Bimbo: Breadmaking Giant Transformed by Drivin

Bimbo stands as a beacon of industry excellence, a multinational Mexican corporation that has been in the global market for over 75 years. As of today, its powerful influence spans across 33 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa, securing significant market shares in each. Having made its advent into Colombia 25 years ago, Bimbo has indisputably dominated the breadmaking sector.

"Drivin has instigated a profound paradigm shift within our operations. Its transformative impact was such, that its application has permeated other business segments within our enterprise.

As we perceive it to be a remarkable project and an immensely proficient tool, we have commenced deploying Drivin in Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, and Peru, having initially embarked on its use in Colombia."

Fermín Peralta | Value Chain Manager - Bimbo Colombia

Bimbo's current operational footprint comprises seven prolific plants and 32 sales hubs spread across Colombia's major urban centres like Barranquilla, Cali, Medellin, Pereira, and Bogota, with the latter boasting the country's three largest establishments.

Drivin steps in

Preceding Drivin's arrival, the majority of logistical processes were conducted manually, leading to a scarcity of insights into unit locations or order traceability. Reporting was restricted to telephonic conversations, with no tool in place to facilitate informed decision-making.

"Customer satisfaction and delays were ambiguous and highly subjective aspects. We were oblivious to our fleet's activities, engulfed in uncertainty due to our limited visibility.

Drivin propelled our operations towards a significant turnaround. The tool offered us real-time transparency across our entire last-mile fleet and facilitated delivery tracking.

With Drivin, we've not only optimized our dispatch routes, but we're also now privy to delivery details and instantaneous customer satisfaction data," says Fermín.

Bimbo in the Pandemic

Fermín Peralta, Value Chain Manager for Bimbo Colombia, is the one in charge of orchestrating the automation of pivotal logistics processes within the corporation. He shares that their resilience during the pandemic was significantly strengthened by the technologies they had adopted.

"The pandemic posed a formidable challenge. In the absence of physical presence at each of our operations, the question loomed - How could we attain traceability of vehicles and orders without being on-site? The answer was furnished by Drivin, a tool fortuitously incorporated into our operations pre-pandemic."

Through Drivin's cutting-edge logistics technology, they gained more than traceability; they received valuable decision-making insights, fortifying their capabilities to navigate the pandemic.

"During the pandemic, the relevance of this technology soared. It endowed us with vital data for route planning according to agreed timelines. It provided real-time updates on our unit locations and enabled us to gauge the punctuality of our deliveries and the quality of service we provided, thereby enriching our understanding of our customers' experiences," Fermín adds.

Factual data, KPIs, route optimization, transit times, times for sales legalization, and reverse logistics are among the processes that have been considerably enhanced since Drivin's implementation.

Moreover, Fermín discusses their plans to incorporate new features like Drivin's Tray Control, offering comprehensive visibility in the last mile - an innovation he claims is not available in other companies.

This feature emerged from Bimbo's unique delivery method, using three types of trays: large, medium, and small. These trays had to be returned to the company for manual process control, with drivers recording how many trays were delivered and collected.

With Drivin's Tray Control, a digital record-keeping revolution has been set in motion. The application generates downloadable files that reflect pre-liquidations, returns, and the number of trays delivered or collected by the driver at each location.

Fermín's parting wisdom for enterprises grappling with logistical challenges is to "Explore. There are numerous routing tools out there, but not all tailor to your company's unique needs or grasp its objective. While logistics remains a constant, each company is different.

Drivin, I believe, comprehends these needs adeptly, materializes them, and assists companies in implementing these solutions. This was the added value we were seeking in a routing tool, and Drivin delivered. Hence, we pledged our loyalty to them," he concluded.

If you're looking for a customized solution to your company's logistical challenges, feel free to leave your details in the form below. A Drivin representative will be delighted to connect with you.