GS1 Mexico presented the second edition of the Business Factory (FDN) Supply Chain , which will take place on September 24 and 25, an event that aims to strengthen small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) by linking them in a supply chain that meets their needs.
SMEs are an important sector in Mexico, representing around 94% of the country’s establishments , according to the 2019 Economic Census of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) , and they contribute on average 50% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP); however, it is also a weak sector that statistically only survives the first three years after its opening.
Given this scenario, GS1 Mexico seeks to promote and professionalize SMEs given the need to seek opportunities at each step of the supply chain, from purchasing raw materials to invoicing.
“The important thing is that we can make different supply chain options available to these SMEs, seeking the opportunity for them to have better prices,” said Alejandro Trejo, Director of Associate Development at GS1 Mexico.
He explained that the percentage of expenditure that an SME allocates to its supply chain amounts to approximately 22%, while the percentage of expenditure of a large company is only 8%.
Juan Carlos Molina, general manager of GS1 Mexico, explained that this is due to the fact that large manufacturers have solved the issue of logistics costs due to their volumes , which is why FDN seeks to bring suppliers closer to SMEs with the costs of large manufacturers.
Juan Carlos Uribe, coordinator and leader of Supply Chain at GS1 Mexico, explained that the event covers every step of the chain, from raw materials, warehouse and suppliers, transportation, customers, communication, technology and innovation.
“It is SMEs for SMEs, if the SME does not understand what the error is, we want our showroom to be able to guide it and find tailor-made solutions,” he said.
Evelyn Ramírez, Supply Chain Sector Engagement Leader at GS1 Mexico, added that this is not limited to the event, as GS1 Mexico has support projects to support them from a global standard throughout the chain.
Following the success of the first edition, in which 540 attendees and 51 exhibitors participated in one day of the event, this year GS1 Mexico is upping the ante with an additional day of the event that will include conferences, exhibitors and business meetings; it is therefore expected to have up to 700 attendees .
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