High technology and a tailor-made approach
The E-ricarica interview with CONSYSTEM
by Matteo Bonassi – editorial staff of E-ricarica
CONSYSTEM HAS APPROACHED THE E-MOBILITY MARKET BY FOCUSING MAINLY ON EV-CHARGER MANUFACTURERS WITH A TARGETED OFFERING – RANGING FROM HIGH-PERFORMANCE MONITORS TO POWER MODULES – ALL THE WAY TO CABLES AND EVEN A RADAR SYSTEM TO SIGNAL STALL OCCUPANCY. «WE ARE AN ELECTRONICS ATELIER», EXPLAINS GENERAL MANAGER DAVID PONZECCHI. «WE OFFER HIGH-TECH-CONTENT COMPONENTS TO WIN THE CHALLENGES OUR CUSTOMERS PRESENT US WITH». THANKS TO ITS DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH MANUFACTURERS, THE COMPANY OFFERS PARTNERS TRUE CONSULTING FOR TAILOR MADE SOLUTIONS
Consystem has been operating in the market for over 40 years, with a particular focus on the distribution of electronic components. The company is structured into 3 main business units. The Professional line, through which it offers a series of components and systems that, in the ev-charger market, can be extremely useful for those who need to develop and manufacture a particularly innovative and high-performing charging station (for example high-performance monitors, radars for motion detection and components for heat dissipation). The Power division is focused on all the components relating to the power supply and power of a device, one of the fundamental elements in the field of ev-charging. The Broadcasting division, on the other hand, deals with components for the transmission of radio and TV waves.
We met with the Consystem team – general manager David Ponzecchi together with colleagues Mario Lesinigo, head of the Power business unit, Maurizio Celle, head of the Professional division; and Martino Allisiardi, value proposition and marketing leader – to hear how the company is working to establish itself among the leading suppliers in the e-mobility market, thanks to quality components as well as solutions capable of revolutionizing the sector, such as the anti-occupancy radar for charging stalls.
«What differentiates Consystem’s approach to the market is a vision that is genuinely service-oriented, together with a proactive dialogue that turns us into a strategic partner for both customers and suppliers. We are not a “catalogue” distributor. It is not in our interest to take an approach aimed only at increasing the number of references on our price list» explains David Ponzecchi. «Consystem instead presents itself as a sort of electronics atelier. We don’t approach our customer by simply asking what they might need at that moment. We start from very different assumptions: we ask what kind of problem they need to solve, what type of technological challenge they need to face, and even what supply challenge they need to respond to. The starting point is always a need: often it can be technological, but even more frequently it is also about procurement. Consystem wants to be a point of reference for solving these issues and offering genuine consulting based on different needs».
When and how did Consystem start operating in e-mobility?
Mario Lesinigo: «About a couple of years ago, mainly to initially understand which products could be interesting for this business segment. We therefore began talking with our suppliers to understand how we could meet the needs of customers operating in the sector. It’s a very particular market, given that in Italy our main contacts are the so-called Tier Ones, meaning ev-charger and hypercharger builders and manufacturers who, due to their background, have historically preferred to adopt technologies developed internally by their own R&D departments. Consystem decided to take on this ambitious challenge and over the past year has signed a series of agreements with various suppliers so as to be able to guarantee a range of components for building an extremely high-quality electric vehicle charging station».
What does your offering consist of?
Mario Lesinigo: «Consystem is able to supply parallelable power modules with all the technical features needed to meet the highest standards required by the market in terms of communication and compatibility with vehicles; we are also offering sophisticated and innovative solutions such as a radar to prevent unauthorized stall occupancy. We have also decided to introduce mains filters into our range: this is because a charging station that generates power also produces disturbances on the electrical grid, which require certification and must fall within the tolerances set by current regulations. We have recently signed an agreement for the supply of high-visibility displays, capable of operating even in direct sunlight conditions. Among the most recent agreements, we should also mention the one signed with Hartig, a manufacturer of charging cables, since this component is also a fundamental element in ensuring the station works properly. Water-cooled cables used to be used, but today this solution is no longer the best, since it is prone to malfunctions due to temperature variations. Air-cooled cables are therefore preferred, and these must have particularly high-performance technical characteristics, especially when used in high-power charging stations».
Who are your main customers today?
David Ponzecchi: «In e-mobility we deal with all the leading ev-charger manufacturers as well as a number of start-ups. Our distribution approach is precisely based on a direct relationship with both customers and suppliers. We don’t have agents on the ground: our model provides for each account manager to be vertical and to follow all customers nationwide for the products under their responsibility».
What criteria do you use to select the products to include in your catalogue?
Maurizio Celle: «Consystem can be seen as a tailor capable of cutting a made-to-measure suit for the customer. Very often we don’t limit ourselves to just this, but thanks to our expertise we also offer genuine innovations that can have an impact on the market. One example is certainly the offering we mentioned earlier regarding displays for charging stations, but another proposal in this sense has indeed been the radars to prevent unauthorized occupation of charging stalls. As for the first component, namely monitors, we believe they are truly an important part of the charging station because it’s the one the end user actually interacts with. It informs the user about the charging process, the status of the connection to the vehicle, the correct functioning of the station, and payment. In the future it could have a whole series of additional features, turning into a genuine information kiosk useful for the area where it is installed: promotions, marketing initiatives, advertising spots, public administration communications, just to give a few examples».
The radar to prevent unauthorized occupation of stalls could really mark a revolution here…
Maurizio Celle: «Today it might seem like an almost premature technology. But Consystem also tries to anticipate a future need that in reality already exists today. Optical cameras create various problems related to privacy, whereas the advantage of a high-frequency radar is that it doesn’t capture images of any subject, but signals the presence of a vehicle with a certain degree of precision. In summary, Consystem’s offering is not one limited to the single component, but one that also looks to the future, trying to anticipate the needs of a given market».
David Ponzecchi: «In this regard, another aspect that sets us apart is our choice not to have directly competing products in our catalogue: we have similar products, but they meet different needs. Take displays as an example: we have technologically advanced solutions, with large screen sizes and able to withstand extreme weather conditions, but also standard panels that can be an equally valid solution for different types of charging stations intended for other uses. Consystem also has an in-house logistics department, which allows us to have the best possible control over an aspect that is fundamental for our business. On top of this, there is decades of experience in the electronics sector».
What makes your approach to this sector distinctive
David Ponzecchi: «Our sales force operates in the market under a dual role, which sometimes coincides and sometimes diverges. The same person acts as an account manager who works to maximize business opportunities with our customers, and is often also a product manager, meaning they have direct contact with the supplier: a role that allows them to build up very high know-how on the product and its features. So the same person is also able to establish a highly specialized and competent dialogue and business relationship with our supplier. Our team can guarantee particular attention to the customer’s needs from a commercial point of view and, on the other hand, have a dedicated focus on the relationship with the supplier, which allows us to pass on to our partners the high technological value of the products we offer. Without such an organized structure it would be very difficult, indeed impossible, to achieve our goals and our vision. This is also because we very often go on to propose customized or partially customized solutions».
How much does the e-mobility business currently account for in your revenue, and what are the prospects for the future?
Mario Lesinigo: «Recently we ran a major promotional campaign, took part in all the most important trade fairs and starting next year we will really begin to reap the rewards of these investments. Today the ev-charging world still has a marginal impact on total revenue. Obviously, in light of the activities under way, we expect to receive large orders that will be invoiced in the next fiscal year, which could account for 6/7% of the company’s total revenue in 2024».
Is the market evolving as expected?
David Ponzecchi: «Consystem is currently carrying out an internal reflection on the business opportunities that will arise in the future. The market we have operated in over the last 5 years has changed radically, for several reasons. First of all, the arrival of new generations at various management levels: the distribution world used to be, in many respects, “outdated” – there was a strong focus on efficiency, but activities were less structured and less attentive to the international landscape. Now, however, the dynamics are radically changing. Our core businesses, which have consolidated over the years, are evolving very rapidly. Today the challenge is not figuring out where the market will go in the next 5 years, but understanding where we will be in 10-15 years. And certainly electric mobility is among the most strategic and fastest-growing sectors. Unless there are sudden U-turns at the European level, we are about to experience a truly epoch-making historic change».
Do you think the charging-station bonuses recently released by the Government for individuals and businesses will have a positive impact on the market?
Mario Lesinigo: «It’s very difficult for a company like ours to get direct feedback on how well the charging-station bonus has actually been received, since we are not a manufacturer that sells directly. That said, to give a snapshot of what we’re seeing, there is, for example, one of our customers who has recorded literally explosive growth in charging-station sales. Paradoxically, another one, which is a real giant, is struggling more. I won’t hide the fact that overall the numbers have positively surprised us in the hypercharger segment. These are truly significant numbers. The customer active in this segment is gaining significant market share in Italy and also at the European level, mainly thanks to the incentives made available by the EU».
What are the most important components inside an ev-charger?
Maurizio Celle: «When it comes to charging stations, especially in a transitional period like this one, you can no longer afford to approach the market with subpar products. It’s really important that all the components used inside a charging system are able to guarantee reliability and quality in order to avoid malfunctions. This is also because the vast majority of charging stations are installed outdoors and in very demanding environments».
Given your role as a boutique in electronic component distribution, how is communication organized
Martino Allisiardi: «Communication is a fundamental pillar of Consystem’s development strategy. Our starting point for any communication and marketing initiative is a thorough understanding of our customers’ needs, taking into account their different requirements and expectations, both from a technological standpoint and in terms of the end product’s use. We are committed to ensuring that all information about our products and services is easily accessible and understandable. For example, we clearly explain how the radar can be used to combat unauthorized occupation of charging stalls, or how sunlight-readable displays can be a useful tool for Digital Out Of Home (DOOH). Every communication is tailored to best meet the customer’s needs. In concrete terms: thanks to our agile and lean company structure, the marketing and communication team organizes a kick-off meeting with the in-house product specialist to understand the peculiarities of the technological proposal and how it can be applied in specific markets. In addition, we consult with the supplier involved to further the discussion and define shared communication strategies and actions, in order to strengthen mutual market presence through joint campaigns. We then structure the various communication strategies (multi-touch, both online and offline) in terms of content, channel, target and related actions across different markets and/or niches. Finally, we are always looking for new input to improve and strengthen the company’s communication skills and to experiment with new, more impactful, engaging and value-added ways of communicating.
Are there initiatives through which you have stood out in the e-mobility world, and any marketing and training activities planned for the future?
Martino Allisiardi: «On the communication and marketing side, Consystem, as an electronic component distributor, stands out in e-mobility thanks to strong visibility across various digital channels and platforms as well as offline together with tailor-made structured content to guide our customers in discovering the market’s new technological frontiers. One activity we intend to repeat, for the e-mobility field, involves the use of videos and webinars as training moments for our customers and, more generally, as tools for “technological evangelization”. We have already organized several live webinars on our YouTube channel and our LinkedIn page, in collaboration with our suppliers, to present some of the latest technological innovations and their benefits and advantages for the end application. During these webinars, customers have the opportunity to explore various products and their features. In addition, thanks to the presence of both Consystem’s technical specialists and the supplier’s, it is possible to ask questions in real time and get “live” answers. This content is easily accessible and can also be reviewed at leisure on demand. Likewise, the videos allow viewers to see the product in action and understand its features and technological benefits thanks to the product specialist’s explanation, all in a maximum of five minutes. By the end of the year, we plan to release explanatory videos on the IDR-2050 radar, a device against unauthorized occupation of charging stalls, and then continue with other products and dedicated webinars. Starting next year, we also intend to experiment with new, even more direct training communication channels».
Finally, what are the critical issues that are still holding back the growth of e-mobility in Italy?
David Ponzecchi: «All non-violent revolutions work best “on a full stomach”. In other words, if we look at these epoch-making technological shifts, we notice that they often happen more easily when there isn’t a need to first meet basic needs. Today the situation is rather critical from various points of view. We started with the war in Ukraine at the beginning of 2023, now in Palestine… We are in a context that certainly doesn’t encourage or help this type of transition, also because people are much less inclined to invest. That said, Consystem’s choice is heading in a very specific direction. We are demonstrating with facts and with investments that we firmly believe in this transition. It may not happen within the very tight timeframes planned at the European level, but we are convinced that this is the future».
– Published in the December 2023 issue of E-ricarica –