INTERVIEW WITH ATLANTIC GRUPA
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In 2021 at TRANSLOG Connect Atlantic Grupa won the 8th CEE Logistics and Supply Chain Excellence Award in the manufacturer category!
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Atlantic Grupa – one of the largest producer and distributer of FMCG in the ‘Adria region’ with more than 5200 employees, 14 production sites and 17 distribution centers. With our products we are present in more than 40 markets worldwide. Annually, our sales exceed 700mil € and Atlantic Grupa share is listed in Zagreb Stock Exchange prime market and has been reporting expected results in 50 quarters in a row.
Stojan Pašalić – working as a Supply Chain Development Manager at Atlantic Grupa. More than 10 years of experience in logistics and SCM in various companies and industries. With Atlantic since 2016, in charge of a small development department inside of SCM with a sole purpose of increasing productivity, decreasing costs, finding and implementing new technologies and processes.
Which challenges have you addressed in the project which won the award?
Stojan Pašalić "We are in the business of producing and distributing FMCG in a market with very low margins. In addition to that, it has been harder and harder to find workers, even with increased benefits. So we had to do everything we could to increase productivity and lower the cost so we could stay competitive. And we needed to bring the SLA up so we could stay relevant on the market."
What were the major achievements after the project had been implemented?
Stojan Pašalić "We significantly increased our productivity, lower the costs, increased service level to our customers. In addition to this, we obtained full visibility for many of our processes, gained insights which helped us better understand where we are right now. And where we should be tomorrow."
In your opinion how is the award supporting the developments of logistics in the CEE region?
Stojan Pašalić "People working in logistics and SCM are a competitive bunch. And this is healthy. With this award, no matter who gets it, you put a little bit of competitive drive to all our colleagues in other companies. And this is good. We are always the ones who are on the lookout for the things our competitors do and we don’t. This award helps us all in pushing the bar a little bit higher, day by day. I believe our work already put us out there, put us on the map. We are a small team in a relatively big company and even before we were always used as a bright example on how to go forward. This award confirms that, gives us personal and professional satisfaction, gives us recognition we deserve and what’s most important – a big push in willingness to go even further."
Which are the biggest challenges your department is currently facing?
What type of new solutions or methods are you planning to introduce in your current and upcoming project?
Stojan Pašalić "Being part of EU helped us a lot. But it also helped our current and potential workforce in finding job opportunities abroad. The market is competitive and you can increase benefits only for so much. And we need to tackle this problem. We are doing everything we can, everything feasible to improve our productivity and simplify the processes. Currently, we are in the market for many types of automatization in SCM and AG has started a huge project on all levels of unifying and simplifying the processes."
Are you planning to apply for the award again in the future?
Stojan Pašalić "Yes, we do. We are always doing new things and hopefully very soon we will be able to show the world."
Are you planning to attend TRANSLOG again next year?
Stojan Pašalić "Hopefully yes, I’ve heard many great things about TRANSLOG, and now seeing everything by myself, I don’t want to miss an opportunity to meet new people and see new things, get ideas we could use in our organization."
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If you think your solution is cutting-edge and should be recognized by the industry, apply for the 9th CEE Logistics & Supply Chain Management Excellence Award and put your business in the spotlight by presenting your solution at the upcoming TRANSLOG Connect Congress!
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