Blitz interview with Ilia Popov, our Senior Cost Accountant

Ilia Popov is a Senior Cost Accountant in the ETEM Gestamp team. He joined the company three years ago at an exciting time, just after the merger of ETEM (part of the holding Viohalco) and the Spanish company Gestamp. The work is highly dynamic given the new trends in the automotive industry and the transition to electric vehicles, which is associated with innovative approaches in producing various components such as battery boxes. Ilia's primary duties are the valuation of the manufactured products and the preparation and automation of part of the reports associated with analyzing production costs and consumptions.

Ilia, you are one of the awarded employees in the new initiative of ETEM Gestamp - "Top Pilots." What are the challenges of tracking costs in heavy manufacturing with multiple standardized processes and designs for the automotive industry?

First, I want to thank the company's management for being nominated for this great initiative's first edition. The work in the financial department of Etem Gestamp is exciting and dynamic. We face various challenges in meeting the automotive industry's high demands every day. ETEM Gestamp is constantly preparing solutions for new car models as a fast-growing company pursuing further expansion. A significant point here is the correct and detailed presentation and analysis of current production costs used as part of the source information. In this regard, during the past year, I led an exciting project related to the automated detailed presentation of incurred production costs by various categories. The implementation of the project allows us to concentrate on certain deviations and track the costs incurred easily and quickly.

What innovative approaches do you implement to achieve faster and better data transfer in the company?

As you know, the automotive industry is constantly developing and using new technologies to make cars safer, more comfortable, and more environmentally friendly. Being part of the supply chain for the leading companies in this field, we also must maintain a constant high level of product quality and the flow of information. We rely on multiple integrated systems such as ERP, automated warehouse systems (ASS), intelligent real-time tracking systems, and many others to support this quality. Thus, keeping track of the company's expenses is more exciting than many think, but it becomes very challenging.

Tell us your productivity trick, and do you have your own way of dealing with the more challenging situations at work?

It may sound cliché, but being productive is at the core of being focused. Loss of focus can often prevent seemingly simple tasks from being completed. Another trick I "secretly" use is old-fashioned sticky notes. I usually resort to it to systematize and prioritize my tasks. I advise anyone who has not tried or thinks that saving a note on the phone/laptop is faster and more convenient to do a similar experiment. You will quickly see that this trick will help you organize your work quickly and efficiently.