Mercedes-Benz Brazil

Tradition, quality and innovation at Mercedes-Benz do Brazil

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Reinventing the automotive industry

WRIT TEN BY

M ARÍA COBANO-CONDE PRODUCED BY

M ANUEL NAVARRO

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Mauricio Mazza, CIO at Mercedes-Benz Brazil, offers the keys to Daimler’s digital transformation through innovation, sustainability and employees

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aimler AG belongs to that select group of companies that has had the privilege of forging history.

The history of the automobile began in 1886 with Daimler’s first motor carriage and Carl Benz’s three-wheeled vehicle.

Since then, Daimler has been synonymous with tradition, quality and innovation.

This stamp is printed in its five divisions: Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services.

Mauricio Mazza, CIO at Mercedes-Benz Brazil, one of the companies of Daimler AG, explains the great responsibility of the company in Brazil as the leader in innovation in the automotive industry.

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THE BASIS FOR THE FUTURE, IN THE CULTURE SHIFT Daimler founded its Brazilian production plant in 1956, in the city of São Bernardo do Campo (São Paulo). It was one of the first automotive manufacturing companies that decided to start operations in the country, thanks to the opportunities in the truck manufacturing market.

Mazza begins: “The community had a strong participation in making this possible, as we covered the heavy need for transportation through trucks 06

and buses to move people and goods

“ As a company, Daimler has confidence that our history and our culture are strong assets that we have to use” — Mauricio Mazza, CIO at Mercedes-Benz Brasil

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘MERCEDES-BENZ MUSEUM: AWAKEN YOUR INNER CHILD’ 07 around. I think the company has very

culture, that allows us to continue

strong ties with Brazil and what makes

growing while being relevant for the

us unique, besides this strong link, is

economy of Brazil,” Mazza analyses

that we have a very broad portfolio of

about the beginnings in Brazil.

products that has, in many ways, adapted to the Brazilian reality.”

“We also have dense penetration

From this strong market position, Daimler is going through a deep cultural change in its strategy and internal

in the different logistics areas in the

culture. That change, of course, is

country: transportation for retail,

based on innovation. “We always had

for agribusiness, for oil and gas, for

a very strong culture of innovation;

chemicals and for several different

I think this is something that in the DNA

types of industries is essential. That

of Daimler, ever since the founding of

has positioned us uniquely in terms

the company. We always had strong

of knowledge of the market, relation-

engineering departments here in Brazil

ships with key players as well as the

particularly; it was something very w w w. m e r c e d e s - b e n z . c o m . b r

important in the company, and we live

big investments that we are deploying

up to those standard.”

to redesign our plant. We believe that

“It’s not innovation per se and alone,

every innovation is important and

but innovation applied to the busi-

that it belongs to everybody. All the

ness that moves into efficiency. We

employees in the company.”

have the recognition mechanics, the and from the whole board on really

INNOVATION IN MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

developing innovative solutions that

As Mazza states, innovation at all levels

don’t necessarily need to be big and

is the key to Daimler’s transformation

expensive. It does not matter if it is

in Brazil: “We have been making a huge

a small detail on the shop floor or the

investment for the last two years in

support from specific departments

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E

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Mauricio Mazza graduated in Mechatronics Engineering in 1999 from the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

For over 16 years Mauricio has worked as a consultant, helping clients through the challenges of business and technology innovation, enabling them to become more relevant and valuable.

Whilst always valuing and respecting everyone’s insight — client or colleague, analyst or VP — Mauricio’s down-to-earth yet empowered approach allows him to contribute at both operational and executive levels, building relationships rooted in credibility and trust.

Mauricio developed his skills serving different clients, industries and cultures, with over three years of international experience working in the US and Europe, besides multiple locations within Brazil.

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C OMPA N Y FA C T S

• Daimler divisions are Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, MercedesBenz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services • In 2017, the Group sold around 3.3 million vehicles and employed a workforce of more than 289,300 people in the world • The history of the automobile began in 1886 with Daimler’s first motor carriage and Carl Benz’s three-wheeled vehicle • Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa • In 2017, Daimler generated €164,330mn in revenue

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redesigning and rebuilding our own factory. We are trying to rebuild our production lines and our logistics infrastructure around the new digitalisation and automation capabilities that are there in the market, or that we are pioneering or inventing.”

“In general, we are driving around 15% to 20% efficiency with the new layouts of the logistics and production. Previously, we had two assembly lines, but we amalgamated them into one single line that is more efficient 12

than the other two combined with more flexibility” – explains Mazza – “We are applying the same concepts of flexibility and digitalisation to the assembly lines for chassis, engines, trucks, gearboxes and cabins.”

Besides that, for even further enhancements in its digitalization strategy,

is not only on the company and the

Daimler Brazil is partnering with tech-

employees, but also for the client, as

nology giants such as Microsoft, IBM,

we have a parallel improvement in

T-Systems and additional partners such

terms of quality, failure prevention,

as start-ups and niche players such as

vehicle testing and a series of activi-

Semantix as well as hardware/automa-

ties to create better, more technologi-

tion solution partners like Durr.

cally advanced and safer products.

Subsequently, the positive effect

Our customers are the first ones to

of this transformation is spreading

benefit and we believe that by the

across all stakeholders. “The effect

time Brazil recovers as an economy,

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our production figures will probably increase significantly, because we are in a better position to fulfil our customers’ requirements, more efficiently.”

PEOPLE, PLANET AND PROFIT Sustainability, as a driving force for change, is also a priority for Daimler in Brazil and part of its culture shift. As Mazza explains: “People, Planet and w w w. m e r c e d e s - b e n z . c o m . b r

“ We have a very strong culture of innovation, ever since the founding of the company” — Mauricio Mazza, CIO at Mercedes-Benz Brasil

ronmental regulations, but also going further and trying to offer something really relevant for society and the local community around us.”

This approach is ingrained in the sales strategy of the company, as Mazza explains: “It needs to make economic sense – we believe that we have to not only focus on being green, on being environmentally correct, and empowering our people. We need to do that in the direction of maintaining the company’s profitability while ensuring that the initiatives are profitable for sale on this journey.”

Profit, the three Ps, is a framework out in the market. You have to make

PARTNERSHIP IN A CUSTOMERCENTRIC ERA

a combination of these three dimen-

As Daimler Company in Brazil we are

sions to be successful in terms of

laying a very clear vision for the future,

sustainability.”

challenges lay ahead. This includes the

that has been more and more used

“In São Bernardo we have our huge

manufacturing of e-vehicles, and car-

manufacturing plant, and also a hos-

rying on with building trust in the brand.

pital sponsored by the company and

“Electrical is definitely a very strong

a firefighter station that not only serve

component of the strategy. Daimler

the company but also the local com-

launched the fully electric vehicle called

munity around the plant. We are, in

EQC in Stockholm on September, 4th

both ways, from a people and a planet

– our first 100% electrical vehicle.”

perspective, very concerned and active not only to withstand local envi-

“The electrification of the powertrain is not our only priority, but we also w w w. m e r c e d e s - b e n z . c o m . b r

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“ I think every company in the automative industry is facing one very big challenge: reinventing themselves� — Mauricio Mazza, CIO at Mercedes-Benz Brasil

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have to understand how we can make the usage of our products more efficient both economically for our customers and the environment. We want to make sure our vehicles are shared and that they have a better occupation of the capacity of the equipment and the assets. This is definitely a significant

part of our strategy that is not only

one in the market will be able to offer

a long-term dream but a dream that is

solutions by himself to all kinds of prob-

turning into reality as we speak.�

lems that our customers could have.

For Mazza, liaising with Daimler’s

It involves collaboration, partnership

customers in Brazil is an integral part

and a combination of strengths and

of facing the future: “I think the key

openly talking about your weaknesses

message is to be open to listen, and be

and where you can improve. All this

humble enough to understand that no

technology and the wider trends need

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to be used to become really customercentric to solve your customer’s problems or requirements and fulfil their expectations, comprehensively.”

“I think every company in the automotive industry is facing one very big challenge: reinventing themselves.

That is, trying to understand how the future will look; what the future is holding for us in the next 20, 30 years.

What will the role of mobility be in a new fully digital society, and how can digital change impact our business? I think one important challenge

1956

Year Mercedes-Benz do Brasil founded

+ 10,000 Approximate number of Mercedes-Benz do Brasil employees

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘MERCEDES-BENZ | PEÇA PARA UMA ESTRELA’ 19 is to understand the digital mechanics of the industry.”

“As a company, Daimler has confidence that our history and our culture are strong assets that we have to use.

We are also very aware that the past success is no guarantee of a future success, so we have to be very smart, to be very alert and to be very sensitive to the changes that are going on in the market,” concludes Mazza.

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MERCEDES-BENZ DO BRASIL A DAIMLER AG COMPANY Av. Alfred Jurzykowski 562 Paulicéia São Bernardo do Campo São Paulo, Brazil T + 55 11 4173 6611 E pool-id.mercedes-benz_press@ daimler.com www.mercedes-benz.com.br