Alstom to contract 100 people in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda starting in September

Barcelona (CNA).- One hundred more people are to be hired by Alstom, a French developer and marketer of systems, equipment and services for the railway sector, after many years of not contracting anyone new. This will take place at the Santa Perpètua de Mogoda plant (in the Vallès Occidental area, next to Barcelona) from September 2016 until the end of the year. These posts will be added to the already existing 550 direct employees and 250 indirect jobs. The President of Alstom Spain, Antonio Moreno, explained how another novelty will be a park for suppliers to gather and work together, which will span 30,000 square metres and will function in integrating the suppliers into Alstom’s processes, thereby making them more streamlined. Moreno noted that workload has increased post-crisis and that work is guaranteed for the next two years. The company is currently working on systems in countries such as Australia, Qatar, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Algeria. Alstom is also looking to digitalise itself more and by 2017 be utilising tools such as tablets and virtual reality to enhance its production.

Alstom, a French developer and marketer of systems, equipment and services for the railway sector, is to create contracts for one hundred more people. The new employees will be done for the Santa Perpètua de Mogoda plant (in the Vallès Occidental area, next to Barcelona) from September 2016 until the end of the year. The President of Alstom Spain, Antonio Moreno, explained that these are the first contracts made since at least six years ago, and will be made gradually, depending on the progress of projects. Profiles will be hired for everything from technicians to workers, with the aforementioned accruing the most new contracts. Currently, the plant has 550 direct employees and 250 indirect jobs. Furthermore, Moreno announced that it will create a park for suppliers by providing up to 30,000 square metres in which to integrate suppliers into their processes and help them become streamlined.

Moreno presented the situation and the future projects of the Alstom plant in Santa Perpètua on Thursday. The president of the Spanish sector of the group has specified that, in September, they will begin to create the hundred contracts that were announced earlier in 2016. Between 2014 and the beginning of this year, the company had a temporary Employment Regulation File to reduce its staff but cancelled it after getting new clients.   

The president detailed that “after (some) difficult years”, workload has increased and is guaranteed for the next two years. It is expected to end the year at 100% of installed production, with the last departments to finish being launched in the latter part of the process.

Currently, the plant is working on projects such as tram systems in places such as Ouarla, Mostaganem and Setif (in Algeria), Lusail (Qatar), and Sydney (Australia). It is additionally working on the Metro systems in Guadalajara (Mexico), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), and Panama City. Currently, the workload dedicated to export is 95%, stated Moreno, adding that the ideal would be to find a balance where half of the workload was domestic and half was international.

In this regard, he noted that the new Renfe contract for the purchase of new high-speed trains would be an opportunity to get 25% of the national workload. Alstom submitted its bid in late July.. Moreno said that if an agreement is reached they might be hiring an additional hundred people.

A park for suppliers

During the meeting with the press, Moreno also announced the promotion of a project which will create a park for suppliers. The company will provide suppliers up to 30,000 square metres adjacent to the premises of the factory in Santa Perpetua, so that different suppliers can install themselves there. He added that it is not necessary that said suppliers work exclusively with Alstom, and also opened the door to the creation of new companies that may want to install themselves there, as well. Moreno said that this could also lead to the creation of new jobs.

The main idea of this park is for suppliers to integrate themselves into the production chain, so as to achieve a streamlined process, to develop joint innovations, and to grow together. Moreno explained that there have been six companies that have been interested in this suppliers’ park. This park can accommodate up to 200 workers.

Digitalisation

Moreover, one of the main projects that the Santa Perpètua plant is looking forward to in 2017 is still a digitalisation process to make it the first 4.0 sector factory in Spain. Within this project, it will continue to expand the use of three-dimensional printing that allows less time for development and production, and greater efficiency in industrial processes.

Also introduced will be the use of augmented reality and simulation, for example suits that register movement will help scan the movement of passengers, drivers and operators so as to be more precise in the development of trains. Virtual reality also allows the creation of multiple scenarios and simulation of situations in which drivers or passengers may find themselves, and the ability to design a product according to this information. The project is also contemplating the use of robots.

As for the workers, one of the biggest changes will be the introduction of a new system called ‘Manufacturing Execution System’ that will bring together all the information and production processes. The big news is that the workers “will stop working on paper” and will begin to do so with tablets, where they will find all the information they need about the production processes, among other things. Due to this, there will also be a necessity for a retraining process, so that all of them are trained to use these new tools.

Moreno detailed that this system is already in use in the maintenance department, and stressed that thanks to this improved productivity was achieved (5% more). Therefore, he said the idea of extending it to the rest of the factory aims to improve by at least 5% that which has already been achieved by maintenance.

All the information and analysis processes is available in the cloud, through which they can share information with other plants, and streamline all processes. Additionally, it will facilitate online or shared work. It will also be possible to implement remote monitoring, as trains send information to this shared network through various sensors.

Moreno said that this whole scanning process should allow them to change the company’s structure from vertical hierarchy “to a more horizontal structure”, where decisions are not only taken by leaders, but all workers participate in decision-making and innovation. 

The ultimate goal is to turn the plant in Santa Perpètua into a reference group for both the domestic market and the world.