SMU S . A .
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SMU is a Chilean supermarket chain and part of CorpGroup , formed at the end of 2007 from the acquisition of more than 60 regional supermarkets chains . Currently , it is the supermarket company with the largest coverage in Chile with sales of $ 3.6bn annually .
The company has more than 500 stores throughout the 15 regions of the country through its different formats ( Unimarc , Alvi , Supermarket Wholesale 10 , OK Market and Telemercados . cl ) that adapt to the needs of customers .
Melania Chaverri , Head of Procurement , has been a key person in the success of SMU . She was part of the company between 2010 and 2011 as Procurement Manager , returning in 2014 as Head of the division to help drive the firm ’ s restructuring and modernisation plan . The was applied between 2014 and 2016 with focus on commercial strengthening , operational efficiency and financial and organisational development .
“ My role within SMU has been to restructure the purchasing area in a centralised manner , implementing a planned sourcing strategy for goods , services and assets that we call ‘ no retail ’. Part of this process has been to transform decentralised tactical purchasing management into a centralised model ,” explains Chaverri . “ We have also structured purchasing policies and procedures incorporating technology within the supply process through e-procurement solutions such as Ariba , which will allow us to achieve greater efficiency in the processes and reduce trading times . “ On the other hand , we have a collaborative work model with the other functional areas of the company , which allows us to align supply strategies with corporate goals and objectives set by senior management .”
OPERATIONAL COST CONTROL AND QUALITY STANDARDS One of the strategies Chaverri has worked on has been the intelligent
AUGUST 2018