Corniels van Duijn: “Safety is not just something we sell, it’s what we want to radiate outwards”

‍Involved in anything from maintaining good relationships with suppliers to finding and purchasing the right products for Ampelmann’s mechanics and engineers around the world, Corniels’ job requires a varied skillset that is undoubtedly bolstered by his experience on the production line.

Engineering efficiency while scaling-up

During his long tenure at Ampelmann, he has not only seen growth and a change in his personal and professional responsibilities, but also in the company at large. As he says, “When I started, there were maybe five technical employees, but now over 30 people are working in the hall simultaneously. That’s a whole different story!”

“Ampelmann truly is an innovative company. We want to drive engineering excellence and we are encouraged to think out of the box to facilitate this growth. In my current role, for example, we have greatly expanded the cooperation with the supply chain department and there is a lot of interaction between various stakeholders. The entire purchasing strategy is not only carried out by a buyer, but is a close collaboration with all departments within Ampelmann. It is precisely because of this interaction that we can realise the ideal buying action that is in accordance with the needs of the entire company.”

"What I mean by this is that instead of just looking for the biggest savings on each individual item, we plan out the entire delivery process together with the supply chain department. Because we are building new systems so frequently, we need each shipment to be delivered at the right time, in the right order, so that it can immediately be put to use on the production line. During the assembly of a system, a signal goes to the supplier for the next item, forming a continuous loop. This has become a really efficient forward-looking process. In my role, this is real engineering excellence.”

From Rotterdam to the world

Although Corniels admits that such changes to the company’s purchasing strategy “might have been borne out of necessity, you really need to be able dare to make a difference to carry them out. The growth of the company on the one hand and changes in the nature of the global supply chain on the other meant that our old way of working no longer fit within today's world. Because everyone within Ampelmann is open to change, we are encouraged to look very critically at our purchasing strategy. You can see that everyone is not only willing to make a difference, but also dares to do so.”

As a consequence of Ampelmann’s growing global involvement, Corniels’ is also making a difference by focusing on localisation: “Originally all our supplies were sent through Rotterdam, but in the USA, for example, we now have more than 10 different projects, scattered around the eastern and southern coastlines. Because of our steady business in Asia, we have also streamlined our processes by locally fabricating steel structures for our commercial projects in and around Brunei. In other words, it’s become increasingly attractive for us to find local parties that can deliver the right products exactly when and where we need them to. This is not only more sustainable, but a lot more efficient.”

Of course, important changes such as these do not come about instantaneously. As Corniels points out, “this does require that we make minor or major changes to our processes and digital environments, or that we train local personnel to ensure that we can maintain quality control from a distance. What we’ve experienced is that once we get the ball rolling, the next few steps are not only easier but also give us way more options in the long run, increasing our flexibility and responsiveness, particularly in urgent situations.”

Hub of the wheel

Although no longer directly involved in the fabrication of Ampelmann’s gangways, his role as a technical buyer affords him the unique position to affect their design. Thinking inclusively about the company’s relationship with its suppliers, Corniels emphasises that, “Ampelmann has become as big as it is in part because of our suppliers. Over the years, we’ve gathered a lot of data on the performance of our gangways, and I go to suppliers not only with the intent to see whether we can purchase any parts that improve them further, but also to ask for their perspectives on our design choices. Because of my experience in the production environment, I understand what Ampelmann needs so I can quickly determine the added value of a new product.”

Internally, this can lead to new perspectives and even inspire innovations or new applications. As he points out: “That is where we can make a difference as a technical buyer because I’m the connection between the supplier and the client. In turn, our suppliers are not afraid to give us advice and, in some cases, this leads to real improvements in our technical processes.”

Considering the importance of maintaining these internal and external relationships, Corniels describes himself as a the “hub of the wheel” who needs to manage expectations around him. As he says, “What I've learned in the last few years is that every individual has their own interests. As procurement, we want to merge those interests, to be one team, so that we can come to a solution that everyone can stand behind. Of course, this might not generate the ideal product from my own perspective, that of an engineer, or even a supplier, but it will be a product that fits seamlessly with the needs of Ampelmann because it’s been assessed by all these different disciplines.”

“I really think that the relationship that we maintain with our suppliers goes beyond the transactional; that’s also what they frequently tell us. Through our close cooperation, I feel that my team not only consists of Ampelmann colleagues, but also the suppliers we work with.”

Even for onshore personnel staying safe is considered a key part of working life at Ampelmann. As Corniels notes: “Before I started working for Ampelmann I didn’t really think about safety. Over the years it became natural and I’ve come to find it really important to work for a company that cares about the wellbeing of its personnel. At work, we always hold on to the handrailing when we walk up and down the stairs, but I do it everywhere, even at a train station or when I visit the offices of our suppliers.”

“Safety is not just something that we sell through our gangways, it’s something that we want to radiate outwards, as a company, as a technical buyer and as a person and I really appreciate it when our suppliers also accord the same level of safety to their own personnel and working practices”.

Preferring efficiency over traditionalism, Corniels thinks that Ampelmann’s core values not only supplement his role as technical buyer, but also resonate with his general outlook in life. “I think that it’s important to have core values and especially that Ampelmann supports its staff to think about them. These days when I’m doing work on my house, for example, I always use a face mask, safety glasses as well as a ladder to reach high places. It’s in my nature to continuously improve and smooth out the wrinkles. It’s what drives me both personally and professionally and by talking to people inclusively and finding the right solution together we can better understand how to make improvements to our own lives.”