After the record achieved in the first quarter of 2021, the Venetian company – specialized in the production of laser therapy and magnetotherapy devices for the human and veterinary physical rehabilitation sectors – reaches a new milestone of excellence. The first 6 months of the current year ended with a 15% higher turnover compared to the same period of the record years 2018 and 2019. The lean transformation of the production processes, the constant investments in research and innovation, and the constant support to local partners have all contributed to this valuable result.
"The data relating to the first half-year, both in terms of turnover and number of devices produced, make us proud and give us hope for the second part of the year, which we aim to close with a better result than in 2018 and 2019, record years for our company." These are the words of Roberto Marchesini – ASA’s General Manager – about the company numbers for the first six months of 2021.
After having recorded a record Q1, for the second quarter ASA exceeds 6 million. The significant growth trend of 2021 is confirmed, both in terms of turnover (+16.2% vs 2018 and +14.8% vs 2019), and the number of devices produced (+20.8% vs 2018 and +14.4% vs 2019). After the annus horribilis 2020, the restart was accelerated in particular by the sales of therapies for the human sector (especially MLS® Laser Therapy and Hilterapia®) to long-term loyal countries such as the United States, Italy, and South Korea and to growing countries such as Slovakia and the Czech Republic helped by countless actions in the field of post-COVID physical rehabilitation.
The veterinary sector too recorded a valid performance, also thanks to the constant remote activities in support of individual commercial partners. In the first part of 2021, MLS® Laser Therapy and Magnetotherapy Qs Vet, designed to treat pathologies of pets, equines, and exotic species, have become tools of daily use for veterinarians all over the world, to a particularly significant extent for American and European specialists.
A non-secondary role in making ASA reach such a level of performance was played by the company’s transformation process toward lean manufacturing. Started in 2018, the "ASA Lean" project led to the implementation of a "One-Piece Flow" system in the assembly and testing phases of the medical devices, which resulted in a progressive minimization of waste with positive effects on the entire economy of the company.
"Dedicating our efforts to this production method, aimed at reducing waste until it is eliminated," continues Roberto Marchesini, "implies a progressive revision of our working culture starting from often consolidated paradigms: a process that is certainly not simple, but crucial to present ourselves effectively on markets around the world."
Starting from this notion, ASA has decided to further implement its Lean Transformation process, starting a "Lean Office" program that currently involves the Quality and Engineering departments. This further choice also led the company to be at the centre of a lesson of the sixteenth edition of the Master in Lean Management – organized by CUOA Business School – during which the participants, starting from the experience in ASA’s true gemba, could not only concretely understand concepts such as Visual Stream Mapping, 7 Muda, 5 Why, Kanban, Once-Piece Flow, and Milk Run, but also verify their daily application. From this collective exchange also came interesting ideas on key issues such as processes, people, techniques, and strategy.
Following the results achieved in the first half of the year, the Vicenza-based company also recorded double-digit increases in the current Q3 compared to the record years both in terms of turnover and devices produced, a clear sign of an effective strategy, of a solid network of commercial collaborations, and of an ever more evident growth on a global scale.
