Walter Zárate, director of the Operations area of ​​the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad Austral, participated in a webinar organized by Visma Latam, in conjunction with the Faculty, on how to improve performance in the areas of operations and Supply Chain.

Walter Zarate, director of the Master's Program in Operations Management at Universidad Austral, He has many years of experience in the field. He has worked for companies such as Fargo, Mercedes Benz, Johnson & Johnson, Petrobras, and Grupo Perez Companc, among others.

Based on the demands identified in the companies with which the academic is linked through coaching managers, leaders and entrepreneurs, he has generated a different methodology for managing operations. It proposes to address performance improvements from a systemic perspective.

In addition to the importance of working from a systemic perspective, Romero highlighted that the The focus should be on the processes, with their proper integration with technology. It is important to start from the context that “We have to learn faster and better because technology forces us to have much more efficient processes.”Understanding the processes will allow you to begin improving the customer experience.

In this context, the Supply Chain plays a fundamental roleIt consists of the process integration belonging not only to the company, but also to the entire supply chain in the market, including suppliers, customers, and partnerships. Logistics is just one very specific aspect of the entire chain, but The challenge lies in being able to work in an integrated and collaborative manner to optimize the chain.

Many different factors and actors are involved in the entire chain. Therefore, How can the supply chain be improved to optimize the customer experience? In this regard, Walter mentioned a series of key points to consider:

• Train staff in processes: If a company has good processes, it will be able to provide better customer service. Well-configured processes, adaptable to market needs.
• Employee experience: To carry out joint initiatives with the company's collaborators, so that this then translates into better customer experiences
• Adopting technology as an enabler of change: today 80% of companies are in a transition stage towards more collaborative work and only the remaining 20% ​​are in a more mature stage.

What skills should be developed to improve operations management?

By integrating the three pillars of the plan—people, processes, and technology—excellent results can be achieved. Effective management of these three factors facilitates the need for rapid and effective learning.

Some of the tools recommended by the specialist to achieve better results:

• Lean Six Sigma: It facilitates process improvement and cost reduction, thereby adding value for the customer. It integrates the financial sector with the operations area.
• Business Case: It includes the preliminary project, the impact the project will have, and the operating costs after implementation.
• Project management: Primarily follow the PMI guidelines and use the business case to effectively estimate the costs and impact of the future project.
• Process Mining: It integrates data into processes, making increasing use of tools that allow monitoring and correction when necessary.
• Last mile In e-commerce: the customer is the focus.

Finally, Romero highlighted the importance of working on the Supply Chain Management soft skills Through coaching, team management, emotional intelligence, languages, and other tools, the company's employees can develop a range of competencies from a systemic perspective, leading to improved results.