We are FCC - n20

We spoke to people from the different areas of the Purchasing department, under the direction of José María To- rroja, one of the support branches of the projects and works that are ca- rried out by each of the company’s business areas. Coordination between the internal customer and the supplier is essen- tial in the process. In fact, the team serves primarily as a bridge between them. It is also between each of the people who form part of the depart- ment, as its centralisation allows them to take advantage of the sy- nergies and flexibility that this possi - bility offers them, especially when it comes to communicating with each other, adapting to the circumstances of the moment they are going through and never losing sight of the internal client’s requests. The internal customer The relationship that the team main- tains with the internal customer is ex - cellent, fluid and relaxed. They take into account the sustainability, quality, service and price that a supplier can offer them, as they also have to be approved by FCC and also that their previous purchases have been suffi - ciently satisfactory. Likewise, a poo- ling session is held to evaluate what they can contribute to the purchase of the good or service, or their technical solvency, always in compliance with the company’s requirements. In this sense, it is essential that each of its members understands the pur- chasing need that exists, which must be developed and clearly specified by the user. In this way, suppliers will be able to offer their products more accurately, saving a lot of time and facilitating communication between the parties. Two-way communication between the business area and the department is essential. Digital transformation In recent years, technology has chan- ged, at least in part, the execution of procurement processes. There has been a great digital leap which, for example, has materialised in the way we approach negotiation with su- ppliers, allowing for greater and more advanced planning of the needs that arise in projects. The same happened during the confi - nement due to the health crisis. Tech- Striking a balance between the best price and user satisfaction is the main task that the FCC Group’s Purchasing Department team tackles every day. This can only be achieved when the object of the purchase requested by the internal client is well defined, with a clear order of priorities and exhaustive and necessary planning. nological advances allowed the peo- ple in the department to continue their work from home with little or no chan- ge in the management of the purcha- sing processes, even improving their performance, shortening procedures and eliminating unusable downtime. A good reflection of this were the telematic meetings thanks to the Mi- crosoft Teams tool, which today, and especially since the lockdown and the beginning of the health crisis, are still very present. This type of information and communication tool, which the team uses to carry out its tasks, has facilitated work ever since, connec- ting all parties - team, internal client and suppliers - in real time and at any time. This is a constant evolution, in which further progress is expected, also with suppliers, who are following a similar path. The lockdown During the period of maximum impact of the pandemic, the Purchasing de- partment made a huge effort to procu - re personal and collective protective equipment and other items necessary for business continuity at a time of fierce competition and market turmoil. Although today’s technology allowed its remote activity to continue at full P E O P L E 27 P E O P L E