Eight factories, hundreds of technicians and factory floor staff, about 50 machines produced per week: Mauro Rinaudo, Production Manager, explains how the whole Multitel Pagliero system functions.
How big is the work group and what are their tasks?
The production structure consists of 3 people who coordinate logistics and management in the department, 5 area coordinators who oversee the production flow by specific areas (welding, assembly, electricians/cablers, lathe operations, painting), and 20 department heads who directly follow the production phases. This team is in charge of over 400 employees.
What professional abilities and personal qualities are necessary for a production manager?
I think that the nature underpinning everyone with management duties should be a strong sense of dedication and love for their profession. Of course, having a technical background is also necessary in order to solve and maximise the day-to-day challenges that arise. I also believe it is essential to be at the production site all the time to monitor the production flow and interact with everyone.
Hundreds of workers to organise in eight plants, each with distinct tasks: how do you plan to make sure production goals are met?
Special software is now used for production management. In order to construct and assemble the machines with the fewest errors possible, each manager has their own weekly and monthly work programmes, worksheets and cards, drawings, and hydraulic and electrical diagrams. Information spreads swiftly in these settings. However, interpersonal communication and direct discussion are always crucial aspects of the working day.
Given that Multitel Pagliero employs a large number of international workers from inside and outside the EU, women and young people, how do you manage to establish a shared “language”?
It has to be said that at Multitel Pagliero, integrating people from different cultures and experiences is no problem. Maybe this is because everything is made easier when you are placed in a work environment where the major priorities are working safely, meeting deadlines and remaining upbeat. The inclusion of female staff has been excellent: it began 5 years ago, and they now make up a sizeable portion of our workforce.
What other department functions (managers) do you deal with in such a complicated operation (safety, IT, quality, processes, purchasing, sales, etc.) and how do you manage to get them to align around a shared objective?
Interdepartmental cooperation within the company is good. The departments most important for production are definitely – human resources – with whom sharing personnel is a daily practice, – the technical departments – on which we depend for the entire design part, – the purchasing department for the arrival of the material used, – the technology department for all the proper functioning of the machinery – and quality where the important work of checking items produced is carried out. All of this is coordinated by the CEO with whom discussions are held daily.
Based on the orders, are the management's production targets determined at the start of the year or on a quarterly/four-monthly basis?
Production has always complied with the orders that come from the sales departments and management. At the moment, targets are reviewed on a quarterly basis, and monthly meetings with management are held to discuss the current situation and to provide the most recent indications.
How can production be increased? On which processes/mechanisms does action need to be taken?
Staff are brought in wherever there is a genuine need for dealing with any increase in production. Alternative manufacturing solutions are used whenever feasible, with individuals and procedures exchanged between departments, in order to prevent critical points arising that can create a bottleneck or slow down subsequent assembly. If production doesn’t move forward consistently, it can stop altogether in later stages of the operations
Given the wide range of aerial platforms (including tracked platforms), I imagine that the production times of each model vary depending on their specific features. Can you offer two examples that give an idea?
I’ve spent a lot of time working on this topic, which is possibly the most pleasant yet difficult issue. I’ll use two machines to illustrate what it is: a simple one like the 160 ALU and a more complex one like the MJE 250.
The first is a machine requiring more painting because its structure is made of iron, but it has shorter assembly and testing times; the second instead has less paint, but necessitates a significant number of hours for assembly and testing. The extremes of these two machines highlight the need for extra care when developing the weekly and monthly production plans because the production times of all models, both for semi-finished goods and for assembly, need to be taken into account in order to prevent overburdening some departments while simultaneously leaving others with nothing to do. The assembly programme must always precisely fit with the more complex and less complex machines, taking into account vehicle availability and delivery times.
Production is made more efficient by technology, robots and IT, but how much does the human factor play a part at Multitel Pagliero, given the high degree of customisation of the truck-mounted platforms?
As I said before, a significant portion of the production cycle still involves manual labour, making people an essential factor. Collaboration between different workers within and outside the department is essential for the smooth operating of the departments since the speed at which the product is finished depends on the synchronisation of processes and the attention to detail that is sometimes overlooked.
Multitel Pagliero has a competitive edge because it produces 95% of the components, giving it nearly complete control over the product's ultimate quality.
Certainly, having the technology available to produce internally almost all the parts that make up the machines gives us a flexibility that we did not have before when the parts were supplied from outside. Instantaneous control over product quality is made possible by a group of technicians led by the Quality Department, which carries out verification tests on every part produced and is in regular contact with the production department.
How are suppliers identified and chosen? What assurances are they required to provide?
It is the Purchasing, Quality, and Technology department’s job to manage suppliers. I just give advice if requested.
Do you think that production capacity could increase without affecting quality, safety, etc. with the current production units and staff?
Our flexibility is such that it allows us to produce by varying the quantities according to the demands placed on us. This is never to the detriment of the product’s quality, which is always the most important factor, and safety at work. Our production department has the capacity and ability to use a sizable number of multi-skilled workers who can handle multiple tasks when needed for coping with spikes in work in particular areas of the company. This enables us to quickly adjust the production plan and stay in compliance with the goals.
The epidemic two years ago caused a slowdown (and an increase in costs) in the supply of raw materials. If it resulted in problems, how was it addressed and overcome?
We had to put in place a full range of measures during the pandemic in order to combat the delay in receiving materials, which was severely hindered by a tough global environment. We overcame this phase by taking extraordinary measures, such as selectively stopping some productions or relocating staff to an area where material was arriving normally and then later picking up where we left off. As a result of this challenge, we developed new tactics and solutions, some of which remained even after the pandemic was contained.
The company frequently hosts meetings with technical institute students. Does this collaboration result in hiring new resources in a way you would like? Are the young people ready for and interested in this work and growth experience?
One of the most significant partnerships for training and hiring new employees is the one with the schools. Through scheduled visits and internships, students can gain an understanding of what Multitel Pagliero is actually like and what is expected of them once they are hired. The average age of our employees is low and many of the kids come from technical schools and have solid theoretical backgrounds that they then put to the test in the workplace. And this allows us to be dynamic and fast when needed. I would say that at the moment I am satisfied with the young people that we bring in from the schools each year.
Production Manager
The company’s production sector is very complex. The machines range from 15 to 75 metres and this involves significant differences in construction and assembly. While for the series models the work is organised more systematically on the assembly lines, for the very tall machines – often one-of-a-kind due to their unique features – the work is organised step-by-step with each machine being built and assembled separately on a different timing from the series ones. The very tall truck-mounted platforms are a world apart, where the spaces and times for their construction require skilled individuals with a great deal of experience. Everyone in production management deals with a wide range of scenarios, so I want to stress again how important it is to work together with all company departments since teamwork produces the best results. The younger generation that is joining us and entering the workforce must also be fully integrated; they represent the company’s future, and it is crucial to their professional development that they always actively participate in the world of Multitel Pagliero.
Especially now, with the arrival of new professional figures and equipment that necessitate higher technical and scientific understanding due to the growing presence of artificial intelligence. In order to fully utilise robots, work centres and technology integrated into industrial processes, we need to be prepared for this new environment. Factory work is driven and passionate; in order to meet the upcoming difficulties, we need to make sure that these qualities continue to exist.