The conclusions of the project Aviva give keys to improve the competitiveness of the mecanizadores

The conclusions of the study Aviva, a valuable tool to know the reality of the sector of the mechanised in Spain and the crucial appearances to improve to promote this sector, opened the door to a wide and detailed debate. Each speaker enumerated and analysed those conclusions that considered keys to reflect the reality or elucidate which steps have to give from now.

In bold strokes, the profile of the companies of mechanised in Spain is fundamentally the one of a SME that offers basic services, this is, devoted to the outsourcing and that does not offer an own product. Something that, as it reiterated during the day, is key to be competitive in the current market. But no only it is main to offer a differential product, the companies have to trace aims, a strategic plan or of marketing, as it already occurs in companies with the same profile in the rest of Europe. Fundamental appearances to stand out on the rest and especially, desmartruckse in an increasingly competitive market. Those companies that see in the innovation an exit, do not do it like change of strategic focus but so only like a way to reduce costs.

The study puts of self-evident that they are many the lacks or the susceptible appearances to improve in these companies. Although the internationalisation discerns from does years like an exit for many of them, follow observing diverse points mejorables in the structure of a SME mecanizadora in Spain. It can seem an obviedad, but the true is that the desconocimiento of the English is common in a lot of companies, more than a brake to give to know in the outside and work in these countries.

Another of the appearances that had a strong leadership during the day and that purchases an elder calado in our industries is the need of learning of the workers, as they stood out several speakers. In Europe and other countries of the world treat with special consideration this factor, key for the personal and business development. Besides, it exists an alarming desconocimiento of the economic helps to which these SMEs mecanizadoras can access and that they can be a revulsivo for all they. Of these and other conclusions spoke during all the session.

After the presentation of Ramiro Bengoechea, president of Aspromec, the one who appreciated to the fair, sponsors and collaborators like AFM and Sigaus the organisation of the meeting, Xavier Basañez, general director of Bilbao Exhibition Center offered to the present data on the magnitude of the contest. “We are in the vigesimoséptima edition of the BIEMH, one of the industrial fairs deans. The industrial fair bigger of Spain and the third of Europe, with a surface expositiva of 65.000 square metres, almost 1.200 display units, of which 46% were foreign and more than 30.000 visitors expected, do of this a meeting of industrial innovation and knowledge”, signalled.

In words of Ramiro Bengochea, “the project Aviva is a study that has given place to a book in which it studies the competitiveness of the sector of the mechanised in Spain. It treats of the first study that realises in the sector of the mechanised of this country". “It is a very interesting sector observing his dimension” —aimed Bengochea— “speak of an approximate turnover of 19.000 million annual euros that gives employment to 150.000 people in six thousand SMEs roughly”. In the data of this estimate do not find the tractor trucks companies since for the manufacturing of said study have considered companies customers. The peculiarity of this sector roots in that it is defined by a technology of manufacture that does it transversal, what does that it have interaction with other sectors.

The study reflects clearly which is the structure of the sector from the point of view of appearances like the financial until the commercial of the SMEs. Besides, it reveals the conditions of the demand and even asked to the involved in the sector which are his hopes, conditions or perspectives, until doing a X-ray of the mecanizador in these times.

As it explained the manager of Aspromec, in the study have participated 300 SMEs of mechanised, 18 tractor trucks companies, 8 associations of metal and 15 companies like institutions that have involved in the structure, definition and manufacturing. In total, 350 companies and institutions. Also, it signalled, “the study is a project of collaboration between Aspromec and Confemetal and is framed inside the activities of the Observatory of the Metal 2011". It treats of the last study of the Observatory of the Metal, since, as all the observatories, “has been suspended recently by the Ministry of Industry, by what has the peculiarity to be the last since it began his activity in the year 2004”.

José Antonio Gómez Vadillo, adviser delegated of Aleacción Coaching and Quality consultancy, specialised in the mechanised and coordinator of the study Aviva, appealed to the tangible and intangible of the event, doing reference to the machines of the fair and to the information, respectively and to the stage chosen for the celebration of the meetings.

In his report ‘The cooperation between SMEs of the sector like road of integration of technologies', did reference to the study: they exist six thousand companies of mechanised in Spain, of them, 3.120 are basic, this is, companies that do not have own product and are specialised in the outsourcing. 3.600 companies invoice less than one million euros –before the crisis two millions–. Of which make money, so only 50% has a profitability between the 0 and 5%, figures that show an industrial segment fragmentado, as it aimed Vadillo.

Another point that stood out is the analysis of the demand. “56% of the tractor trucks companies asks us that we have more technology and besides that we offer solutions more global, that increase the competitiveness of the subcontractors, and that simplify them his processes of outsourcing, not having 30 if no two subcontractors”, emphasized in reference to the analysis of the current demand.

Likewise stood out the increasing interest for cooperating that they show the complementary sectors: engineers, boilerworkss, thermal sensors treatments and metrologies. “They are had to cooperate, that is to say, exist opportunities in the sector, can collaborate with other competitors or complementary companies of the sector”.

Vadillo Stood out several recommendations extracted of the report. Of the 3.120 companies of mechanised basic, 1.320 have to grow by means of the integration, whereas 360 have to specialise in product. That is the matrix of the strategic tendency.

Is fundamental, resumió, apply a series of strategies, based in the differentiation and works more complex and in the growth: 81% of the companies of the sector bets for growing, but the question is how. 30% will do it with the same product and so only 7% says that it will do it by means of the cooperation.

With everything, “our proposal is that we have to take brave decisions because they can give good results. The cooperation like strategic element is diferenciadora and can help to grow without assuming a lot of risks, this is what says the report to be competitive”, concluded Vadillo.

Swen Hamann, general director of Zoller, after a presentation of the activity of his company and in his intervention ‘Learning of directors and employers to face the new challenges of the sector' pronounced a sentence of Emilio Butragueño that resume one of the most important points for the representative of the German company: “What more formed are, more will be able to compete”.

“The conclusions that have obtained of the study are overwhelming: 65% of the respondents declares not having time for his own learning. In Germany affirms that the learning is fundamental, that would have to invest 10% of a wage in learning”, aimed Hamann.

Also stood out of the report that 83% of the Spanish companies of mechanised are familiar, something that “to some extent is good but that comports that many times the director more capacitado is not the one who is at the top of the company”.

On line with the business management, the representative of Zoller stood out that the majority of the directors work without a strategic plan, a fundamental appearance for the companies: “we Have to know where it is the company, where directs and 20% of the companies does not have plan of growth. We have to change to a product with value added, that incorporate more technologies and for this is indispensable that have directors very ready”, concluded in his intervention.

Roberto Hernando, general director of Intermaher, in his report ‘Need of change of the strategic profile of 44% of the companies of the sector to end to reach a similar state to European countries more competitive' stood out the following: “we Have perceived a restlessness in our customers. As it is the market something new have to do because if we follow worked the same our possibilities of future will be limited. It is a general restlessness. We have to do something to be competitive in some surroundings like the current so difficult and cambiante”.

According to this representative of machining centres and lathes of the Japanese mark Mazak, “see that the companies are not looking for and analysing of form systematised. In general, it does of form improvised”.

Oriol Caballé, general director of Kromi in his Excessive ‘report consumption of financial resources in the financials of the circulante that weakens to the companies and limits his growth”, put the accent in the results of the project Aviva relative to the form to manage the financial resources. “In bold strokes, what see in the financial area is that 62% of the companies needs external financials. It exists a high level of indebtedness, that is to say, can that we are not managing well our resources, our financial area. What sucede with the internal financials? Somebody poses the form to obtain it?”, it questioned.

The second point that stood out of the conclusions of the study is that 71% of the companies polled considers that the access to said financials is well, “something surprising in this moment in which all the world complains that there is not credit, what aims to that it can be by our own financial management. The costs are not a problem, is the form to manage the internal and external resources”, signalled. For 62% of the companies the financial costs do not suppose a significant load in his financial states, being minor to 2% of his turnover.

Finally stood out that three of the seven associations consulted offer advice in the process of external financials and so only 23% of companies requests helps or advice. “It can be that the fault of profesionalización and of learning incida in this field”. Likewise, 50% desconoce the existence of helps of the public entities, other types of financial products or a better internal management.

“The base of future is the innovation, achieve competitive advantages, that the product have a value added”, concluded.

In the report ‘Focus to the market and strategic planning of the companies of the sector', Ángel Hernández, director of industrial area of Interempresas presented the mark Interempresas, his evolution like magazine, his bet by Internet fifteen years ago and the use of all the current technologies, like the applications for smartphones or the presence in social networks.

For Ángel Hernández “the conclusions of the study are worrisome. The results reflect that 22% of the mecanizadores does not have a page own web, 40% does not have a catalogue, 55% never has done advertising, 68% has not participated in fairs and 79% does not have a plan of marketing”, by what the mecanizadores need to reorient his way. Another data more than the study that stood out Hernández is that 64% of the mecanizadores works with less than five customers.

Alejandro Arjona, general director of Tebis, German developer of software, stood out that 80% of the directors thinks that is difficult to find qualified personnel. A lack several times mentioned along the day whose solution goes through the learning. “It is necessary to look for ways to motivate to the people and improve the plans of learning”. But no only this will improve the competitiveness of the company, at present a SME has to be prepared to project his business to the outside. “Lacking learning to speak in English to access to foreign markets”, signalled Arjona contributing other data of the study. “55% of the companies does not realise continuous learning”.

Mentioned also the need to renew the park of machinery in Spain, that in a lot of cases has between 20 and 30 years, to be able to compete with other countries.

Ramiro Bengochea, general director of WNT Iberian, put the accent of his intervention in the innovation. His experience in the market, gives him a privileged position to have a thorough knowledge the lacks and opportunities. WNT, as it aimed, works with some 30.000 SMEs of mechanised in all Europe.

Aseveró The need to establish a strategic plan. “We have to take into account, according to the results of the study, that the activity of 53% of the companies –more than the half– is basic, that is to say only mechanise, only attend activities of outsourcing, are auxiliary companies without own product with which compete in the market. Therefore it is necessary that apply a strategic plan or of marketing. 80% of the companies has not questioned why have to do it”. And the data is esclarecedor: the strategic profile of the companies in Spain shows that there is 19% less with own product that in the rest of countries of Western Europe.

Another point that stood out the representative of WNT is that 59% of the companies polled in the project Aviva poses the innovation like road to reduce costs. A big quantity of them self-evident have ideas to develop own product but does not set it up by fault of initiative, time, helps, etc.

Bengochea, to close his intervention, signalled “this study is presented in negative, but the positive reading is that it is full of opportunities.

Antonio Moral, responsible of development of business of Castrol, aimed that “the local tractor trucks companies are fundamental for the good operation of the sector, but also can be a factor limitador”. From the point of the tractor trucks company, stands out the demand to obtain a firm commitment in the terms of delivery, integrated cheese cheese processes and all this to competitive prices. From the point of view of the SME, there is little initiative, a fault of knowledge of the procedures to be selected… “Is a gear no very fed”.

To finish the day, Francisco Javier Salorio, director of Shopping-Outsourcings of Indra Systems, Andreas Feichtinger, responsible of Marketing and Organisation of Sales of Plansee Group and Pablo Palés, manager of Proto-Tech System, offered his point of view from the contracting party, spoke of his respective organisations and showed his cases of success.

Next appointment of Aspromec: Meeting of the Mechanised of Gijón, Thursday 27 September 2012.