Automation in transformation at Mars

Mars is one of the world’s largest and longest-established food companies, with a strong sense of independence.

With products including a wide range of brands – from their eponymous confectionery to Dolmio pasta sauces and Wiskas cat food to a newly-launched personalised nutrition business – it has a reputation, despite its size, for being an evolving and fast moving company.

[inlinead]

With ambitious sustainability goals, the company is also investing heavily into nutritional research for humans and animals. We are really pleased to have Angela Mangiapane, President of Mars Global Services (MGS) at Mars, Incorporated, speaking at RPA Live after previously speaking for our sister portal SSONetwork.

Given her longstanding status as an Associate (the term Mars uses for employees) and her extensive career in Human Resources and Finance, Angela was keenly aware that the combination of talent, culture, and performance would be key ingredients for success during transformation. Whether through automation, process optimisation, technology, analytics or data, Angela and her team are constantly evaluating the next priority based on a set of criteria which demonstrates tangible value creation, based on the achievement of outcomes.

“One of our first considerations for measuring impact is, Did we deliver tangible business results and improve the overall experience? – enabling our Associates across Mars to remain focused on doing their best work through new processes, systems and efficiencies that we’re uniquely positioned to address?” Angela explains.

“Secondly, we focused in on operational excellence – and how we are improving that measure consistently. We want to ensure efficiency plus effectiveness. We are continually looking at achieving anywhere from 5-10% productivity improvement year-on-year.”

“Third, we examine how we are future-proofing the business by building new capabilities ranging from data analysis to automation, design thinking, and agile methodology,” she adds. “Finally, we evaluate how we’re making it easy to partner with MGS throughout Mars, based on real-time feedback mechanisms such as outcome-focused scorecards, which also include talent development,” she says. “Our Associates often have careers spanning multiple business divisions and locations across Mars, including MGS. That allows us to really think about solutions from multiple angles so we can maximise value and productivity and provides great growth opportunities for all of our Mars associates.”

To attend Angela’s webinar session, register for RPA Live here.