PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2020

TOP TALK PETplanet Insider Vol. 21 No. 09/20 www.petpla.net 14 ised components can be con fi gured through a web interface and are then manufactured in a state-of-the-art laboratory through a completely auto- mated process. In addition, because the virtual and physical environments work together within a closed loop, the system is able to continuously improve on the products and services delivered. PETplanet: How does digitalisa- tion change support and how impor- tant is the personal presence on-site? John Galt: Husky responds to our customers’ requirements for support in a way that aligns with their needs. We intend to continue to offer both an in-person visit or a remote virtual ses- sion to troubleshoot a technical chal- lenge; whatever matches the needs of our customers best. Our new “we call you” predictive capability, the indus- try’s only true live process optimisa- tion tool, is one of our most exciting developments. It brings us together with our customers in a way we never thought possible and the results have been nothing short of incredible. PETplanet: Personal presence is also an issue that many trade fairs worldwide are currently struggling with. Some large companies have announced continuous travel stops and cancelled trade fair participation whilst else- where the trade fair business is slowly picking up again, such as in China. What is Husky’s policy here? John Ga l t : The safety of our employees and customers remains our highest priority. Like many other companies, our team members are travelling on an essential- only basis. Almost all the trade fairs that we were scheduled to attend this year have been either cancelled, postponed or reformatted into a virtual format. In the absence of trade fairs and face-to- face interactions, we are adapting and leveraging digital capabilities to continue engaging with our customers despite the travel restrictions. When markets reopen, we will continue to partic- ipate in the trade fairs that offer an unmatched ability to engage existing and new customers. PETplanet: As you said, many events are also con- verting to digital formats. We at PETplanet for example started with the PETcast, a new series of PET- related podcasts as well as spe- cial webinars for the PET sector. How important are those digi- tal formats for Husky? Can you imagine taking part in digital trade fairs? John Galt: In response to the shift to virtual events and trade fairs, Husky is embracing all virtual formats to ensure we connect with customers in the most effective way possible. We’ve used and will continue to leverage live stream demonstrations of our systems, online webinars that provide educa- tional content on a particular topic and participate in virtual trade fairs that give us the potential to reach our target audi- ence. PETplanet: Have any positive experiences come out of the pandemic? Are there pro- cesses that could be adapted to be a catalyst for the coming years? John Galt: In every challenge lies an opportunity to learn, adapt and improve. This pandemic has shown us the potential to realise growth in other areas of our business as customer needs shift to respond to changes in consumer preferences. The demands to support certain market segments and provide safe and hygienic solu- tions, for example: using PET pre- forms for blood tubes; retooling systems to produce bottles for hand sanitiser; or accelerated production of hot runner systems to support the manufacturing of Covid-19 test kits; has become common place at this time. The resilience and adaptability of our people has truly been remark- able. I am extremely proud to be part of the Husky team and grateful to our team members around the globe for their commitment and dedication to working through this unprecedented time in our history. We will most cer- tainly come out of the current pan- demic a stronger and better company. PETplanet: This is also what we wish for you and all the companies in our industry! Thank you very much John! www.husky.co “In every challenge lies an opportunity to learn, adapt and improve.”