A reference figure for all Apparounders, Francesco Bacchini has held the role of Chief Operating Officer since 2018, with direct responsibility for the Cloud service, customer support and delivery of projects. Additionally, it manages and coordinates initial onboarding and run operations across all Apparound production platforms.
We asked Francesco to take a few minutes of his time to answer some questions.
Hi Francesco. Before starting, we’d like to get to know you better: can you tell us something about yourself, your life and your current role in Apparound?
I have always had a great passion for the world of Information Technology. A predilection that has allowed me to work in this area, trying to lower the stress level typical of those who work in the IT sector. I currently hold the position of COO in Apparound, a company in which I have been working since 2015.
Since the birth of my two children my personal balance has changed, but despite this I still manage balance my time between family, work and my hobbies. Outside working hours I am a guitar enthusiast, a bicycle lover and … a trusted organizer of barbecues 😊
The two-year period 2020-2021 will be remembered as the moment of the definitive transition to digital, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. How did you experience this transition period?
We experienced the lockdown and the consequent transition to remote working with extreme tranquility. Our way of working has always been oriented towards digital and flexibility. All our internal and customer support processes were already managed remotely. We were able to “absorb shocks”, face the situation and overcome complexities by adapting positively. We questioned ourselves but the result was very good.
The pandemic has allowed companies to make a significant leap forward in the digitization of processes. Detaching oneself from the paradigms of the physical office has made it possible to increase productivity, eliminate expenses (thanks to the closure of physical offices) and improve one’s predisposition towards change.
Precisely in the light of the race to digitalization, the figure of the COO has a transversal responsibility within a company, operating both on the internal management of customers and on planning linked to innovation. What can you tell us about your direct experience?
As previously mentioned, the management of customers and related projects has not changed much as we already had a very flexible internal culture oriented towards remote-working.
We have learned to optimize time, eliminating unnecessary meetings and learning to manage the various assistance tasks remotely, with a consequent elimination of the physical presence in the office in favor of greater efficiency and timeliness in the resolution of requests.
Regarding the product, before the pandemic the Apparound solution was mainly used by salespeople live, during meetings with customers. Now, however, sales departments are more used to managing work remotely. For this reason we have worked on an improvement of the network infrastructure, to better manage requests. The functionality of the solution has also been modified to meet customer needs and market demands.
What goals do you want to achieve with the team in the near future?
As you well know, our profession / work is constantly evolving and to keep up with the times we will have to work hard, to become more competent in other sectors than those in which we operate.
But not only: the recent events in the Cyber Security & Data Defense field require us to improve, both from the cultural point of view and the number of resources used. The same goes for our network infrastructure which, over time, has acquired a greater specific weight and will need further upgrades. After all, whoever stops is lost!
About Francesco Bacchini
Francesco Bachini graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pisa. Immediately after graduating, he began his career as a Business Analyst and Product Manager within numerous companies in the area. Since 2018 he has held the role of COO in Apparound.