The Stable Vacuum project reduced part-moulding cycle time by 5% and cut gas consumption per kilogram of raw material processed by 25% (partly as a result of this project).

– Ulukbek, what is the "Stable Vacuum" project about, and what problem does it solve?

– Our department has nine EPS moulding machines, which also perform vacuum forming of finished parts. Before the project, all nine machines shared a single centralised vacuum station. Whenever several machines ran simultaneously, the overall vacuum level dropped across all of them – the EPS came out damp and had to be dried separately.

The problem got worse in spring and autumn: temperature swings had a significant impact on operating conditions and EPS quality, which could vary dramatically. In high-humidity conditions, the central vacuum station would flood and the vacuum pumps would fail. There was no way to boost the vacuum level with a centralised setup. That is what led us to the conclusion that each machine needed its own dedicated vacuum station.

Under the project, each machine has been fitted with an individual station, which keeps the vacuum level stable throughout every operating cycle and prevents any drop in product quality on this section.

– Where did you start?

– First, the team assembled a prototype vacuum station, fitted it to one of the nine machines, and tested whether the receiver volume we had chosen was sufficient to evacuate the water – and whether it emptied reliably within a single operating cycle. The prototype performed well. After that, we sourced, assembled, and installed vacuum pumps and ancillary equipment on all the machines. The work was carried out mainly at weekends or during scheduled line stoppages – overall production was never halted. And we finished ahead of schedule.

Damp EPS cannot be used in production: the moisture evaporates, collects inside the packaging, and causes condensation droplets to appear on new products – highly undesirable for home appliances.

– How do you rate the outcome?

– Very highly. The problem was fully eliminated, and at the same time we resolved a number of other issues – energy efficiency, improved equipment utilisation, and shorter part-moulding cycle times. For me personally, as a manager, it was the experience of genuine self-realisation: if you have ideas about how to improve your work – act on them.

– What do you think was most critical to the project's success?

– The fact that the entire project team worked in perfect sync. Everyone brought a tremendous sense of responsibility and put their full experience and skills to work. The support of the Project Office was invaluable – their team handled all the organisational side: project planning, coordination, documentation, the presentation – while we focused on the technical work out on the shop floor.

Key lesson for Ulukbek Aidarov:

Once again, I was reminded that a project's success depends on having the right team: two heads are always better than one. With the right people around you, the right answer is always easier to find.

– Mikhail, what problem came up with the tender process?

– If you need to select the best carrier from two or three options, you can manage that perfectly well with standard methods – keeping the correspondence in your inbox. But what do you do when 40 to 60 counterparties submit their bids at the same time? Comparing all that data quickly, analysing it, and selecting the best contractor is a serious challenge – it takes time and errors start to pile up. That is why the head of the logistics department came to us with a request: help find a solution using the capabilities and resources we already had.

– How did you find the solution?

– We looked at how similar projects had been handled at other companies. We decided to build an internal web platform with external-facing components – a counterparty questionnaire and forms for routes and pricing. Maintaining confidentiality was one of our key requirements: certain data had to stay within the company.

– How did the project unfold?

– Alexander Sukhin and I – and I genuinely could not have done it without him – started by laying the foundation: the database architecture. Then came the external questionnaires and forms, and we brought the whole thing together step by step. There was a difficult moment when the colleague in the logistics department who had been our main point of contact left the company – all communications and decisions had run through her. But overall, things went to plan. After about seven or eight months we had the core functionality in place and could run test launches. The whole project took around ten months.

– Is it up and running now?

– The logistics department ran its most recent tender the old way; they have now started actively using the new system – it is essentially in live user testing at the moment. In the near future, the platform will be used in actual tenders.

A logistics tender is a structured process through which a company engages freight carriers. The company identifies a need to move goods and puts the service out to competitive tender. Transport firms willing to take on the job submit their bids, several rounds of selection are held, and the service with the best pricing is chosen.

Key lesson for Mikhail Sklyarov:

Delivering a project requires clear structure and discipline. Every project needs a precisely defined goal, and a well-drafted scope of work is essential for all participants. Equally important is keeping a project log – recording stages, tasks, and interim results. It helps track progress, capture mistakes, and sharpen project management along the way.

The first serial delivery under the project reached the factory floor in June 2025. Work on the project is ongoing, and the full range of all harness types from alternative suppliers is set to be introduced in the near term.

– Tatyana, why did you need to look for alternative suppliers for cable harnesses?

– Cable harnesses power all the electronics in our refrigerators and washing machines. Not all the components that go into them are manufactured in Russia, and finding a reliable contractor capable of quality assembly is equally difficult. The problem emerged against the backdrop of the global economic situation – disruptions to supplies from Europe and restrictions on the import of certain materials. To address these challenges, we looked to Asian markets. We compiled a list of suppliers, consulted colleagues at our China office, gathered commercial proposals and samples, brought in our technical specialists, and selected the best options.

– What challenges came up during the project?

– Previously we received harnesses ready to use – nothing additional needed to be done. But when we started looking for the same ready-to-install solution in China, it turned out that certain plastic components are only produced in Turkey, using original molds. There are no such molds in China. So we had to separately develop production of these additional parts, find a manufacturer, and test their output. And on top of that, secure a contractor to assemble the finished harnesses from all the components.

– In your view, what drove the project's success?

– In this project I saw maximum engagement – genuine enthusiasm, even – from everyone involved. Everyone understood how much responsibility we carried: without a solution, the entire production line could have stopped. Everyone was determined to get results. Responses came quickly and problems were resolved the moment they appeared.

Beko operates two factories in Russia, and each requires harnesses for both washing machines and refrigerators – giving the project four workstreams in total. Each workstream covered several harness types depending on the product models involved. The fastest progress was made in the Beko washing machines workstream – seven harness types were enough to cover 97% of requirements.

Tatyana Filatova's key takeaway from the project:

Nothing is impossible. When we started this project, nobody was sure it would succeed – but the project team did everything they could, and more.