In this article, we share the full interview with Andrea Lugli, Group Manufacturing Director at LATI, conducted by Post Media SRL's weekly publication, Operations Manager. This in-depth piece explores LATI's strategies to integrate certifications into its business processes through training, KPIs, and internal audits.
For the operations director of the Varese-based company specializing in technical thermoplastics, these are the three keys to successfully integrating the requirements of a new certification into the company's processes. "Controls? They may seem like an additional challenge to manage, but in reality, they don’t slow down the workflows: frequent audits give us a constant view of the operations, allowing us to intervene quickly to improve them."
It’s true: for a company, deciding to obtain a certification requires a significant commitment from several perspectives. However, this goal can become a driving force for improving its processes, transforming into a driver of efficiency, quality, sustainability, and, last but not least, standardization. Andrea Lugli, operations director at LATI Industria Termoplastici, a company that manufactures engineering-grade thermoplastics for various sectors, shares this perspective. LATI’s clients include automotive, medical, food production and processing, home appliances, and many others. In his role, Lugli manages the production and maintenance areas of the two LATI plants in Vedano Olona (VA). Between acronyms, numbers, and audits, in this interview, the operations director explains how certifications impact his work, the benefits they offer, and the challenges that need to be addressed.
Lugli, let’s start with this. What are the main certifications LATI has obtained, and how do they impact the management of operations?
First of all, there is ISO 9001, for quality management, which is almost considered a basic requirement to operate in our sector. Alongside this, we have also obtained IATF 16949, which is necessary to work in the automotive sector. The latter is particularly challenging, as it requires us to ensure the highest level of service to our customers. For example, we must inform them of any industrial interventions, such as plant changes, and ensure that everything is carried out according to specific and documented procedures. Additionally, LATI was among the first small and medium-sized Italian companies to achieve ISO 14001 certification for environmental management, and related to this, I mention ISO 50001, which refers to the energy management system and was obtained at the beginning of this year. We’ve also had ISO 45001 for safety for a few years, another key focus for the company. We organize training courses for specific tasks and, in collaboration with the HSE department, we design procedures to prevent issues in this area. Without listing all the product certifications for the various sectors to which our products are intended, I will add that just a few days ago, we obtained the Operation Clean Sweep certification, which, for a company like ours that manufactures granules, pertains to workplace cleanliness.
One could say you are constantly under audit...
Yes, that’s not an exaggeration. For example, IATF not only sees us as "special observers" of our customers but also requires us to "audit" our suppliers. While controls might seem like an additional challenge to manage, they do not actually slow down production flows: frequent audits, if managed correctly, provide us with a constant view of the processes and allow us to intervene quickly to improve them. Rather than being a burden, they are an opportunity. Of course, they represent a challenge, but they also give us the chance to standardize our processes: working on the repeatability of what we do allows us to find systematic and, therefore, efficient operating methods. I’ll make a parallel to school: when a teacher frequently quizzes you, you are motivated to always be prepared and not leave everything until the last minute.
So, how do you ensure that adapting to the different certification requirements does not slow down innovation, especially process innovation?
At LATI, we have a Technical Department dedicated to technological innovation and product industrialization: we work closely with them (and with the IT department) to ensure that every plant or digital innovation is compatible with the quality, environmental, and efficiency standards required by certifications. This is why our engineering studies can sometimes take a long time: we believe it is essential that innovations are tailored to our company, "tailor-made" for our processes. For example, we recently implemented IoT (Internet of Things) across all our plants with a control system that integrates MES (Manufacturing Execution System) and our SAP management system. This allows us to monitor real-time data from logistics to production and record all the information needed to improve processes. In this way, innovation not only doesn’t slow down but integrates perfectly with the standardization needs required by certifications.
When you decide to obtain a new certification, what makes it easier to integrate it into your processes?
There are at least three keys. First, it is crucial to prepare both the management and operational teams through training phases, which may even be prolonged. Then, we must measure ourselves using very detailed KPIs, without which we wouldn’t be able to improve. Often, those who audit us provide fairly generic quality standards that don’t take into account the specifics of our company. It’s like a diet: if you don’t weigh yourself regularly, you don’t know if or what progress you’re making. Finally, the third key is internal controls, from which areas for improvement always emerge.
Can it happen that the requirements of different certifications overlap, perhaps creating inefficiencies or burdening processes?
Actually, we can say the opposite: overlaps can work in our favor, and we try to find synergies between different certifications as much as possible. A typical case is, for example, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, which can be easily integrated because they both follow a common structure (the High-Level Structure) and, therefore, use the same basic principles. Additionally, it may happen that working to obtain a certification in one area helps in another context: for example, identifying well-defined, systematic, and standardized operating methods also promotes the adoption of safer practices and processes, reducing individual error margins. Sometimes we even conduct combined audits to optimize time and resources.
What complexities do you encounter when translating the requirements and standards of certifications into processes?
The greatest complexity is managing "change management" for people, especially when they have been used for years to performing certain tasks in specific ways that certifications ask them to modify. This process must be accompanied by adequate employee training and, often, by demonstrating that the new operating methods help them work better, more safely, and more efficiently. This change takes time, especially when introducing new digital technologies or new plants. At LATI, for the past couple of years, we’ve also launched a Lean Manufacturing project across all company areas to support this evolution: we asked those who work on the factory floor, the operational staff, and shift leaders, how they performed their tasks. By doing so, we managed to make their work more efficient and create standards. These standards have promoted safety, made us more efficient, and reduced our waste in terms of resources and costs. In parallel, the Lean Manufacturing project has fostered a change in mindset among people and motivated them to engage and be more effective in performing their duties.