25 NO TWO DAYS ARE THE SAME Mickaël Vandaele is Production Manager at Trioplanex in Picardie in northern France. Picardie has been called one of the most charming areas in France. It has also been referred to as France’s best-kept secret, still off the radar for most tourists. Mickaël, who was born in Picardie, knows the region inside out and continues to live there with his wife and their five children. MICKAËL VANDAELE, PRODUCTION MANAGER, TRIOPLANEX IN PICARDIE started as an apprentice at Trioplanex in 1998 and was then employed as a service technician,” says Mickaël, who since joining has worked on planning, processes, training, maintenance, safety and production.   A lot has happened at the factory in the 20 years since his time as an apprentice.   “You could say that I have participated in, and wit- nessed, an industry evolution with everything from new products to new production lines and an increased awareness in the areas of safety and environment.” Maximize customer benefits He says that no two days are alike and that is perhaps one of the many reasons why he enjoys the job so much.   “If I was to try to describe a normal day, it starts with a production meeting followed shortly afterwards by a main- tenance meeting. Then that particular day starts to take shape and there is no template for that.”   Mickaël likes the varied tasks and companionship among colleagues – what creates the good atmosphere at work. “The culture combined with the trust of the company and the opportunity to work close to the market are what I ap- preciate most,” says Mickaël.   He comments that the principle of Lean is a constant pres- ence at Trioplanex.   “Maximizing customer benefits is a driving force for us and minimizing elements in production that do not create value is a must. In addition, I also have many colleagues around the world and we learn a lot from each other,” concludes Mickaël. 25