In the current scenario of pandemic and social isolation, the best thing to do is to take advantage of your free time to study and improve your knowledge.

Mercado Eletrônico, being a reference in B2B e-commerce, realized the need to keep all professionals updated and created a live calendar with professors, executives and purchasing leaders from large companies to promote the most important issues in the market at this time.

The live sessions take place every Thursday and, in this post, you can check out the main insights from the chats in May.

 

Main moments from Mercado Eletrônico's May live streams

Risk Management: How to Prepare for the Post-COVID-19 World

This was the first live broadcast of the month of May and the guests invited to talk about the subject were the coordinator of FGV CELog – FGV-EAESP, Priscila Miguel, who was also a speaker at the ME B2B Summit 2019, and Marcelo Pereira, specialist in Supplier Management at Mercado Eletrônico.

The conversation brought up a great reflection on the current situation in Brazil and the world: every time a crisis hits, the first reaction of companies is to cut costs to try to survive the difficult times. However, have you ever stopped to think that perhaps this is not the best option?

It is a fact that demand from companies has fallen considerably and has caused many organizations to reduce, and even cancel, their orders with distributors and the industry. However, the result of these actions causes a domino effect on the scenario, which ends up impacting all links in the supply chain.

The consequence is clear: the most vulnerable companies will suffer the greatest impacts. In the short term, this action may not impact their supply chain and may give the false impression that it was the best measure to be taken. However, in the long term, when the entire pandemic situation is over and the market heats up again, with the bankruptcy and closure of some suppliers, companies may face major disruptions and supply difficulties.

To watch the chat in full, simply click here!

 

Why do digitalized companies have competitive advantages in times of crisis?

The second live event of May talked about the competitive advantage that digitalized companies have in times of crisis. The guest to help lead the discussion was the educational director of Live University – Inbrasc, Alex Leite.

Alex Leite separated the topic into three points.

• Scanning
• Process improvement through digitalization
• Digital transformation

With the quarantine decree in Brazil, many companies realized the importance of digitalization to continue processes and relationships, regardless of the location of their teams and customers. Thanks to the internet and technology, many businesses were able to continue operating and work teams around the world maintained their operations without suffering major impacts.

And these are just some of the reasons that prove that digitalized companies have a competitive advantage during the crisis, but there are many others, mainly focused on the B2B purchasing and sales areas.

Alex emphasized that digital transformation does not only involve the company, but also the professionals. This is a change in mindset that everyone must accept in order to enjoy the benefits of technology in the best possible way.

To watch the chat in full, simply click here!

 

Compliance in Purchasing: a strategic issue for organizations

Luciana Betiol, coordinator of FGVethics and researcher at FGV CELog, was the guest of this live session, which broke the record for live questions.

Compliance is a topic that is much discussed by purchasing professionals. The vast majority are familiar with it, but few enjoy the bureaucracy involved. After all, it is often seen as an obstacle, something related to obeying, conforming and conforming to an already established format.

Furthermore, professionals end up needing to change the way they carry out processes, adapting to the new rules established and defining a different way of proceeding.

Luciana believes that compliance can be a great strategic ally for organizations that are able to see it in a different light, as it is an indispensable factor in fostering more ethical and transparent relationships in the B2B market, both in times of prosperity and in times of crisis.

Compliance is a facilitator, which came to help in complying with several rules that were not created by the company, with the objective of improving the practices and processes of the areas.

For the professor, one point that can help companies in the compliance process is the use of technology. Among the benefits that digital transformation offers is traceability. With it, managers can analyze each step to understand whether the established ethics were respected by the professional or not, in addition to bringing fluidity and performance.

To watch the chat in full, simply click here!

 

How will the current scenario change the future of the Supply Chain?

How will the current scenario change the future of the supply chain?

This is the question that many professionals are asking during the pandemic and to help answer it, we invited three purchasing executives from Nestlé Brazil: Marcelo Nascimento (VP of supply chain), Marcelo Santos (purchasing manager) and Leandro Chirinea (head of purchasing).

It is true that the current scenario of unpredictability has revealed several weaknesses in the supply chain worldwide. Among them, we can mention the lack of redundancy, where many companies depended on only one supplier, only one factory or had only one transportation route. However, the main point of weakness that became evident was the lack of knowledge and visibility of the supply chain.

This highlighted the need for professionals to change their mindset and design smarter, stronger and more diversified supply chains. In other words, they are ready to suffer impacts and still continue operating without major disruptions.

As a result of the crisis, companies will begin to value local suppliers and stop giving preference to imports, in addition to working with a wider variety of partners.

The current situation has also clearly shown the importance of digitalization to control the supply chain, as factories are currently operating continuously, but many professionals are managing things remotely, which is only possible through a digital platform.

To watch the chat in full, simply click here!

 

This was a brief summary of everything that happened in the May lives, here at ME.

In June, we will have a lot more content to share with you. Click here and view the calendar to sign up for upcoming live chats.

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