DiMar: enhancing artisanal know-how with awm
“A tool like awm is able to go deep into production processes, […] helping us excel at the craft we know how to do,” says Giorgio Pellegrini, Operations Director at DiMar.
The awm Suite supports the digitalization of processes while preserving artisanal tradition and Made in Italy craftsmanship.
The intelligent integration with existing company systems has enabled a smoother flow of information, improving operational efficiency and allowing a real-time global view of human resources.
DiMar Group's history
“I compare the history of DiMar to one of the classic success stories of many Italian artisans who, between the 1950s and 1980s, sought to emerge from their small artisanal beginnings—often starting in a basement of their own home—through hard work and great passion. In our case, creating handbags for the world’s leading luxury brands.”
With these words, Angelo Cionco, President and Co-founder of DiMar Group, recounts the founding of his company, now among the leading centers of excellence in the production of leather goods for the world’s top fashion and luxury brands.
Founded from the professional partnership between Angelo Cionco and Fabio Martinelli, over more than thirty years of activity DiMar Group has become a direct supplier to the world’s leading international luxury brands, producing approximately 400,000 high-end handbags each year at its two facilities in Valentano and Campli.
“A story born from the genuine passion of two local artisans for the world of leather goods, the quality of raw materials, and product excellence. A passion that still endures today and becomes especially evident when, after more than 40 years in the leather goods industry, the two founders can still be seen working on the front line in the production department, alongside their many collaborators.
Innovation, sustainability, and skills management as drivers of growth.
DiMar’s evolution began in response to the demands of the luxury brands for which we produce. In addition to placing the utmost focus on environmental sustainability and workers’ well-being, we have made significant investments in technological upgrades. All of this while preserving the strong tradition of craftsmanship and Made in Italy,” continues Cionco.
This commitment is reflected in the Group’s very vision: “We pass on the tradition of Made in Italy craftsmanship through innovation and sustainability,” supported by a strong focus on people and their expertise as the core of the company’s success.
Despite operating in a traditional industry, innovation has always been one of the key drivers for DiMar Group. To give concrete shape to the company’s vision centered on craftsmanship and the commitment to passing on the savoir-faire typical of Made in Italy, the Group embarked a few years ago on a development path based on four guiding principles: sustainability, innovation, continuous training, and digitalization.
In the past, with fewer people, it was easier to manage everyone’s skills manually—largely from memory and with the support of the HR department. Now it has become more complex: there are over 100 employees, some of whom are recent hires, whose career history is not always fully known. For us, it is important to create an up-to-date database that takes into account each individual’s specific experience,” explains Valerio Muti, Plant Manager of the Valentano plant.
In fact, first and foremost, AWM will bring greater rigor to data recording at DiMar Group, through an automated and integrated system managed collaboratively across multiple functions. As a result, data retrieval will be easier and faster, as all information will be collected on a single platform rather than across multiple Excel files, previously edited by each department head according to their own rules.
Digitalization as a lever to enhance people and savoir-faire.
I am confident that with AWM we will be able to replace what is currently a manual activity—relying on individual judgment and personal experience—with a smarter and more effective approach,” states Cesare Frescura, Plant Manager of the Campli plant.
“In particular, we expect to address two major challenges: the first is an internal dynamic, represented by the daily need to reallocate resources across different lines due to absences or specific production requirements. The second is an external dynamic, namely managing the growing demand for flexibility and multi-skilling from the luxury market.
Among the various company roles, it was Maida Paganini, Director of Human Resources and Organization, who led the digital transformation at DiMar Group: ‘My role in introducing and selecting an AWM tool was a very active one. I started by looking for a solution that would allow us to map people’s skills, in order to gain a clear overview of our workforce and give employees the opportunity to further develop their competencies within the production area.’
Her role at DiMar, Maida Paganini explains, is not a traditional HR role, but rather that of a change leader—acting as a bridge between listening to people’s needs, top management, and ownership: ‘I looked for a tool that could support resource planning across the different production lines, because this was a need I identified by talking to people. It is worth noting that, in recent years, DiMar has experienced significant growth and reorganization, especially from a people perspective: from 2016 to today, the company has almost quadrupled its workforce. In addition, having worked for a long time in the technology and innovation sector, I wanted to bring into the company a software solution that would replace paper-based processes and drive a cultural shift in our two plants, which have had different histories and therefore different ways of working over the years. Having a single tool also helps unify and improve planning across both plants.’
Maida Paganini explains that she did not encounter major obstacles in proposing this new tool. On the contrary, it was welcomed by both management and ownership as an innovative solution that would help not only map skills but also manage the flexibility required by customers: ‘The main concerns around change were related to possible resistance from people in adopting a new digital tool and moving away from paper-based processes. In reality, we first presented the project to department managers and then to individual employees, and we can say that the response was very positive: there was a strong willingness across the organization to change and improve the work tools that had been used up to that point.’
Talking about craftsmanship and savoir-faire today involves considering a whole set of guiding principles. The market is characterized by increasingly fragmented and personalized demand, and new generations of consumers are entering the market, requiring ever higher levels of quality and craftsmanship in products. This calls on manufacturers to equip themselves with new tools through which to manage savoir-faire. Even in a highly traditional sector such as leather handbags, digitalization is in fact taking hold and the ability to innovate and develop skills and craftsmanship will become an increasingly defining factor.
We produce handbags. It may not be immediately obvious to associate such a mature product with digital innovation,” explains Giorgio Pellegrini, Operations Director of the Group.
“However, it is not so much about the product as it is about the processes, which need innovation from a digital perspective. I believe that a tool like AWM—simple yet capable of going deep into production processes—supports us on this evolutionary journey, helping us excel at the craft we are known for and sought after by our clients, while also enabling us to be increasingly respectful of society, the environment, and the world we live in.
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