— Gabriel Guzman Director , Raw Materials , Agricultural Development & Utilities , AB InBev Middle Americas

of the chief brewers , but by the quality of materials ,” says Guzman . “ Without that , you cannot achieve the high standards that we have in the organisation .” Regionally , this year , adverse weather conditions led to 50 % of the barley crop in Mexico being lost . ABI ’ s worldwide presence , however , means that such an eventuality does not spell disaster . “ In order to find the quality that we need , the teams have to mobilise globally with all their counterparts in other regions . To maintain a sustainable , high standard of beer , you have to be dynamic .”

Tying its efforts together is the deployment of technology . The volatility of prices and currencies in the region has led to the development of computer models which can help to protect against future price volatility . Robotic process automation has been another focus . “ We can reduce the amount of man hours spent on very basic tasks , freeing us up to evaluate the procurement function , to think in more strategic ways and to add value . We use robots , for instance , to help with managing and indexing contracts .” Another innovation involves the introduction of inter-departmental buying software . “ We use a platform similar to Amazon whereby the different functions within the organisation can order whatever they need ,” says Guzman . “ That may be people in marketing , in legal , et cetera . They can order certain amounts without approval , which help them to expedite the process .”

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