GIORGIO LODI President and CEO , Performance in Lighting
1 . The Covid emergency has hit our company hard , as our headquarters are based in Verona and Bergamo , two very risky areas during both lockdowns . Nonetheless , I am particularly proud of the response we had from all of our staff , who , at every level , did not shy away from finding and implementing creative and innovative solutions to get back to work and to continue working in the following months . Smart working revealed itself to be a fundamental tool , which has become now an established reality and which we will certainly continue to use in the years to come . The same can be said for the new technologies that have allowed us to restore contact between our employees and between the various companies in the group , thus reducing the travel between the locations , which was the order of the day for us , to a minimum . Truly , we have entered a new era , the one of the “ dematerialised ” company , more similar to the model that has been already in place for years in the United States , where , apart from manufacturing and logistics , almost all the other company functions work completely or in part remotely . In the next few years , we will see if this change will really accompany us for the future , but surely 2020 was under the banner of Digitalisation for us . It was also the year of awareness raising in the company on the issue of sustainability , with a project that allowed us to identify the corporate values related to the UN SDGs , our strategic plan and our code of ethics . The pandemic has made us reconsider the values on which we base our daily actions towards our employees , but also towards our customers and suppliers , starting to pay more attention to the ethical , cultural and sustainable aspect , and undoubtedly also to our production process . 2 . Decidedly , you would need a crystal ball to answer this question . The emergency situation has led us to develop “ flexible plans that can be modified as we go along .” At the moment we are expecting a year of turnover recovery and improved results , but further lockdowns cannot be ruled out a priori , so we have prepared alternative solutions to be implemented in the event of a resurgence of the virus . However , the feeling is that , if the situation remains “ under control ”, the desire for recovery is very strong and will favour the resumption of work . To date , however , we see that the sectors of sports , and industrial and architectural projects are in good shape and holding up well , if not in some cases even recovering , in many countries of the PiL world . We have an optimistic mindset . 3 . For sure , the IoT topic is a predominant one , and the luminaires , both in simple application areas and in complex projects , require and must now offer the possibility of smart control . We are also focusing a lot on architectural and professional lighting for large-scale projects , because we believe there is still room for growth in the markets where we are present . Last but not least , there is the urban lighting sector , which is always a strategic area for us . 4 . Unfortunately , it is a reality . The impoverishment of our country ’ s economy has led to lower budgets in our sector . This happens in every area . Sadly , in the absence of economic resources it is very difficult to be able to offer innovations and technologically advanced products . However , we believe that we can still make an excellent and aesthetically attractive product at a fair cost and , based on this assumption , we continue to review , expand and update our range . The world is full of examples of products in many sectors where creativity has allowed to create a technologically advanced product , with a beautiful design and at stunning prices . The important thing is to know how to select the essential functions of a product and to be able to develop them in the best possible way and to the best of your abilities . For me , an example above all is still represented by the Swatch collection of simple and streamlined watches , cutting-edge products and with a unique design . Our Guell floodlight series has embodied these assumptions in our industry . And it was not the only one . 5 . We are convinced that this relationship must be a relationship of trust , almost as much as the one that binds a person to his trusted accountant . Needless to say how complex the work of a lighting designer has become , who today cannot fail to be perfectly up to date on regulations , technologies , products , solutions and so on in this sector . It must be us , the manufacturers , to intervene ensuring , with our expertise and with that confidence that our products should inspire , the proper development and completion of the project . This is why we are increasingly making our in-house design departments available as a support to the actual design , or even just as a moment of comparison and analysis of the project .
CRISTINA VITTORI FAE & Product Management , Schréder
1 . The Schréder Group had a prompt response and a resilient attitude towards what happened in 2020 . The requirement to work from home has only speeded up the digitalisation process the company already had in place , and the Marketing and Communications Team worked on the front line to accelerate the digital transition , to reinvent new ways of connecting with customers and even to support sales differently , and finally to replace the events , training courses , and face-to-face meetings with customers with digital initiatives . It has been a very challenging and busy year , but we have seen the birth of amazing initiatives in many of the Group ’ s branch offices , like the Digital City virtual exhibition space to replace the Salon des Maires in France , digital campaigns on new products , of course online training courses , workshops , events and webinars , not to speak of the increase in social media interaction and much more ... We were agile and creative ! Schréder takes the concepts of sustainability and circular economy very seriously . In addition to the implementation of state-of-the-art production lines , we have also increased our digitalisation , which has enabled us to achieve the goals set in previous years more quickly . We are also planning to launch a number of business management platforms that will allow us to support our sales force everywhere , thus increasing productivity and customer relations . 2 . For the Schréder Group , the market is definitely growing , thanks also to its geographical expansion . We are confident that the Italian market will not suffer any contraction and that our presence will be strengthened , thanks to the various innovations we are introducing and the comprehensive service we continue to offer . We expect to launch new and sustainable products in the Urban & Deco and Smart Innovation sectors . 3 . Innovation and sustainability are at the heart of our vision . Schréder plays a key role in driving standardisation with associations and partners such as uCIFI , TalQ or Zhaga . Our common commitment is to provide solutions designed for vertical and horizontal IoT integration ; the complete Schréder Exedra system that we will launch this year is based on shared and open technologies . Schréder Exedra is a plug-andplay solution that enables the quick and easy deployment of a connected lighting network . All new luminaires will be affected by this innovation , and the system will be enhanced by the introduction of the Smart Label , which will be launched in 2020 . It is a product label that allows installers and city managers to retrieve all key information about the luminaires on any digital device , whether fixed or mobile . We then focus on ease of installation and maintenance , as well as on flexibility , not only in terms of quantity , and therefore of the level of luminous flux emitted , but also in terms of colour of the light . For example , one of our outdoor systems allows you to dynamically adjust the colour temperature , from 4,000K to 2,200K , to minimize the impact on flora and fauna at night . 4 . Yes , we can definitely confirm that margins have been shrinking more and more in recent years . The Italian market is one of the most complex ones , due to the variety of interlocutors and the number of competitors . The presence of competitively priced products from Asian markets , combined with the dynamics generated by the adoption of economies of scale , has meant that in recent years producers have had to constantly reduce prices in order to remain competitive , sometimes at the expense of innovation . 5 . The role of the lighting designer is central in order to evaluate and propose all the innovations that the world of smart lighting is continuing to introduce . We can make our technical and photometric know-how available to ensure excellent results , and in compliance with the lighting standards and sustainability , whether the designer needs to choose the most suitable product from the catalogue or develop a customised solution .
Shuffle di Schréder , palo super tecnologico progettato con sistemi IoT integrati / Shuffle by Schréder , high-tech pole designed with integrated IoT systems
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