After an interesting prelude by Professor Filippo Rejna the previous evening, our 45-member batch of International Master in Industrial Management students had a brief idea as to what TENARIS Dalmine was about.
However, the company visit that gave us an in-depth insight about its structure and operations on various organizational levels was an experience that will remain unmatched by any words!
After over an hour’s journey from MIP Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business, we arrived at Tenaris Dalmine SPA, close to Bergamo, and were welcomed by the Eng. Eugenio Maffeis and made aware of the safety procedures to be followed when inside the premises. Once the group picture had been taken we were split into two groups, each having to alternate between two sections of the plant.
Focus on quality standards
The first group visited the production facilities and Eng. Eugenio was kind enough to explain in detail the whole process from the melting to the finished pipes and to answer all our questions patiently. He showed the group some finished products and also some defective ones to highlight the nuances involved in creating quality products.
The group was then allowed into the control room, which looked like a scene out of the Star Wars Death Star Spaceship, with screens monitoring split-second activity inside the fully automated plant. It was amazing to witness the full production cycle (yes, we saw molten iron too!).
Quality standards were explained to us and Tenaris’ ability to customize their products in accordance with customer requirements, while maintaining the highest level of standards.
The importance of sustainability
Since one of the themes of the visit to Tenaris Group was sustainability, we were also given an explanation of how the company follows strict procedures to ensure that the waste is disposed of better, the systems produce as little carbon as possible and also that the workers are trained that the quality of the products is much more important than anything else for the company.
We then had the chance to go to the company’s R&D department, where we were introduced to its various sections (Tribology, Numerical Simulation and Big Data) and were given a preview of what each department does.
The last leg of the visit involved us taking a tour of the Tenaris University, where we had a presentation on Tenaris Group’s commercial processes and sustainability goals.
It was impressive how such a big and global company is working towards incorporating sustainability into its core values in the future. We were then educated about the areas of possible careers at Tenaris and how we could become a part of the organization. Adding more cherries to the cake, we were invited for a sumptuous lunch buffet followed by a networking session.
From what started off as just a company visit for many of us, the Tenaris visit opened up avenues for us that we had not thought of!
