Fiamma

Investing in the product, service and internal processes

Fiamma has been working on continual product renewal for years with a focus also on internal dynamics. Marco Raimondi, the General Manager of the time-honoured global RV brand, explained that this process is urgent now more than ever and decisive to tackle the new market challenges

Words Enrico Bona

As we know, the global motorhome and caravan market is experiencing serious and generalised raw material supply difficulties in a period in which sales and orders for vehicles from end customers are on the rise. Marco Raimondi, engineer and General Manager of Fiamma, remarked that this situation is not limited to our sector and is a general economic problem. “Fiamma is working on a broad-ranging project that goes way back,” he added. “Today we are making major investments to reorganise Fiamma according to a model that suits the current situation and the expected – and unexpected – market developments that we are seeing. The investments are big for our company, concern short-term plans and will be spread over many years to come”.

The market is changing and so is Fiamma

According to Fiamma, huge changes are underway and are very different from the past. The vehicles are changing, but more importantly, so are the vehicle users. New customers with new needs and new objectives are emerging. “Motorhome owners have evolved and the COVID emergency is not the only factor driving the registrations of recreational vehicles. The free-spirited, hardy, do-it-yourself travellers of the past have now given way to customers coming from experiences in other sectors who are seeking contact with an object, be it a motorhome, a caravan or an accessory, and an exclusive and luxurious lifestyle with high added value that is also very functional”, Marco Raimondi explained. This means new challenges for Fiamma and the market in general on product level and in terms of customer satisfaction and after-sales service. The vehicles and accessories have changed in response to the evolutionary growth of customers and their objectives. “For instance, the van phenomenon that we have recently seen was unimaginable only ten years ago. Today the van segment is the one experiencing the biggest and most constant increase in sales. Fiamma has always focused on far-sighted market dynamics and wants to continue developing the human and technological resources to continuously expand and always anticipate market needs”. Fiamma is engaged in a full, continuous product rationalisation and review process that requires major investments and time and

confirms the recent exiting from a niche market dimension to become a new lifestyle phenomenon that is more and more global. “Customers accustomed to other sectors are arriving and they expect products in line with their experiences, vehicles to accompany their passions with plenty of style and technological content,” Marco Raimondi said. “For years we have been committed to continually rethinking and reinterpreting our products based on needs that evolve together with the end-users. For a company of our size, this means a great commitment to constant internal process optimisation, facility adaptation and personnel training. First and foremost to make good products, you need the right people and at Fiamma we have always seen the human element as the most important and qualifying.” The internal development of the company based in Cardano al Campo, near Milan, is not a quick affair but, on the contrary, also involves investments in customer service. “From a company like Fiamma, B2B customers expect products designed to go beyond their simple use. Today, the service remains directly involved in product development that must also interpret a demand for style in addition to practicality to be appreciated by today’s market”. Fiamma invests in new product development and the reinterpretation and adaptation of tried and tested products and technological solutions to new needs, always investing heavily in design quality and, importantly, in production quality. Despite the economic commitment, Fiamma is proud to be able to keep all the production in Italy and this is considered of primary value and distinctive for its product. In the internal reorganisation, Fiamma is also focusing on an investment strategy dedicated to the development of new applications and the continuous training of personnel, to constantly guarantee quick response times to customers and the human factor that is an integral part of the superior product quality as confirmed by certifications.

B2B customer care

For B2B customer management, Fiamma has also reorganised the way orders are collected and processed to define an in-

Fiamma at CSD 2021

Fiamma will be showcasing many new products in the large stand at the Caravan Salon 2021 in Düsseldorf focusing, in particular, on the Frame Sprinter bike rack with height-adjustable shelf, suitable for carrying up to three normal bicycles or two e-bikes, specifically designed for the Mercedes van, and the new generously proportioned F80L winch-powered awning for caravans and motorhomes.

Frame Sprinter

Frame Sprinter is the new Fiamma’s bike carrier especially designed for Mercedes Sprinter, post 2018 edition (H2/H3). Frame Sprinter is able to carry 2 to 3 standard bicycles or 2 e-bikes, its structure and support base are stainless steel, and the rail support can be set in 3 positions: standard, intermediate and lowered. The bike carrier is securely fastened to the hinges of the vehicle and offers also strong and safe locking systems such as Rail Quick Pro, for quick and safe locking of the wheel to the rail, Bike-Block Pro S, to lock the bike securely, and Rack Holder for the support base. dustrial plan that ensures faster responses. The company is investing in increasingly automated service management and rapid customer response. Customers with a Fiamma Code can now interface with the company on the online platform in 4 languages (English, Italian, German, French) and automatically receive information on orders and spare parts, critical issues, billing, order status and product availability. The most recent implementation concerns the new automated B2B product critical issue management system. This is a significant strategic innovation for direct customers who can now report any after-sales critical issues online. Until now, non-conformities, damage or incorrect purchases and shipments could only be reported by customers by email. The management of each problem one by one required a lot of time and energy by personnel to deal with requests. The implementation of the online Critical Issue Management Area, on the other hand, streamlines intervention times for each procedure and ensures greater operational security for customers, particularly those abroad who can interface with Fiamma in real-time without delays caused by different time zones. “In this particular moment in time, Fiamma customers appreciate our product and service quality are, above all, our timeliness and our general respect for delivery times despite the generally difficult situation,” concluded Raimondi. Despite the difficult circumstances, with shortages in the raw materials market and a consequent general increase in production prices, Fiamma is achieving to keep up with demands and provide answers to the market. “By optimising our planning system and order management processes, and by preparing material stocks appropriately, we have shortened lead times, buffered raw material delays and can respond worldwide fast. This is providing us with the opportunity for exponential growth”.

F80L awning

F80L is the new roof winch awning, suitable for large vehicles. Based on the aesthetics of the F80s, F80L is available in 4 lengths, from 450 to 600 cm. Thanks to the increased profile section of the arms, the awning extends 275 cm. F80L offers also Rain Guard with hermetic seal as standard, triple frontal guide, double LED preparation (visible even when the awning is closed), plastic end caps, painted aluminium covers, secure lock for the lead bar, dual-shock absorber and triple guide, in order to install two front panels or other accessories. F80L’s colors available are Polar White, Titanium Royal, Blue Royal Grey, Deep Black.