CEMEX Nicaragua

_Overview

The CEMEX company was founded in 1906 in Mexico. Today it is a global leader in the building materials industry, with presence in more than 50 countries.

CEMEX Nicaragua is a market leader and has been part of this great global family since 2001. The CEMEX plant in San Rafael del Sur is the only one in Nicaragua that performs the complete cement production process and additionally offers a 24/7 dispatch service.

_{The Challenge}

The plant in San Rafael del Sur receives traffic from different heavy vehicles. Some deliver raw material for production, while others pick up bagged and bulk cement to be dispatched.

The cement dispatch process has different stages to serve customers, with varying waiting and attention times to complete the cycle. The supervision of the clients' route used to be carried out manually, supported by radio communicators and mobile phones. This route started from an external parking lot to the scale exit, on a course that stretches for more than 600 meters.

CEMEX listened to its customers and prioritized a plan to optimize the dispatch route, reorganizing and implementing technology to reduce bottlenecks that affected cycle time.

Once operational improvements had been established to reduce time, the company published an RFP in search for an automation solution that could manage the customers' route and guarantee the coordination and visibility of the service in real-time.

_{The Solution}

Q-nomy's channel partner and integrator in the region, ACF LatAm, demonstrated that it had the experience and track record to carry out a project of this magnitude, taking advantage of the capabilities of the Q-Flow platform.

The first step was a visit to the San Rafael del Sur plant, led by one of ACF consulting experts. There, observations were made in each stage to identify opportunities for improvement, and a modeling document was created.

Once the model was approved, ACF deployed the various Q-Flow modules necessary to implement the solution.

• Q-Flow Customer Flow Management

Once the driver arrives at the plant to pick up a product, they enter their data in the self-service kiosk or point of entry. They are then issued a shift ticket that guarantees them their space and is evidence that they will be dispatched, and can choose to wait in their truck or in the waiting room.

• Q-Flow Customer Interaction Management - SMS Notifications

The system sends the customer an SMS notification of their order number, truck license plate number, and time. Likewise, they receive another message at the end of the upload notifying the service time.

• QR codes

The ticket issued by the kiosk contains a QR code, which an infrared scanner on the scale can later read. This automatically activates the display on dispatch screens, indicating that that shift is already entering the plant.

• Digital Signage

Screens have been deployed throughout the plant with information on the different stages of the process: shift number, truck license plate number, order number, number of units per station, and service times. The screens allow CEMEX carriers and personnel to have visibility at all times.

• Customized Mobile Console

Due to the safety characteristics and exposure to sun, dust, and rain, a mobile user interface was designed that allows handling with safety gloves. The dispatchers find all the information to manage the customer queues, and have clear information and visibility of each service.

• Reports and Alerts

Monitoring and continuous improvement are enabled by a customized dashboard provided to managers. In addition, email notifications are sent to the plant manager when a case has longer than desired wait times.

Reports also include the satisfaction survey results for carriers. The survey is carried out on each entrance to the plant and is available in the self-service kiosk process.

_{The Results}

The following results have been reported:

• Service cycle times have been reduced by more than half, resulting in a significant improvement in the customer experience and the Net Promoter Score (NPS) - satisfaction measurement that CEMEX performs quarterly.
• Resource optimization according to demand has been enabled through traffic analysis reports.
• Reduction of customer stress levels through SMS notifications and digital screens that provide information on shift positioning.
• Decrease in complaints and claims that concern speed and performance, an issue no longer representing a dissatisfaction alert.

“Every implementation has challenges and cultural changes. The key is to focus on providing a useful tool for users – this facilitated success in the adoption process for clients and internal staff”

– Jorge Abdalah, Customer Centricity Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador, CEMEX