Heavy industry for years held a special position in, oriented exclusively on production, economies of countries in the Soviet area of influence.
After the fall of communism, we have eventually learned, how the implementation of Marx’s and Lenin’s theories influenced practical economic solutions, and how negatively they affected public finances. Nonviable economically, technologically backwarded enterprises – mines, foundries, and other factories had to be restructured, privatized, and some of them even closed. This process, although it was the cause of many disappointments of certain occupational groups, was an essential starting point for the construction of the new economy, built this time on healthy principles, and also became an opportunity for companies, which had the skills to locate the appropriate market niches in the undeveloped areas of heavy industry. One of the organizations, which has used such an opportunity very well, became Bumech S.A. with headquarters in Chorzów – a specialist in the field of machine repairs.
Presentation of the company
JJoint Stock Company Bumech was established in 2009, making its debut on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in the same year. It was an effect of transformation of Bumech Sp. z o.o., which had already enjoyed respect of Customers and experts, thanks to several years of work in the machine industry. Bumech gradually expanded scope of lots activities, starting from 2002, when the company began activity in the field of machine repairs. In 2007 the organization was already involved in drilling underground cavities, and production of industrial facilities and specialist equipment for other industries. Nowadays Bumech S.A. is one of the major manufacturers and contractors operating on the Polish market in various fields of business activity associated with the development of modern heavy industry. Currently, the company’s area of interest is very broad and includes, inter alia, providing comprehensive services for the maintenance, renovating mining machines and equipment, but also manufacturing of industrial facilities and spare parts. Sustainable development of the company also entails broadening the range of activities, which in turn results in the expansion into new markets. In 2007 the share of foreign contracts in the overall structure of sales was 7%, and growing. We may then conclude that the company develops properly, so let’s analyse specific solutions implemented by the company to find out the reasons for the success of the organization from Chorzów, which, during several years of its activity, managed to increase the employment nearly twentyfold.
Pillars of success
Good or bad situation of every organization depends on the efficiency of people employed in it. Therefore Bumech S.A. makes every effort to ensure that the company’s Employees are provided with the best working conditions both in relation to the standards of financial security and social welfare. Furthermore, it is worth noting that Bumech S.A. employs over two hundred Employees, with more then half performing hard and very demanding duties in mines, which means that the safety procedures must be many times more severe then in other, not so extreme environments. The smallest human or equipment error can cause damage to health and even life. Hence, a special approach to the management of personnel, which has to be carefully selected, well trained and perfectly equipped to perform its duties. Managers in the organization also thoroughly plan professional path of each Employee, so he can be satisfied with his work, and pass invaluable experience to younger workers. A blend of youthful energy and creativity with years of experience and practical knowledge creates a great team of Employees, functioning at every level of the organizational structure of the company. In the specific and very demanding machine industry, the priority in the activity of any company working in on of the industry’s sector, is to maintain the highest quality of specialized equipment. Bumech S.A. boasts a technologically advanced fleet of machines, which state is a matter of concern of professional technical – engineering staff in the organization. Bumech is both service provider and manufacturer of mining machinery and equipment, developing cooperation with other branches of heavy industry, such as sugar industry, ore mining etc. In this situation, the equipment used by the company, including that manufactured by Bumech itself, such as roadheaders, must meet the highest standards of quality and functionality. In the highly competitive sector, this factor is a “must be”, and since achieving full Customer satisfaction is a key objective of any enterprise, concern for the perfect state of machines and equipment is Bumech’s absolute priority. The highest quality of specialized equipment and well trained staff is not all that the company can be proud of. Bumech S.A. also implemented specific approach procedures for each contract. Distinctive features of the company in the area of keeping in touch with the Customers are primarily efficiency, professionalism, flexibility and individual adjustment of the conditions of implementation of each contract, depending on individual preferences. Taking into account also a wide and diverse range of the company’s activity, we may draw a conclusion that the solutions in this area are characterized by the highest quality for the most demanding standards and requirements submitted by the organization’s institutional Customers. Bumech S.A. is one of those, not so many yet, Polish companies, which have reached highest level of business acumen. This level is characterised by three essential features that can be applied to Bumech’s state. Firstly, such a company is well aware of the decreasing importance of the balance of profit and loss as a determinant of market viability of the company and adopts a broader criterion, which is the value of the company alone, to determine the company’s competitive position, taking into account not only the financial aspect of activity, but also social, ethical and other issues. Secondly, an aware organization realizes and appreciates the increasing role of activity associated with the CSR and green policy, necessary to meet the requirements of a modern Customer, whose awareness over time also enriches in the area of imagining himself the standards that have to be met by any product or service, which is to bring a feeling of consumer satisfaction. Thirdly, the issue of quality management in an aware organization grows to the rank of one of the most important elements of the functioning of a modern enterprise, regardless of the industry, in which it operates. Expression of this awareness for the detailed solutions in the company from Chorzów is, among others, implementation of the Quality Management System, including successfully recertified in 2009 document complying with the latest PN-EN ISO 9001:2009 standard for virtually all actions performed by the company in the area of production and service, as well as the preparatory work to implement the Environmental Management System and its subsequent integration with already functioning Quality Management System. These activities are the best example, showing the company’s hierarchy of strategic objectives.
Prizes and awards
Bumech S.A. has been honored with many prizes, among which the company’s Employees especially appreciate this year’s “Diamenty Forbesa”, granted to the companies, which between the years 2006 – 2008 most rapidly increased their value. Furthermore, Bumech S.A. is also a winner of “Gazele Biznesu” - the title awarded by the prestigious magazine “Puls Biznesu” to the most dynamically developing companies operating in our country.
Summary
Visible consistency in the activities of Bumech S.A., a comprehensive plan of development of the company and clearly defined objectives, particularly in relation to the company’s growing expansion on foreign markets and in the improvement of already existing procedures related to CSR and environmental protection: all of these factors allow to predict very good situation of the company in the future. Poles have always been proud of their resourcefulness. The situation of Polish companies in the past several years, particularly in relation to the increasing role of the Warsaw Stock Exchange in the region, has improved, also thanks to companies like Bumech, which is an organization that is seen as one of the swallows that brings the spring to the Polish business.
Written by Jacek Głowacki
