From one operator to another: Learning across Business Areas
At Hydro, we put our people at the center of everything we do. We believe that empowering our people to unlock their full potential is the best way to grow as an organization. With our global reach and local presence, we have a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge across borders and business areas.
Earlier this month two operators from the Azuqueca recycling plant in Aluminium Metal joined the Navarra Extrusions team as part of a cross business area exchange. The week after, the roles reversed and Azuqueca was the host company for two of Navarra's operators. The aim: learning from each other and peer-to-peer exchange.
“This exchange across Business Areas offers employees the opportunity to work in other units within Hydro, developing a broader perspective of Hydro as a company and our operations while enhancing operational excellence through peer-to-peer exchange. We need to make use of our internal knowledge much more. This will hopefully act as inspiration for more exchanges in the future,” says Ingrid Guddal, Head of Recycling in Aluminium Metal.
Loading Operator, David Paz, and Shift Operator, Vasile Mailat, experienced colleagues from Azuqueca, were integrated into the team of the recycling unit of Navarra on the first week. They joined the casthouse team led by Mario Chueca.
“This exchange is valuable for both plants. Having David and Vasile on our team for a few days gave us new perspectives on the way we work and how we can continue to improve our operations,” says Mario.
“We were particularly interested in the new machinery that was installed in Navarra, after the casthouse expansion project a couple of years ago,” Vasile explains. “We have had the opportunity to load furnaces, skim them and we have been able to see the batch type homogenizing furnaces in operation. It was an enriching experience for us.”
The week after, Yuriel Mogena and Borja Sangüesa, both Loading and Casting Operators at Navarra, took part in the daily operations at Azuqueca.
“I was inspired by the efforts made in Azuqueca to improve safety at their plant and the number of people per shift, this allows them to increase production,” says Yuriel.
Also at Azuqueca, the operators followed the casthouse operations from A to Z, transferring and shoveling the broth, to the casting, checking and strapping of the billets. They noted that the cutting and homogenization process is executed differently from what they are used to.
“These exchanges give you the opportunity to see beyond your daily operations and how things can be done differently, I highly recommend it. It is good to come out of your comfort zone,” reflects Borja Sangüesa.
“We are very proud of these exchanges and especially of the interest it sparks among our employees. This shows that we have colleagues who are eager to learn, able to think outside the box and willing to go the extra mile to gain new skills. We have been doing this for years now and I hope to see many of these exchanges in the future,” says Bruno D'hondt, Senior Vice President Extrusion Europe.