This company designs and builds warehouses and factories of the future, under the banner of logistics automation, robotic solutions and state-of-the-art distribution centres. But the revolution starts from man and always comes back to man. Profile of the Italian branch of Swisslog, which in 2022 recorded a turnover of over 50 million euros. Giampaolo Colletti interviews Alessandro Benzoni, Chief Executive Officer at Swisslog Italia for FARE INSIEME.
by Giampaolo Colletti
@gpcolletti
The paradox of these years is that we are increasingly connected, yet we are anchored to physical elements. The products travel the world, but they must be built, stored, shipped with quality, care and safety. Here, there is an international company present in the Emilia-Romagna region, which for forty years has been designing and building the warehouses and factories of the future with robotic solutions and that makes distribution centres more flexible, more efficient, more agile, more intelligent. This is Swisslog, one of the global giants of logistics automation. We talk about Industry 4.0, but the revolution starts from man and always comes back to man. «Our people are the DNA of the company. We have the right mix of people in the company both highly experienced employees and a young team», says Alessandro Benzoni, CEO at Swisslog Italia, which is part of the KUKA Group, one of the world's leading suppliers of intelligent automation solutions. We are based in Maranello, a town of eighteen thousand inhabitants south of the city of Modena, an iconic place par excellence and a symbol of Emilian talent in the world. Forty years ago everything started from here with healthcare logistics solutions. Today's customers are those committed to developing their own automated logistics. In Italy, the main sectors are retail and grocery stores. And then again the automotive sector and the supply of electrical material for large-scale retail channel and the pharmaceutical sector.
The human capital. Technologies yes of course, but man is always at the centre of focus. «Swisslog's recipe focuses on these two concepts, which are sometimes experienced as antithetical, whereas here they are integrated: people and technology. Because it is only from this combination that it is possible to sustain change and produce innovation. We have a consultative approach: we evaluate the studies of feasibility and returns on investment (ROI) together with the companies. The ability to adapt to changing needs is essential», Benzoni points out. A large part of the team is dedicated to software development. But there are also technical profiles, designers and project developers in the company. A result that, together with that of the group, has seen the company rank tenth again this year in the Top 20 Warehouse Automation Suppliers Worldwide. «From 2018 to today our turnover has doubled, achieving a +30% year on year. But I prefer to talk about people, who are our true value added. Our success is defined by the number of collaborators, which has increased by more than 50% in the space of a couple of years. We also expect other new recruits by the end of next year», says Benzoni. But when it is said that people are at the centre, then they really must be. So today at the centre of everything is the worklife balance and various activities aimed at the well-being of employees. Today in Swisslog people can plan their professional time, working to achieve targets in smart-working or in the office thanks to an agile work formula that accounts for 60%. Meanwhile, during 2023, a new, more flexible and more functional working concept will be tested at the Maranello headquarters. «The management of our collaborators' time is precious and this commitment of ours is recognised by an employee retention rate higher than the national average and a very high satisfaction index», explains Benzoni.
The challenges of logistics. The product portfolio has been integrated with innovative technological solutions. Among these, hi-tech innovations emerge for storage and picking, i.e. the collection of products that has been automated. But a collaborative robot also stands out among the products. In 2022, the Italian headquarters of the multinational company recorded a turnover of over 50 million euros. Living in the present, but designing the future. Thus, at Swisslog we do not think about logistics without taking into account the growing urbanisation and the progressive shortening of the logistics chains, which today are ever closer to the end customer. The future of automation also means the ability of operators to adapt existing buildings with modern technologies. In this way, over the last year, Swisslog has designed over fifty new solutions that are currently operational in Italy alone. Meanwhile, the future is made up of a supply chain centred on the processing of big data. But Benzoni is convinced of one thing. «It will always be the people who make the difference.»
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