Yellow Papers / Iraupen Urma: Their experience in a Digital Transformation project with ieTeam

First of all, tell us what IRAUPEN does.

We are a company that imports special tools from technologically leading countries such as Switzerland or Germany, in very critical niches for high added value parts.

We are specialists in complex applications, such as reaming, honing or gouging.

We work hand in hand with technologically leading suppliers such as URMA, ECOROLL, MULLER or DÜMMEL:

- URMA (Switzerland) The leading authority in reaming, today with the innovative RX reaming system. Boring and anti-vibration bars.

- ECOROLL (Germany) Reference in honing and gouging tools.

- MULLER (Germany) Special carbide tools, application specific manufacturing.

- DÜMMEL (Germany) Specialists in micro-tools and grooving.

Before starting the Digital Transformation project, what did you understand by this concept?

Digital Transformation came to us as a fad, everyone was talking about it and we didn't really know what it meant or how it could affect our business model. We went to different companies that were already starting their Digital Transformation process through the implementation of different technological tools that added value to their business and we saw the need to start our own process in this direction. Therefore, we conceive Digital Transformation in our sector in this way, the development and integration of applications and technological tools that allow us to offer greater added value to our customers and also optimising internal processes. In short: to be more efficient and improve customer service, and thus improve our competitiveness in the market.

What was the main reason why you started the Digital Transformation process?

In an increasingly globalised and digitalised world, in which it is necessary to act faster and faster and make the right decisions much more quickly, we identified how the intelligent management of data and information, both internal to Iraupen and external to the market and our customers, would allow us to achieve a better positioning in the sector compared to the competition. The objective in our case was to be able to collect the data generated, so that, with this data, we could set strategies and improvements in a more accurate way, detecting with greater agility the different opportunities in the market: emerging sectors, growth prospects for our products, changes in demand, etc. Even with the aim of being able to carry out predictive analyses in the future.

The Digital Transformation at Iraupen, through the software we are designing and developing, will help us all to access real data and thus save study and decision-making time.

What would you highlight about the project you have developed with ieTeam?

We are a small company and we thought it was necessary to have a travelling companion to guide us along this path, to help us integrate the whole team in this project and to define everything we need to focus on what is really important and optimise our resources, especially with regard to the team, time and economic resources.

From ieTeam you have helped us to put on track all the Digital Transformation ideas we had in our heads, but we didn't know how to execute them. You have helped us to define the "How" to execute it in an optimal way and accelerate the digitalisation of our business: defining a Digital Transformation Roadmap, defining the key internal processes and how to integrate the new digital tools in our business, in our day-to-day work and in our team. In short, you helped us define what needed to be done and how to execute it.

Once completed, in what areas have you put it into practice and how has it helped you?

Digital Transformation is in full swing at Iraupen. Although we have always innovated and integrated all kinds of technological innovations into our products and processes, at a business and strategic management level we had not taken big steps so far. And now that we have started with this more ambitious project in the management and processing of data, in these first phases that have already been set in motion, we needed a travelling companion to accompany us in the next phases from now on, on this path that has only just begun.

Because Digital Transformation is something alive, that is mutating and changing, having an external partner to give us their vision is very important and very enriching for Iraupen.

What would you highlight as the main achievement or key result identified?

The integration of the team and internal management to the Digital Transformation process of Iraupen has been key. The current and future roles and functions have been identified, allowing us to trace a development in the team, enhancing the skills and abilities and having a vision of what Iraupen will need in the future, in relation to the digitisation of our business model.  

What difficulties have you identified along the way?

The greatest difficulty that we have perceived, taking into account the size of our company, has been the need for personnel resources necessary in this change, or more than change, in this constant evolution. Nothing is going to be the same as before, the Digital Transformation offers us many opportunities, but we have to know how to manage them well, and ieTeam has helped us to plan better in order to optimise scarce resources and focus on what is important, knowing that we are on the right track.

On the other hand, the frustration that this process can generate, not only at management level but also for the whole team. When you are in the early stages of the project, when you start to sketch out the first outlines of what you have in mind, it is relatively easy, but when you have to carry it out, the complexities begin and the digitisation processes become longer and longer, generating small frustrations with regard to its launch and implementation. They are long and complex processes, and this must always be kept in mind. In our case, as we are creating a totally new digital product, you are looking for the perfect tool that is never completely ready, because new needs always appear that were not considered at the beginning of the process and it ends up being a very long process. On that path it is crucial to have someone external to guide you to speed up and streamline it, but feeling confident about what you are creating. An intuitive, usable and understandable tool as a minimum viable product, and put it to work to keep learning and improving it with use. Having ieTeam around helps us to keep that frustration as low as possible.

Why would you encourage other industrial companies to define their Digital Transformation Plan?

I wouldn't say encourage them, but I would say that if they haven't started this process yet, they are already late. Digital Transformation can give you a huge competitive advantage, but if you are not there, you are simply out of the market. What is essential in our case is to have a partner who has experience in digitising other companies, who brings new visions that you don't have, who helps you to get closer to the vision of the market, who helps you to manage human and economic resources and to manage expectations. This all adds up to our vision and you have the peace of mind that you are creating something powerful, real and usable.