Administrative Simplification in Casa Sauza

We started a project in 2009 which sounds easy to implement but it actually isn't: to simplify the administration processes at Casa Sauza. We many times have we faced inefficient systems when it comes to carrying out an administrative procedure regarding a government's agency? For example, when opening a personal business. We have realized that there are no easy or practical procedures to speed procedures up to finally obtain the final result: A license.

Something similar happens with the administrative procedures of any company. There are operating procedures, administrative processes and information management that generate inefficiency. Due to this situation, an excess of needles transactions happens, which results in hidden costs.

By analyzing the process flows and reviewing how the information moves, who generates it, who receives it, what use does it have and how many formats or reports must be filled, we can arrive to a fundamental question: Are the process and the information I am generating reliable?

Without a doubt, the implementation of the Administrative Simplification has led us to a challenging road but at the same time, it has given us an opportunity to become more efficient, not only at a production level but from an administration and management level as well.

Which has been the challenge of the Administrative Simplification carried out at Casa Sauza?

It is definitely impossible to simplify a process if you don't know it well. Our biggest challenge has been without a doubt, to analyze ALL of our procedures to the most minimum detail. By carrying out this thorough analysis, we were able to generate a lot of information which, without a well defined vision and without the support of a proper and well defined methodology to better manage the project, would cause chaos and conflict in the way of carrying out this analysis. We would also not be able to arrive to decisive results, as we actually did.

Vision and methodology

Our project's vision has been established by our Administration and Support Pillar, which is part of our TPM (Total Productive Management) system, and it is:

• To develop and implement policies and systems that contribute to strengthen our planning and our processes by means of an Administrative Simplification

When a project like the one I am sharing here with you is backed from an Organizational Vision, it will simply and gradually become the way of working and interacting within the company. It all deploys naturally throughout the organization. This is what we call a cultural change.

Regarding the methodology that we have followed, I can say that we, along with the Focused Improvement pillar, have applied as our most important methodology the 5 s's methodology. Without its thorough implementation, it would have almost been impossible for us to establish a solid Administrative Simplification.

There also many other tools that have helped us manage the information of the project and generate thus, great results with its implementation, such as:

• VALUE STREAM MAP
• MAKI GAMI
• KAIZEN STORY
• WHY/WHY ANALYSIS
• DECISIONS TREES

To which results have we arrived?

• 40% decrease of operational and administrative formats.
• 38% decrease in the delivery time of information from the distillation process area.
• 44% increase in the efficiency of the information delivery from the financial planning area.

We are still on the road of finding better ways to continuously improve our processes in order to achieve an operational excellence level. It is a never ending road to success!

Come and visit Casa Sauza and witness how the modernization of our tequila production processes deliver the purest tequila in the market.