Buon Giorno!
If you’re from Pitt, I am sure you are more than familiar with the nationality rooms in the Cathedral of Learning. Here in Florence, my classrooms are not far from what the Italian room looks like—frescoes, statues, and beautiful windows. The only difference is the Florentine professors that come with it.
I truly am enjoying all of my classes here. I am taking five—my favorites being Sculpture – Figure and Portrait and Managing Global Supply Chains. In sculpture, I gain a whole new appreciation for the amazing sculptures that fill the city of Florence. Class has become one of my favorite parts of the week because for three hours, I can work in silence and reflect on this amazing experience while creating art at the same time! All of my classes have Italian professors, which has been the best way to learn tidbits about Italian culture from not only a global citizen but also on an international business level. My supply chain professor, Lorenzo, runs one of the most innovative third-party logistics companies in Italy—Kostelia. He has worked across many industries and can provide insight on everything. Even now, he updates us on the impacts of the Houthi rebels on his business and what he has to do to combat these issues.
Last week, Lorenzo took us on a field trip outside of the city to visit the newest Kostelia warehouse. It used to be a storage facility for Prada! There, Kostelia acts as the B2C intermediary for many different products, from lightbulbs to luxury perfumes. (The perfumes made the warehouse smell so good.) This opportunity allowed me to see how complex and dynamic the logistics of a warehouse can be. Additionally, I really enjoyed observing the culture of the warehouse. Everyone on the floor was happy to be there, and most are old friends of Lorenzo. This has been one of the major “aha” moments I have had thus far—Italians prefer to work with friends and family as opposed to avoiding close work relationships as a conflict-prevention measure in the United States. I think this works because a sense of community rules over greed. In today’s lecture, Lorenzo taught us about quality management. In the States, we are taught methodologies that are extremely quantitative and analytical to reduce errors in the production line. This often results in the need to be harsh with the workers on the floor in the name of quality control. In Italy, however, quality control internally means meeting the needs of your workers first. If their needs are met or even surpassed, quality expectations will also be met. On a similar note, they also take a considerably more amount of breaks. Quality time off = quality working production.
Overall, I am really enjoying learning everything I can about Italy inside and outside of the classroom. I have found the absolute best thing you can do here is commit to your classes and the opportunity to learn, not just travel. A good balance of the two results in an extremely rewarding experience!
Arrivederci!
Brooke Eyler