Automation leads to innovation at
Italian furniture company PEDRALI,
where the founder’s son is bent
on future-proofing his family’s legacy.
Words
FLOOR KUITERTPortrait
ANTONIO CAMPANELLASelf-Operator
What are the main challenges a com-
pany like Pedrali faces today? GIUSEPPE
PEDRALI: Contemporary society subjects
us to a continuous flow of products and
makes us believe we can’t do without
them. A successful object is one that can
inspire an emotion, convey a meaning, and
therefore give character to multisensory
environments. It has the potential to give
occupants memorable experiences. To
create high-performing and sustainable
products that do just that, we invest in
technology and innovation at Pedrali.
You developed a fully automated warehouse.
What consumer and market needs sparked
that idea? We’ve grown considerably in
recent years and needed to expand our ware-
house space. By developing the new ware-
houses vertically and equipping them with
the latest-generation automated technologies,
we optimized the use of space. Our main
goal was to meet our clients’ needs, thereby
improving the customer experience. The
uninterrupted activity of our five transloe-
levators – stacker cranes capable of moving
horizontally and vertically – guarantees bet-
ter precision by excluding human error. This
has a positive impact on our schedules: the
new automated warehouse allows us to store
around 17,000 pallets within a surface area
five times smaller than that of a traditional
warehouse, with greater speed in production
and delivery times.
What future developments did you keep
in mind when defining the role of the new
warehouse? The automated warehouse is the
result of a precise analysis of recent product
movement, and its dimensions were defined
according to our growth prospects for the
next few years. It’s been a major investment
that gives us more space to stock products
while also helping us to achieve greater
efficiency in the manufacture of products
on commission. We are now able to offer
our clients a better service and to respect
the strictest deadlines for contract projects.Media sources report that robots are likely
to replace half of all jobs over the next 20
years. How can you introduce automa-
tion and still create new jobs? The new
warehouse allows us to free up space inside
our manufacturing plant, where we can
install new machinery and thus create new
jobs. The system of interconnected robots
has relieved workers from the more tiring,
repetitive, manual activities, allowing them to
concentrate on and specialize in more skilled
activities. In our opinion, modern companies
should always focus on the individual, and
automation supports this idea.
Another of our goals is product cus-
tomization, which requires complex man-
agement. It provides the Italian manufactur-
ing sector with an important opportunity
for renewal, however, especially when
you consider the prospects for the next
20 years. The sector that covers furniture
and design must respond to increasingly
elaborate market needs. And it’s precisely
within this context that specialization leads
to greater professionalism.Do changes in the way we live and work
inform your furniture collections? Yes.
The use of space has changed drastically,
and furniture should follow suit. The
workplace has become a space for social
interaction, and public spaces are becom-
ing experiential, as are restaurants. Diners
are looking for a sensory experience that
not only involves wine and food but also
moves them emotionally. Furniture is an
essential part of the picture. It can give
meaning to such spaces, not just because of
its form but also, and above all, because of
its characteristics: the comfort of chairs, the
softness of textile coverings, the surfaces of
tables. All these elements contribute to the
creation of situations and atmospheres that
can ensure better performance. It would be
simplistic to think that certain products are
designed for just one sector. It’s much more
stimulating to envisage the same product in
a boutique hotel, at a top university or in a
restaurant. Today’s products are conceived
to fit fluidly into all sorts of spaces, but
wherever you find them, it’s easy to discern
the brand’s identity.In managing your burgeoning produc-
tion, how do you guard and ensure the
quality of your products? Every product
that bears the Pedrali brand is made at our
facility. Our ‘Made in Pedrali’ philosophy
incorporates a promise to our clients: all
stages of the manufacturing cycle – from
sourcing raw materials and industrializing
the product to its manufacture and delivery- are done internally, with total respect for
the environment and in line with the most
progressive ‘green’ policies. ●
pedrali.it/en
PEDRALI X FRAME 69