DIGITAL CORPORATE CULTURE WITH THE POWER TO TRANSFORM

The knowledge of available technology, its capabilities and deployment thrust

Productos Alimenticios DIANA into keeping leadership in its country and territory

The Poductos Alimenticios DIANA food company has been a mainstay in El Salvador with a more than 70-year history. From its beginnings with a modest portfolio of handcrafted candy to growing beyond the border to become a leading food distribution company in El Salvador, Central America and the United States, DIANA has also established itself as one of the companies supporting its home country’s economic recovery.

Keeping a company such as DIANA not only with the head above the water, but also creating jobs and contributing to a country’s economy, encompasses efforts both within the company as well as in regards to external factors. It’s a must to keep up to date with demands from the way business is currently carried out, either through process digitization and automation, as well as with industry requirements, such as evolving demands from consumers.

“The way we defined success yesterday is not the same as we know it today. For example, growth was the only goal in the past; nowadays, sustainability is essential,” commented Julio Salazar, CIO

for Productos Alimenticios DIANA.

Solid Results Throughout A Productive Career

Julio Salazar has been the main responsible in leading and making sure DIANA relies on the adequate technology, with it being used to its fullest potential, optimizing operations in every front.

Salazar has achieved a more-than 20-year experience in key executive IT-related positions for companies in different industries.

From Salazar’s education, his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the José Simeón

Cañas Central American University (in El Salvador), a master’s in finance from the same institution, as well as international certifications such as

With 34 years of industry experience

Customer´s choice for integrated supply chain management software

Mobile App for Presales, Autosales, Delivery, Supervisor & Merchandisers

Dynamic Routing and Online monitoring

Online Orders Platform B2B2C

Sales Contact Center Software

Big Data and BI for analysis of KPIs

Backoffice module for management of commercial processes the PMP professional credential from the Project Management Institute (US), e-commerce and the software development cycle, stand out.

His leadership has contributed to important results through a combination of innovation, knowledge, strategic relationships and setting in motion processes able to articulate the IT agenda in the short, mid- and long term with strategic business plans.

“My role is to create business value through tech and analytics, empowering companies to achieve results, transform corporate relations, making the most from the adequate technology and prioritize investments,” the executive pointed out.

Digital Strategy With Solid Premises And Clear Purposes

Productos Alimenticios DIANA ventures toward the Industry 4.0 concept, increasing profitability in a sustainable way with an optimal use of today’s available resources, according to what the company requires.

With help from tools within the reach of any company, -such as AI, remote work apps and scalability in adoption velocity, among others-, different goals such as cost reduction and enabling employees to increase productivity have been accomplished, reaching digital maturity and the company’s fully-fledged potential.

DIANA’s digital strategy applies new technologies in existing business functions and is focused into enabling new digital capabilities, considering the following concepts as its pillars:

• Modern work: Up to date technology in aspects such as communication and its influence in company culture and strategy.

• Data and analytics democratization: Increasing each individual’s abilities through data access and understanding.

• Big data and cloud computing: For recovery, storage and processing of high volumes of information.

• AI: Deployment of intelligent agents in processes in which the chances to successfully achieve business goals become maximized.

• Automation, blockchain and IOT: Direct integration from the physical world to the computer-based world, resulting in efficiency improvements, economic benefits and reducing human effort.

Tangible Results In A Short Time

After arriving at DIANA during the COVID-19 pandemic, Salazar and his team wasted no time in establishing the goals for the company to reach the concepts of Industry 4.0, directing the company towards this accomplishment.

“We’ve recurred to cloud computing and analytics as the foundation of our transformation, every industry’s organization needs to increase the level of its digital maturity to achieve success and growth,” Salazar added.

Among the results obtained during this continuous process, the wide portfolio of successful brands, digital invoicing through every channel and considering data as an information asset certainly stand out, with data being not only a strategic resource, but one to committedly obtain the most of.

The double-digit increase in DIANA’s revenue is -in great measure- a result of recent solutions deployed in the company’s processes, such as Powerstreet software for points of purchase, distribution and sales on delivery. Another key factor has been the analytic-driven creation of insights.

“The company aims toward an organization able to expand its diversity in personalities, skills and ideas, which are requirements to adopt new digital abilities being sustainable in our growth,” the executive commented.

Process Acceleration Both Inward And Outward

The digital transformation that Productos Alimenticios DIANA has been through has led to the deployment of processes that have achieved a positive impact in interactions with suppliers and strategic partners, besides clients and prospective clients, with whom a more agile business relationship is being perceived, as well as a decrease in the procure-to-pay cycles.

Key goals in these processes continuous development are:

• Acceleration of the sales cycle as the sales cost is reduced.

• Finding new, ready to purchase clients.

• Answering to RFPs/RFIs, sending proposals and negotiating contracts.

• Managing purchase orders, sending invoices and receiving payments.

• Knowing when a payment is to be collected and what that payment covers.

• Strengthening relations with clients and increasing client retention.

Toward The Evolution Of A Digital Culture

During 2023, DIANA’s main task in digital matters is information unification through user-aimed automation programs, encouraging a culture able to keep devices connected, as well as a company mentality rooted on flexibility and openness to new ideas, new tech and new digital capabilities.

The digital culture on a corporate level being implemented at DIANA will dictate what kind of processes, apps and algorithms will be required, besides developing its data citizens, enabling them to allow them to elaborate from the data they receive, understand and process, thus developing new capabilities as they take this data into an understandable language.

“The commitment from the IT Department and myself is making technology fit to become part of our everyday lives. Information is being enriched to make better decisions,” finalized Julio Salazar, CIO for Productos Alimenticios DIANA.

FOUNDED: 1951

INDUSTRY: Food & Beverages / Tech

CONTACT: www.diana.sv