Our Product & Applications Manager, Philippe Franckart, has been with Roto Western Europe for over two and a half years now. Roto More met up with him for a conversation.
Hi Philippe, can you tell us a bit about your role: what are some of the main tasks that you spend time on?
Most of my work is with the sales teams in Benelux, UK and Scandinavia. When a customer has a new request or project that they need us to work on, the sales representative creates a PA, which is the official request for me to assist. These requests can take many forms: a customer might want a product to be changed in some way, perhaps adapted to fit a profile. The client might want a profile check to be sure that a hardware system will work on their profile.
I often take care of managing local projects, working with colleagues in product management and production. I also arrange tests of windows and doors for airtightness, water resistance and security, and I also make sure we get the documentation customers need for their accreditation.
Also, when Roto international product management is developing a new hardware product, I am often involved in these projects from an early stage.
What would you say are the key skills you use in your role?
One is being able to do a lot of research, filter this down and focus on the essentials. The other is interpersonal skills. It’s a people-to-people job; it is important to be human. My job is more like project management where you bring resources together.
How do you work with the sales team and customers in Western Europe?
I have a lot of communication, mostly with the sales managers but also the individual sales people. We have a weekly review of the PAs to keep projects on track.
Are there any projects you have worked on that are especially interesting?
I have been involved with Patio Inowa and Inowa MAX since I joined, working with both system houses and customers. I have been involved in many profile checks for wooden elements in Scandinavia.
Inowa is an incredibly good system because it allows you to move a huge sliding door with just one or two fingers. When I go to trade fairs, I try different sliders and you always need to put some strength or body weight into it. That is not the case with Inowa.
The other thing about Inowa is safety. With the dedicated Soft systems for opening and closing, it is so gentle it cannot harm a child’s hand.
I am also involved in another project at the moment regarding handle colours. Aluminium systems houses sometimes make their own systems for customers in specific colours. One had a corten metallic finish, but the choice of Roto handle was limited to the basic colours. Now we can make handles the exact same colour as the profile. This will start with Inowa and then we might make it available for other product groups if there is demand.
What trends do you see happening in the window/door/hardware markets right now?
Hidden hardware is definitely something we are seeing more: concealed tilt and turn is becoming even more popular. This is reflected in the new Roto NX | C, the concealed version we previewed at Fensterbau 2024.
We also have the Solid C hinges for aluminium doors, which keep growing in popularity. Another door product we concentrate on right now is Roto Safe A | Tandeo, the locking system that gives all day security because it locks as soon as the door is closed.
We heard you are good at languages. Which languages do you speak?
French is my native language. I also speak Dutch, German and English. I know a bit of Spanish and Italian, although I learned them at the same time while working in both countries, so I sometimes get confused and mix them!
What is good about working at Roto?
For me it is an interesting job because no two days are exactly the same, sometimes I am doing different things each day of the week. The markets across Western Europe are varied, so I get to work on different products, different window materials. Lots of PVC in the UK, timber in Scandinavia and a real mixture in Benelux.
The strongest part would be the team. You don’t feel alone, you feel supported.
Can you tell us a couple of things you like doing in your spare time outside of work?
I am sometimes seen with a sword or an axe, but don’t worry, it’s medieval reenactment! I have been involved with this for some years. We do events in Belgium and sometimes other places such as the UK, France, Luxembourg and Germany. I am a fan of baseball. I play in a team and I am also an assistant trainer.
What message would you say to customers such as fabricators who are reading this article?
If you are working on a new project, please involve Roto as soon as possible because we can give recommendations on hardware setup and modification. This will help you get the best performance possible. Also consider the weathersealing because we can offer you Deventer seals that are the perfect match with Roto hardware.
A final thought?
We are all using technology more in our work and this brings many advantages and saves time, but the human factor is also very important. Let’s keep it that way, not replacing all human contact. When we come together and collaborate, we advance faster.
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