Interview to Biosystems

Esther Tremosa and Alegría Vicente (Biosystems): "The service and the personal treatment of Tecnicarton are above the standard"

The services that Tecnicarton offers to companies transcend the industrial and agrifood sector. An example of this is the work that is done for a leading company in clinical diagnosis such as Biosystems.

To know more about the relationship between both companies and how Tecnicarton brings its knowledge in packaging, we have interviewed Esther Tremosa, manager of the areas of Logistics and Purchasing of the company and Alegría Vicente, buyer-sender who manages the Packaging category . A two track interview that allows us to know more about the relationship between Tecnicarton and its customers.

Question: Esther and Alegria, thank you very much for answering the questions of DS Smith Tecnicarton. To begin, can you explain us what Biosystems is and what it is dedicated to:

Answer: BIOSYSTEMS is a company that designs, produces and sells systems for clinical and biological analysis, mostly. We are also working in an incipient way, but with a high annual growth, in the agri-food and veterinary sector. These systems are the set of instruments and reagents needed to perform such analyzes. We have a wide variety of devices for biochemical analysis and for food services. Biosystems is a company mainly committed to the health of people.

Question: What role do you play in the company? What are your functions?

Answer: In my case, according to Esther Tremosa, in Biosystems I am the Logistics and Purchasing Manager in the Instruments area. My role is to ensure the service to our "internal customers" and work actively so that there is an efficiency and balance between quality, service and costs of the materials we manage. And also this service must be performed according to the values ​​of our company. In this sense, at Biosystem we are committed to the pursuit of excellence, communication and teamwork, a sense of belonging to the company, initiative and responsibility and a constant attitude of customer service.

The Department of Logistics and Purchasing also participates in the containment of costs, in the search for quantitative or qualitative improvements so that Biosystems can maintain and improve profitability.

For my part - Alegría Vicente answers - I perform the functions of Buyer-Procurement, managing several categories of MMPP among which the management of packaging.

Question: Since when do you work with Tecnicarton and what made you select them as suppliers?

Answer: Esther: With Tecnicarton I have worked for many years since I met them in an earlier stage of work. I worked in a company in the automotive sector and they were already suppliers. Also at Biosystems they had been suppliers and since 2010 I started to interact with the company. For me it is a close collaboration, personalized in the figure of Alegría Vicente, who manages the packaging family.

Alegria: The advantage of Tecnicarton is that they are always available and with a very participative mood in the new applications and projects that we are going to consult. Our business contacts Jordi Dauder and Xavi Armenteros, are always very receptive to collaborate and reach an understanding in any situation.

Question: How important is packaging for your product type and its supply chains?

Answer: Esther: For our finished products ,we buy the packaging that goes to the client, so they are of paramount importance, both to ensure that our instruments arrive in perfect conditions from the functional point of view, as for our corporate image, from the point of view more aesthetic.

Question: Over the years, what solutions has Tecnicarton provided in terms of packaging for the different segments to which Biosystems distributes?

Answer: Alegria: The most outstanding in the global packaging  solution of reinforced cardboard and customization of the expanded polystyrene shock absorbers.

Question: When did you consider the need for a specific type of packaging for your products?

Answer: Esther: We have always needed customized solutions to adapt to our instruments, and it is one of the characteristics we value most in Tecnicarton. Their ability to adapt to the demands we have raised.

Question: What particularities differentiate the service and products of Tecnicarton from other suppliers of packaging?

Answer: Alegria: In the packaging sector there is a lot of competition and we know it. That is why we can say with total certainty that the service and the personal treatment of Tecnicarton is above the standard.

Question: What projects are you currently developing with Tecnicarton?

Answer: Esther: We are in the consultation phase of a project focused on the standardization and use of durable packaging for our semi-finished products for internal use, for the Kanban organization between our subcontractors, our warehouse and our production.

Question: How important is innovation in Biosystems' strategy?

Answer: Esther: It is of great importance because of the given product and service that we offer. We have a large team of researchers who work in the design and redesign so that our instruments work with maximum reliability. From the Logistics Department we participate in the improvement of the packaging to ensure the protection and quality of the components we buy from the suppliers. So, effectively, innovation is a fundamental part and we need our suppliers to join this strategy.

Question: How does Tecnicarton contribute to this innovation? What are the medium-long-term objectives and the role of Tecnicarton in this development?

Answer: Esther: As I said in the previous question, we need our suppliers to be aligned with our innovative strategy, and also help us with cost containment. So with Tecnicarton we work very closely. In the packaging projects Tecnicarton team participates with our R & D Department and collaborates with the initiatives of the Logistics Department in internal packaging applications and for standardization with our suppliers.