Risk management in the supply chain contributes to a decrease in disruptions, cost reduction, and economic losses, among other factors, industry specialists agreed
Raúl Méndez, COO of Business Development at Grupo Quatro , specified that the risks range from factors such as weather, suppliers, geopolitics, energy, to name a few.
“We are living in a very chaotic, disruptive, and divergent world. Today, there are many risks, and we cannot ignore risk as a factor in competitiveness, profitability, or growth,” he noted during the Supply Chain Risk Management Intelligence and Strategy meeting , organized by the #SoyLogístico Association .
Jorge Bernal, Head of Supply Chain Waters at Nestlé , commented that to minimize risks, with its main commodity being water, the company carries out actions such as reforestation, and also has its plants strategically located for the extraction of the liquid.
“There is an investment in reforestation around the spring, in the communities so that the water regeneration continues,” he stressed.
In that regard, he asserted that the regulations on water use being promoted by the federal government are demanding, but necessary . “We welcome the fact that these regulations are being implemented. In some cases, companies were buying water for one use and using it for another, and this will help to bring order to the situation going forward and ensure a water supply for the next 10 to 15 years.”
Manuel Farías, Systems Director at PM Steele , commented that the company maintains inventories to avoid impacting its customers, primarily in terms of prices, and also offers various alternatives to ensure a quality product.
“We have four plants, one specialized in wood that we are offering to the North American market in a positive way; they have received our product well. But in the steel sector, we are constantly bringing in a portion of inventory so as not to affect prices and to maintain communication in order to bring in good quality steel,” he added.
Similarly, he said that security “cannot be left in just anyone’s hands, so specialized personnel are required, “we are developing our team of specialists.”
Jorge Bernal also explained that the company invests in security systems and equipment for the distribution of its product.
“We don’t own any trucks; everything is outsourced. It’s a challenge. We’ve invested in security equipment, technology, and real-time alert systems. We’ve also provided training to the trucking companies on how to respond to an attempted robbery or kidnapping, and we’ve changed our routes. There’s been a lot of analysis, and we’ve addressed the root causes of the robberies. It’s a lot of training for continuous improvement,” he said.
Meanwhile, Adriana Santana, Head of Construction and Compliance at Naturasol , a food marketing company, explained that the company’s risks go hand in hand with factors of safety, quality, policy, environment and social impact .
“We have an integrated management area that handles evaluations, and another area for quality and chemicals that evaluates the production line and subjects it to various tests to ensure it’s free of bacteria. Additionally, we conduct fumigations, and our clients visit our plants to verify that we are in compliance. We have many filters in place,” he stated.
He explained that the political factor was a risk that impacted the company, “a lesson learned, we had not considered the political issue, much of our raw material comes from South Africa, so we have to be monitoring this aspect.”
In that regard, Raúl Méndez mentioned that having various actions in place that anticipate a quick and efficient response to this type of incident can save between five million dollars (USD) and 15 million dollars annually .
He emphasized that anticipating disruptions requires six steps, including identifying potential risks that could affect the supply chain, analyzing and mitigating them—that is, developing strategies for their control
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