Ethical values
SIM (Socially Integrated Manufacturing)
How can a factory become more and better than a factory?
Designed for third world countries and as an alternative to the often-harmful charitable activities and inconclusive international development aid projects – this system can find many different applications even in the 1st world, compatible with the regulations in force. It is a proposal for a production system that concerns the inclusion of manual work provided by people belonging to disadvantaged groups and otherwise marginalized and not engaged in the world of work.
With reference to those categories of consumer goods such as clothing, accessories, home furnishings, footwear, etc. that have traditionally been the legacy of manual skills and artisan techniques. How it happens: an industrial, semi-industrial or artisan company generates a particular consumer product or line of products expressly with the aim of enriching it with a part of the work performed by external workers who would otherwise be excluded from the world of work.
The resulting product is embellished not only by the detail or part of the workmanship but also by the communication of the production process that generates it. The goal is to generate a style and market products whose production serves above all to “hook” people who would otherwise be relegated to marginalization (especially women-mothers) to the work system and therefore to allow a portion of the profit to reach them as well as the opportunity to be connected to a production reality with all the benefits that derive from it.
A fundamental element of this system of social integration in the context of para-artisan production is the conception/design of ad-hoc products and in parallel with the action of communication. The thought is that this system brings numerous “cascading” benefits as an effect.
To individuals (main subjects of product stylistic design)
From a condition of “separation” from the social context of the city and the country, within humanitarian associations without great prospects of self-development, they find themselves involved in training and subsequently as an integral part of the production process of a company or factory.
On the market
- In a market that is oversaturated with proposals, a product generated by a SIM project is—with equal merit in quality, price, utility—more marketable than a simple product, as a vehicle for an interesting and captivating story of the product which is normally generated artificially precisely for commercial necessity.
A “produit veritè”. - A sales force that shares the objective of social integration will be more strongly motivated and much more satisfied with obtaining good results.
- The SIM project linked to the product provides the precious opportunity to communicate values together with the product and in turn to “educate” the consumer instead of miseducating him as advertising normally does.
The final consumer—by purchasing the product—not only makes the company earn money but—shares with the company the project and the investment which is collaterally aimed at making the society of all people earn money.
In the Company
- The Producer himself, in his involvement in a SIM project one lives as a promoter of progress and is educated by it, starting to consider its role as not only linked to the generation of profit but also included in the production of values and well-being. Valid reasons to “be loved”.
- The SIM project will generate in the company that promotes it, a strong spirit of cohesion, collaboration, pride on the part of the workers involved. Giving an answer to that void of meaning that is often suffered in the production of consumer goods.
If SIM can easily be used in poor countries where most entrepreneurs are interested in making their way in the international market, a similar concept should also be applicable in our countries.
The idea of SIM is an expansion of the concept of “equal opportunities” challenged by private entrepreneurship and translated into “greater opportunities”. How is it possible to participate in the formation of “social fabric” starting for example from a small factory that produces “socks”. How can a factory become better than a factory? A factory is a powerful tool, it generates products, profits but above all —as far as the people who work there are concerned— it is a center of socialization.
This is the area where an entrepreneur can make a big difference by opening his factory to a variety of opportunities and supplementary, adjuvant, socializing activities. Specific training courses open to those in the community who normally do not have access, competitions, conferences, listening evenings, research, etc.
Several projects can be thought up and implemented without significantly impacting the budget, or by spreading the cost over a specific SIM project. In this case, the T-shirt, trousers, slipper or sock will be communicated to the public and the end customer as a SIM project because its cost includes the social integration activity.