. Not to mention the level of cleanliness: I have to admit that I have never seen such clean and neat floors in the production department of the companies I have worked in so far. And consider that they are white! Lastly, another aspect that I really appreciate is the music that keeps us company throughout the day: it may sound trivial, but it really helps to make work less stressful, promoting concentration and motivation for all of us!
3) What are the features you consider essential to manage a production department?
Organisation, precision and determination are certainly necessary. Method and planning are essential to manage the strict times and schedules of modern automation technologies and to ensure that these are exploited to work efficiently. In addition, as a production manager is also fundamental to be empathetic, creating a team that works well, whose members respect each other, working together to achieve the common result.
4) What do you find more satisfying about your job?
The greatest satisfaction is being able to do the job I love. Every day I find myself implementing new procedures and solutions thanks to the skills I have acquired through years of experience and hard work. Looking back, seeing how far I’ve come and knowing that it’s my passion that has brought me this far: well, it’s a priceless feeling!
5) What advice would you give to young people starting a career in production?
My advice is to work on creating an environment of continuous improvement, approaching problems as if they were challenges. They have to be ready to get their hands dirty, but at the same time, it is fundamental for them to forget about the idea of working as if they were in an assembly line. Nowadays, the latest technologies offered by science and development grant the workers to seriously bring added value to the production process. All we need is motivation, commitment and, above all, ingenuity.
6) Errecom has grown exponentially in recent years. What are the consequences for the production department?
I’ve only been working at Errecom for three years but, because of my friendship with Luca, I know very well the evolution that the company has gone through since 2001. Innovation is the evidence of a company focused on changing the future, investing in quality and excellence. That’s why the fast growth that Errecom is experiencing does not surprise me at all! Despite the opening of new foreign branches (made it necessary by exports to more than 130 countries), the top management has decided to maintain the production in Italy to grant tight control over the entire production process, ensuring the highest quality and making the transition from idea to market as fast as possible. This has inevitably required the adoption of increasingly integrated and cutting-edge technologies, such as Industry 4.0, to manage the time and costs of a booming business. There is still a long way to go, but we are on the right path and, above all, we all are on the same page about the point that the best results come from continuous improvement and evolution.
7) Would you like to give us a preview of the challenges that the production department will face in the next future?
The process of expansion that the company is experiencing leads to new workforce requirements. It is necessary to include in the staff qualified workers who know how to manage the increasingly high levels of automation of the production lines, and who will follow a specific internal training course. Additional proof of the fact that for Errecom innovation and quality are the foundation of every process.
