The performance delivered by BOMI GROUP in Colombia and LATAM provides solid support for the healthcare sector by relying in flexibility and adaptability toward each client’s needs
The BOMI GROUP story began in 1985 in Milan, Italy, helping the healthcare sector. It didn’t take long to expand across Europe; and after a decade’s worth of success, BOMI GROUP arrived in Latin America, bringing its know-how and ability in 3PL (third-party logistics) to supply consumables and medical equipment in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Panama and Peru.
The increase in BOMI GROUP’s presence across the map is due to a constant drive to attain excellence beyond compliance by setting a higher bar with help from the company’s own benchmarking standards. The specialized management, storage and conveyance of equipment, medication and disposable materials by BOMI GROUP becomes a crucial, indispensable resource raising demand from a clientele whose main common attribute is global presence and the ultimate goal of saving lives.
Key presence in Colombia
BOMI GROUP opened for business in Colombia in 2010, arriving in this country under a client’s request, as usual. Its presence across Colombian territory has expanded from Bogota, the country’s capital, to Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cali, Medellin and Pereira, adding up to 194,000 sq.ft. worth of storage facilities. BOMI HEALTHCARRIER is able to store and convey devices, medication, diagnostic reagents and cosmetics everywhere in the country directly or through strategic partners in a cold chain with the required handling provisions.
In the Colombian market, BOMI GROUP is the first company to deliver for home care services. Other innovations in the country comprise the GECOS proprietary management system, able to provide a complete inventory service of stock levels, and the Virtual Branch solution for companies in a streamlined operation.
Besides ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 compliance, BOMI is also certified under the local BPM (good manufacturing practice certification) and INVIMA (National Food and Drug Surveillance Institute) standards, providing furnishings to more than 25 medical device and reagent importers under CCAA (certificate for conditioning and storage capacity) regulations. The company also earned the “Positive” status from Secretaría de Salud (health ministry), which certifies storage and conveyance of healthcare products.
“The most important challenge brought by certifications is maintaining them, supported by our own inspections and audits. Keeping up to date with these is based in permanent training and continual innovation. Any procedure created two years ago not adapted to this day should be improved,” said Javier Soracci, country manager in Colombia for the BOMI GROUP
The experienced Soracci has 21-year experience in logistics for the healthcare sector under his belt. Soracci graduated in Business Administration from UADE (Argentine University of Enterprise) and afterwards earned an MBA from the Deusto Business School, in Spain. Before taking the reins of the Colombian operation for the BOMI GROUP, he led the company’s operation in Chile. Soracci also worked for top companies within this business sector in Argentina -his home country- and neighbor Uruguay.
“Every country has its own ways and that should be understood. One should adapt to it. These are all rewarding experiences,” the executive declared.
Global demand for efficiency-driven leadership
The 20 markets where BOMI GROUP provides substantial support to the healthcare sector share high level operational standards, easing business development and expansion for clients growing into new territories.
In the regional level, the now virtual meetings among country managers and heads of different departments allow detection of areas for improvement, new business opportunities and sharing solutions for similar procedures. Cross selling is a common practice for BOMI GROUP in Latin America and other territories as a result of delivering outstanding solutions to clients desiring a successful outcome across their global presence.
IT resources
The IT structure along constant development of proprietary software solutions at BOMI GROUP benefits not only the company’s tasks, but also clients’ interaction with inventory status, product request and tracking interfaces.
Systems already delivering results, such as BOMI WMS, Botrack, Boclaim and BOMI Business Intelligence are now joined by ONETx and ONEVax interfaces for conveyance and control for value added services and conditioning for the clients’ platforms in Latin America.
Developing new IT resources to improve internal manoeuvres as well as dealings with clients and regulatory agencies is an ongoing endeavor for BOMI GROUP. Latest developments in this area include:
• An inventory detection and early restocking system, aided by RFID, developed in a partnership with a client in Brazil.
• A multi-code scanner (recently deployed in Turkey).
• Robot evaluation for warehouse automation in Europe and Brazil.
“We are currently at the analysis and evaluation stage, before running the pilot program for automation in these territories, aiming to improve determined business areas, markets and operations. This program will run globally soon after,” Soracci said.
Long-standing partners across the territory
In the same way BOMI GROUP and the relationships with its clientele is extended globally, the company also develops long-term partnerships and purveyors. Storage, land and air transport, moving and handling equipment, and outsourcing companies, among others, are the main areas in which BOMI GROUP’s partners in Colombia stand out.
“Our suppliers go through different evaluations. We don’t engage in any partnership because of pricing convenience. When we ask for collaboration and flexibility, we find it,” the country manager explained.effect in each country.
“Our suppliers go through different evaluations. We don’t engage in any partnership because of pricing convenience. When we ask for collaboration and flexibility, we find it,” the country manager explained.
In the frontline of the battle against COVID 19
The tasks involved in supplying hospitals, medical offices and even patients under home care cannot stop during a pandemic.
Under the guidelines of the company’s headquarters in Milan, BOMI GROUP took timely, exemplary measures to counter the pandemic even before the emergency was declared in the LATAM countries where there’s company presence:
• New product handling protocols were implemented immediately to protect labor. Equipment, disposables and distance measures were established to avoid infection in warehouses and operating space. And it’s been stressed that the staff share these guidelines at home. Also a hotline became available for staff and their families to seek support while facing the lockdown during quarantine.
• Task forces were created in the local and regional levels, grouping personnel from different departments to be in charge of monitoring the situation and making the best choices for business operations.
“Our staff working in logistics never thought that they are actually saving lives. We explained the importance of sharing these guidelines back home. They also give us ideas that we try immediately. We obtain feedback from our labor and we are always looking for ways to innovate and improve,” Soracci declared.
Community and environment
As part of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) standards, BOMI GROUP is supported by strict corporate ethics shared by employees, partners and shareholders. This code considers care for the environment through a zero pollution policy which includes maintenance of BOMI HEALTHCARRIER vehicles, besides continual risk management assessment in warehouses and offices, and waste management by specialized contractors.
The communities surrounding BOMI GROUP’s facilities benefit from the company’s engagement with local job boards. 20% of labor in the Bogota location hails from surrounding towns west of the capital. The company is also engaged in mutual support programs with institutions such as the SENA (National Service for Learning) office in Mosquera, also a vicinity of Bogota.
Non-stop drive toward the future
Projections for BOMI GROUP during the upcoming months are going forward, from IT deployments and warehouse expansion to new territories and new business segments.
New operations began recently in Ecuador, Russia and BeNeLux territories (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg), with more to add to the list from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
New business opportunities are open in the high-cost biopharmaceuticals sector, inpatient nutrition, animal wellness, and home care delivery.
“The home care segment in Colombia has achieved the most growth among the region. In a different subject, animal wellbeing’s standards are being raised and we see opportunity in this specialty,” the executive said.
Adaptability and flexibility toward clients’ operations drive BOMI GROUP to achieve its goals, planning during 2020 to deliver in 2021 with no intention to stop in the endeavors to support the healthcare sector.
“We’ve even received letters from patients’ relatives thanking us for arriving on time with a required product, helping complete a surgery or other procedure. At the end of the day we bring hope of life,” Javier Soracci finalized.
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