We caught up with Dietmar Murr, our new Project Manager for the German, Austrian and Swiss-German markets, with whom we spoke about his match with Solema, his 20 years of experience in the industry and the prospects related to his geographical areas of expertise
Business development in German-speaking countries has always played a key role for Solema. Therefore, about a year ago, we decided to expand our sales network for the German, Austrian and Swiss-German markets with the arrival of Dietmar Murr, with 20 years of experience in the bookbinding industry under his belt. Dietmar in Solema holds the position of Project Manager for the above-mentioned markets.
We recently met him at our offices in Pedrengo and asked him a few questions about his professional background and experience.
Hi Dietmar, tell us a little about yourself: your studies, your approach to the working world and how you met Solema.
After finishing high school, I graduated in 1993 in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences.
Before graduation, I started working as a toolmaker, learning how to produce metal parts and how to build machines, even before computerized machines came along.
The second experience was in a mechanical design company where I worked as an engineer and was personally involved in project management and installation.
In 2000 I joined VBF Buchtechnologie where I worked first as a mechanical designer and then as a project manager for the layout department.
At that time, I had my first contacts with Solema for a partnership project in 2004 related to the realization of a Hard Cover production line for an American customer.
VBF (then Müller Martini) did not have a whole line of machines to offer customers, so they relied on Solema to speed up automation processes. This was also the beginning of the cooperation between Müller Martini and Solema.
And after this experience, you became a project manager for Solema to support sales. Tell us how it went.
During my time at Müller Martini, there were frequent contacts with Solema, which has always been a flexible and reliable partner for us, supplying conveyors, cooling towers and palletizers for all our projects. This gave me a good understanding of Solema working model and philosophy, as well as a good knowledge of the full range of products offered.
Last year, after exactly 20 years of work, I thought it was time to make changes my professional life. I asked Luca Parsani, CEO of Solema, if a figure like mine could be needed in Solema for project managing and in sales support for German-speaking countries.
We met in Munich at CCE, the corrugated board industry trade fair and came to an agreement to start a collaboration, working from Germany and starting from June 2022. There was an immediate good feeling with Luca that led us to define roles and competencies together and how I would relate remotely to my new colleagues.
At the beginning of your experience, you were involved in mechanical design: why did you then choose to become a project manager?
I chose to become a project manager because it is a role that has always fascinated me for its versatility as you can do always different things while facing new experiences and testing different technologies.
By doing this role, you also deal with people from different cultures, and all this is a stimulus for me to improve and look for new solutions to propose to the customer.
I also like the mixture that is created between the technical and the commercial side, which leads you to make the direct contact with the client more complete.
Does the technical aspect or the emotional aspect matter more in your area of expertise?
I would say you need the right mix of the two factors. The technical aspect is critical because it helps you create a good cost-benefit ratio for an individual project. Usually, what may seem like the technically best solution is not always also the most cost-effective, and often the key is to find a simple technical solution to a complex problem.
But the emotional aspect also matters. While it is true that with technique we always arrive at a good solution, we also need to use the right language to sell solution to customers. Sometimes interpersonal problems arise between company and customer and to overcome them you need the right amount of emotion. You need to be able to explain well to the customer what technology is behind each machine and the complex system with which they are designed and made.
Because of your characteristics, you represent for Solema the professional figure in perfect harmony with your German colleague Harry Marian. Is that so?
Yes, I think me and Harry (whom we had already
interviewed a few months ago, Ed.) complement each other. In the projects we develop together for Solema, he is the expert in the binding processes, the business side and the relationship with customer; on the other hand, I add my expertise in the management of the technical and engineering aspects of the projects.
I believe that there are no fixed boundaries in the division of our work, I would say that between Harry and me there is a lot of flexibility, and this allows us to freely roam in our own area of expertise. The mixture of our two professionals is therefore an additional strategic weapon for Solema.
What advice would you give to a young person who wants to pursue a career like yours?
A technical education is for sure a starting point and, together with a good knowledge of written and spoken English, they provide the know-how needed to enter this profession.
One piece of advice I always give to young people is to be open to take on new tasks and duties, and to have a strong interest in new technologies, such as IOT, Internet of Things, a topic in the technological development that is gaining momentum.
Finally, in the relationship with customers, I suggest being always present and proactive in case of any need. Then if you have psychological skills for understanding problems, everything will succeed more easily.
Sticking with the same theme, do you think it is important to know languages to juggle in our field?
As I said before, knowing English is essential, because it is the international standard and is a must for any project manager. If you also know other languages for sure it would be better, but it’s not mandatory.
I also highly recommend some formative study or work experience abroad, because they help to know and respect other cultures. I'm thinking of Arabic-speaking countries, which requires a proper code of behavior and the greatest respect to their rules.
And how is it going for you with Italian?
Not too bad, let's say I'm getting by. My knowledge of Italian allows me to experience your country as if I was a perfect tourist on vacation, so I can go to restaurants and order food and drinks without suffering from hunger and thirst... Joking aside, my Italian allows me to converse calmly with my colleagues while in Pedrengo about managing any project.
In your opinion, what are Solema strengths that can make a difference?
Solema main strengths are its great customer orientation, a high degree of flexibility and high motivation of the people working in the company.
And then the company willingness to always confront new technologies such as robotics, an evolving discipline that is increasingly in demand in the graphic arts and paperboard industry.
A skill I have always seen in Solema is also the ability to propose a personalized solution for each customer. I think it represents the company mission that allows us to be recognized worldwide as the leader in our industry.
A customer can always find the thorough solution they are looking for. This feature is the result of years of experience working in contact with the customer, made up of periodic field visits to follow the entire project cycle, from the mechanical parts to the electrical diagram, setting the machines to sophisticated testing, aware that 85% of the mechanical parts are produced in-house and are therefore strictly under control.
It is not just a matter of selling individual machines, but of selling integrated automated systems.
What prospects do you foresee for Solema in your geographical areas?
In German-speaking countries, Solema is experiencing a strong growth and we are working together to further spread awareness of Solema in German-speaking countries such as Switzerland and Austria. We have noticed over the past year a particular appreciation of the possibility of having a contact person who speaks their own language among German customers.
We are engaged in the development and improvement of internal and external workflow processes for bookbinders, while the paperboard industry is new to me, and I am working hard to understand its potential and solutions to propose to customers.
I believe that Solema has all the credentials to increase and improve and develop its Paperboard machines, making them even better performing in all aspects.
Another area that could lead to interesting future developments is IOT, Internet of Things, especially regarding automation processes.
For more information about Solema write to info@solema.it or call +39 035 654111.