The OpEx, Strategy & PMO unit is part of the Technical Operations department, operating within the company as a corporate Function, to support the change process undertaken over the last few years. Innovate and create value, to improve the quality of life of patients: this is the message that best embodies IBSA’s mission in an increasingly international setting. Innovation is based on elements such as vision, courage, resilience, flexibility and dynamism, which can be summed up in a single expression: the ability to evolve. Today, to tell us about this is Andrea Panariello, Sr. OpEx, Strategy & PMO Manager.
Conversation with Andrea Panariello, Sr. OpEx, Strategy & PMO Manager at IBSA Group
WHAT ARE THE MAIN AREAS IN WHICH THE OPEX, STRATEGY & PMO UNIT IS ORGANISED?
The OpEx, Strategy & PMO unit is structured around three strictly interconnected cornerstones: operational excellence (OpEx), strategic planning (strategy) and the structured management of industrial macro-projects (Project Management Office – PMO).
In OpEx, we are guiding the definition and application of lean methodologies, aimed at the tangible realisation of the continuous improvement process.
As for the Strategy area, we collaborate in defining the Five-Year Strategic Investment Plan (5YP), coordinating the planning of activities and the organisation of the sessions of the new Committees introduced (Investment Committee and Budget Committee).
Finally, in the PMO, we support the management of the main industrial projects (Capex), through the coordination of the project Technical Teams, with the aim of monitoring the progress of the activities and the achievement of the set objectives.
ANALYSING THE CURRENT SETTING, WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES, AND WHAT CONTRIBUTION CAN OPEX, STRATEGY & PMO MAKE?
When I think of IBSA’s growth path, the image of a motorboat comes to mind, small but extremely fast and able to change course with little room for manoeuvre. Over time, thanks to a brilliant entrepreneurial vision, this motorboat turned into a large and articulated cruise ship, that continues to sail at maximum speed, but can no longer afford to navigate on sight, because it requires a much larger room for manoeuvre.
In a challenging context such as the one where IBSA navigates, and with the aim of establishing itself as a consolidated reality in international markets, the company decided to equip itself with an additional tool, in order to set a medium and long-term strategic vision plan: the OpEx, Strategy & PMO unit, indeed. The goal is to intercept potential icebergs (obstacles and dangers) in time to adjust the course, despite the physiological increase in complexity associated with the company’s growth. Created just under two years ago, the Function acts as a catalyst for change, an “incubator” for improvement solutions and a transversal connection between the various Group Functions.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN ACTIVITIES OR PROJECTS THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED OVER THE NEXT MONTHS?
Continuous improvement, medium and long-term predictive ability and management governance; these, in my opinion, are the challenges to be faced in the short to medium term. In order for the change to become a self-catalytic process, the cultural evolution of People – who are one of the pillars on which IBSA bases its values – cannot be ignore. To trigger and fuel this change – and to acquire the tools necessary to become an integral part as well as creators of it – the training of collaborators is essential. With the OpEx unit, we have defined and launched a training course, divided into several phases, which will involve representatives of all the main company Functions. Through this training process, Production, Quality, Maintenance and Supply Chain will be able to proactively interact and exchange views, using new methodological approaches and applying them to corporate projects. This way, the departments will be able to achieve a formal Green Belt certification, that will bring added value to People and important know-how to IBSA.