Fimap France branch visiting the Italian headquarters
Fimap, long-time Italian manufacturer of industrial cleaning machines that exports to more than 80 countries worldwide, presented its new brand consolidation project for the French market in two intensive days on June 9 and 10. During 2021, Mr. Laurent Goretti, Director of Fimap France branch, and Mr. Lionel Poignant, Key Account Manager, brought to the attention of Fimap’s CEO Mr. Massimiliano Ruffo a selection of 34 partners that will represent the Italian company in France with 100% coverage. With 106 sellers and 82 technicians, the new network will form the Fimap Club, that will take care of providing products, services and support, to all French districts, guaranteeing to customers uniform standards of quality all over the country.
CHANGING PERSPECTIVE
At the meeting Fimap demonstrated how the solution to a cleaning problem can no longer rely on the mere sale of a machine.
In order to be comprehensive it should consist of several elements, taking into account the different complexities involved in a cleaning project. Over the years Fimap has built a solution that meets this kind of approach, investing in technology, digitization, completing the offer with software and services, and also providing its network with the key for its management. All of these elements, combined with the product, make a modular system that provides customers with the most suitable response to their specific needs. Fimap explained how to put the new proposal into practice and outlined the new role that partners will take on with customers, as a consultant able to analyse problems and develop a complex, customised offer. Understanding the potential of the tools and software that Fimap makes available to its network is essential to lead the customers’ needs towards an accurate and high quality solution, to recommend not just a machine, but a cleaning project. To manage this type of proposal, courses are provided through the FimapAcademy, presented during the meeting, which are available at any time on the online platform or can be carried out on demand and on site according to the partners' needs.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES
The target market is cleaning contractors which have to deal with complex cleaning projects. Requirements often include providing evidence of measures that reduce the environmental impact of cleaning activities.
Since Fimap has always invested in this issue, by developing technologies and devices to curb consumption, it now has a strong advantage, with integrated, digital solutions that allow to scientifically measure and reduce resource use and CO2 production. An advantage that led to the world’s first ISO 14067:2018 CFP - Carbon Footprint Systematic Approach certification for a range of scrubber dryers, the Performance line. It is an important strategic tool, achieved through a design style completely revolutionized to meet the principles of the circular economy. The latest generation products are designed to ensure a long life cycle, to be repairable and reconditionable, and able to constantly collect data, thanks to digitization and telemetry, so that performance and efficiency can be constantly improved. The data monitoring carried out by the FFM – Fimap Fleet Management system makes it possible to check the progress of cleaning operations, to verify that maintenance is carried out on a regular basis, that the functions used are consistent with the type of environment, in other words, that the machine is being used as intended, thus guaranteeing its performance over time and extending its life cycle. Among the collected data, the CO2 produced is also available, per machine and per operation, a figure that no one can provide today, but which is becoming increasingly valuable for accessing large contracts.
It is therefore clear how the digital transition goes along with the ecological transition, and how much the former can do for the latter. Fimap's activities in this regard not only involve the product, but also significantly affect all business choices. A demonstration of this is the new LOGISTICS CENTER, which is automated, efficient, built with the latest digital technology, designed to offer partners a fast and responsive service, with orders processed in 24 hours, and that at the same time is equipped with photovoltaic panels, which meet 70% of the plant's energy needs. The logistics centre allows Fimap to handle part of the shipments, thus optimizing transportation so as to further reduce the amount of CO2 produced. The company's commitment is to move towards climate neutrality with increasingly focused actions.
THE NEW PRODUCTS
The contents presented are actually what brings up the value of Fimap machines, whose quality is thoroughly verified all along the production line, as partners were able to see during the plant visit.
Step by step they were taken through the production process, and then accessed the showroom set up in the new LOGISTICS CENTRE where the entire range was on display: from scrubbers to sweepers, from the extensive line of dry and wet&dry vacuum cleaners, to single disc machines. A wide range, developed to provide targeted and effective solutions to any kind of requirements. Among the new products, it has been shown the collaborative robot CB-1, designed to help cleaning operators, and equipped with the most advanced safety systems and intelligent sensor technology. In a designated outdoor area, partners could see the exceptional features of the brand new GMG scrubber dryer and of its sweeping-scrubbing version, the GMG Combinata, the biggest machines of Fimap range. Designed for cleaning large areas in logistics centres, warehouses, parking lots, train stations, airports and shopping malls, both machines were tested before partners in their ability to work at a speed of 9 km/h, which results in a 30% increase in productivity compared to competing machines, and in their power to clean ramps up to 20% slopes at full load. Also the technological contents made an impression, from the on-board computer accessible from the 9-inch display, to the 9 work programs that foster easy and intuitive interaction, as well as virtually error-free operation, and the integration of video tutorials for self-learning. This is a type of design that integrates technology and digitization to provide the operator with all the possible help to perform the task effectively, while simultaneously providing the customer with the key to carry out a continuous improvement in the performance and environmental efficiency of the cleaning project, with measurable results and real data always available.
The partners proved to be excited and motivated to implement the new business proposal. The meeting provided the necessary boost for the development of new projects and new opportunities that will consolidate the network as a present, solid and reliable reference for the French market.
