Italiano
Marco Chiaraluce – dynamic Head of Soema's purchasing office – takes us behind the scenes of the delicate choices of raw materials and suppliers. With a clear vision and a well-defined strategy, Chiaraluce reveals how the company maintains high standards of quality and innovation, despite the challenges of the market. From the importance of selecting suppliers to the careful management of resources such as energy and services, up to future plans to ensure competitiveness and sustainability, the interview offers a privileged look at internal dynamics and company ambitions.
Chiaraluce, can you describe what your daily tasks are as head of the purchasing office?
«My work is actually very different. I take care of forwarding orders to suppliers who have already purchased in order to find the raw materials and semi-finished products necessary for the production. Furthermore, I keep seraching for new suppliers who are better than the current ones in terms of quality and price. I deal with “all-round" purchases, therefore, not only of raw materials and semi-finished products but also of electricity, methane gas, telephony, car rental for business purposes, including the relationship with suppliers of product transport services".
What are the supplier selection guidelines?
«The quality standard of Soema products is very high and, consequently, that of the raw materials and semi-finished products we use must also be high. Our suppliers are chosen after a careful analysis. Only those that are able to supply high-level raw materials and semi-finished products in terms of the quality of the materials used and the excellence of the work carried out are pre-selected. After that, they are “tested" with sample supplies and among those that meet our parameters, those are chosen that, with equal quality, offer their products at the best possible price in the market".
How do you monitor the quality levels of the products you purchase?
«Soema is ISO certified. As a result, all materials we purchase are carefully analyzed by our Quality Assurance Department. For each type of product purchased, we draw up sheets with quality parameters that they must absolutely respect. Otherwise they are returned to the suppliers."
What are the most current market trends?
«Unfortunately, the well-known increases in supply costs that characterized the pre- and post-covid period are still having a negative impact on company competitiveness. The trend is starting to change and costs – still, however, very high – especially with regards to energy, are recording a slight contraction which, we hope, can be increasingly significant".
What are the strategic objectives for the near future?
«The markets in which we operate are multiple and each has its own critical issues and characteristics. Soema deeply believes in made in Italy and the suppliers are exclusively Italian, above all due to the high level of quality we require. Of course this involves purchasing costs, and therefore production, which tend to be higher than those of our main competitors.
In order to be competitive and improve company profitability, we focus on the following key points of our supply system:
- pursue the so-called “security of supply" as much as possible, trying to reduce the supplier risk for our strategic suppliers;
- improve the quality of the products and services offered by the various suppliers;
- reduction of total purchase costs;
- development of innovation".
