The effort developed by Mercadona, which belongs to an essential sector like distribution, since the beginning of the pandemic, and its clear commitment to digitalization, was decisive in winning the ComputerWorld Award for most innovative company in 2020.
Even during the most difficult months of this crisis, Mercadona managed to continue operating smoothly and with guaranteed supply. The group allocated more than 300 million euros to strengthen the safety of its customers and employees and, at the technological level, has continued to invest heavily in digitalization, with a plan amounting to 160 million euros.
Technology as an aggregating factor
Thanks to technology, says Sergio Pajares, director of IT innovation at Mercadona, which received the award, employees were able to be much more connected with the company and communication was more fluid. “ The technological infrastructure has also responded well and we haven't had any incidents ,” he adds. The spokesperson assures that “ the pandemic revealed the role that technology plays in the resilience of organizations, but also in innovation .”
The culmination of the digital transformation of stores (with the technological challenges that led to the creation of new sections, such as Ready to Eat), the monitoring of industrial equipment thanks to the adoption of the Internet of Things, the truck fleet, or the start of production of a new ERP system have been some of the latest successful technological projects, emphasizes Sergio Pajares, who indicates that another interesting initiative was the design and architecture of the systems and networks of the new logistics block at Parc Sagunt, in Valencia, which will be highly digitized. “ We are also studying the approach to artificial intelligence projects ,” he adds.
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The company is continuing its process of attracting technological talent, which began in 2019, and will hire another 100 people to join its IT department, which already has 800 professionals. " Digital transformation is a priority for Mercadona ," says the company's director of IT innovation.
