Exclusive Interview with Manuel Cortizo, Bobst Region Service Director for Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Caucasus region
Recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities in the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, and the Caucasus region (AFMETC), BOBST has strategically enhanced its technical service capabilities to offer efficientcustomer experiences. This commitment is underpinned by the establishment of a dedicated technical service team, aimed at addressing the specific needs of customers through tailored installations, services, and upgrades. Amidst a landscape of geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties, BOBST’s proactive approach not only signifies its adaptability but also its dedication to fostering sustainable growth and innovation within the industry. To delve deeper into this strategic initiative, we spoke with Manuel Cortizo, Region Service Director for AFMETC, who shared insights into the evolving market dynamics, the importance of customer service excellence, and the impact of digital transformation in shaping the future of packaging.
How has the market changed over the past few years?
The packaging industry is constantly growing but also changing as brand owners push for new ways to communicate their identity using their packaging lines. At the same time, we are facing a difficult geopolitical situation. War and conflicts are a global concern at the moment, one that is particularly acute in the AFMETC region. It means there is a lack of stability in many economies around the world, so innovation and creativity are key to success.
How have BOBST’s service priorities been adjusted in the AFMETC region?
One of the most important things to remember about this region is that it is very diverse – each country has its own unique needs. We have grown strongly in this region as our priority is always to align with the needs of each customer while maintaining the consistent processes within our organisation that ensure our customers get the level of service they expect from BOBST. We are already developing several programmes to further improve all aspects of our service.
Why establish a dedicated service team for installations, upgrades, and services?
This team helps us optimise our internal processes across the region, which helps us achieve rapid go-to-market for our customers. Having a dedicated service team across the product lines will help us to efficiently organise manpower, reduce lead times, and improve business operations for all of us to better serve and support our customers. As I have already said, it is not always easy due to the diversity of the region, but we are confident we are now set up for further success.
How does this team support BOBST’s vision for the packaging industry in the region?
Digitalization, automation, and sustainability can definitively help to deliver great solutions and excellent service to our customers – and our customers’ customers. By developing relationships built on trust, respect, passion and performance, we have the recipe for success. And, as much as the AFMETC region has its own unique needs, this is a statement that can be applied to every region and country in the world.
In an increasingly digital world, a cloud-based solution is key to future-proof as much as we can in terms of solutions, service, and performance. This grants our customers peace of mind, as they know that we will constantly keep an eye on the solutions they acquired from us in case we can further improve performance or make their operations more cost-effective.
Our proactive approach to things like machine servicing helps to make the downstream value chain happy – and therefore, to make our customers happy, too. Again, it’s a win-win-win. We want to offer best-in-class solutions focused on what will help the customer reach their goals. And, ultimately, we want more than just a commodity – we want to deliver value.
What advantages do customers experience with this dedicated technical service team?
Being close to the customers in the region means we can be more agile and flexible when trying to support their needs. We believe in being a partner our customers can rely on, making our relationship more than just a transactional one. It’s a win-win-win – the customer wins, we win, and, most importantly, the project wins.
This approach means we can work more closely with our customers to develop new solutions that they can then offer to their customers. This helps our customers be more proactive. Our customers, together with our support team, have the potential to change the market by offering game-changing solutions to brands and retailers. On our side, we need to learn from the creativity and innovation shown by our customers to help us to adapt ourselves.
