Grupo Bimbo [BMV: BIMBOA]

Mauricio Imenez, CIA, MBA, is a professional specializing in the areas of internal audit, data analytics, internal controls, and risk management. With a strong background in these fields, Mauricio brings valuable expertise and insights to his work. As a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Mauricio possesses a deep understanding of internal audit processes and methodologies. He is skilled in assessing and evaluating internal controls, identifying risks, and providing recommendations for improvement. Mauricio's expertise extends to data analytics, where he utilizes advanced analytical techniques to extract valuable insights from large datasets, aiding in risk assessment and decision-making processes.

What are some of the challenges impacting the marketplace today?

Companies operating in a wide variety of industries are now confronted with the challenge of managing big data, which has experienced exponential growth over the past few years. Although businesses in particular sectors, such as manufacturing, telecommunications, banking, and social media, have become accustomed to the challenge of managing massive volumes of data, this problem is now affecting businesses in every industry.

The way in which businesses deal with data will need to be rethought if they are to be successful in overcoming this obstacle. In this regard, it is underlined that the adoption of distributed processing for data analytics is a significant transition that has taken place. In the past, businesses relied on a single server paired with a single processor to take care of all of their data processing responsibilities. However, the democratization of distributed data processing has been made possible by the development of tools such as Databricks. This has enabled businesses to split the burden across several servers.

The availability of this distribution data model makes it possible for businesses to set up and maintain clusters of computers for the purpose of data processing in an easy and efficient manner. Companies are able to expedite the process of syncing and processing significant amounts of data when they make use of solutions such as Databricks. This transition involves both hardware and software components, as the infrastructure and programming languages need to be updated in order to enable distributed processing. This transition involves both hardware and software components.

What are some of your recent project initiatives?

Our organization operates in 33 countries and utilizes three distinct ERP systems. To facilitate the democratization of the auditing process and the prioritization of projects, we have developed a model that evaluates the cost and benefits of each project. This model enables us to construct a matrix that plots each project's cost and benefit, allowing us to identify those with lower costs and greater benefits.

 When it comes to managing change, it is important to put people in front of technology and data. As about half of our projects are focused on how they affect people 

Using this matrix, we are able to prioritize initiatives that can be implemented in multiple nations, making them more accessible to auditors. For instance, we have implemented a project titled "dynamic risk assessment" for the procure-to-pay process, which is a standard procedure in the majority of organizations. This project functions as a standard and is applicable to approximately 75 percent of the organization.

Utilizing indicators, the dynamic risk assessment initiative evaluates the risks associated with the procureto- pay process. From the ERP data, approximately 20 indicators are extracted, calculated, and summarized. This data is then transferred onto a dashboard accessible to auditors. The dashboard provides auditors with country-specific data, enabling them to compare indicators across multiple nations.

By analyzing the dashboard's indicators, auditors can identify nations with greater deviations and prioritize auditing efforts accordingly. They can plan their audits based on the provided information and concentrate on countries or regions that require additional scrutiny. The dashboard provides auditors with a valuable resource for planning audits effectively and efficiently.

Moreover, the dashboard aids not only in audit planning but also during fieldwork. No longer must auditors manually extract data, conduct analyses, and calculate indicators. The prepared data on the interface saves auditors time and effort by facilitating direct access to the required information. This streamlined procedure improves the fieldwork efficiency of auditors.

What would be your piece of advice for budding professionals in the field?

When it comes to managing change, it is important to put people in front of technology and data, as about half of our projects are focused on how they affect people.

The first step is to talk to the people concerned and figure out what they need in terms of information and training. By aligning with partners on the system side and working closely with the business side, you can make sure that the information being used really meets the needs of the business.

It is important for inspectors to make sure that the projects created meet their needs. This means staying in close touch with inspectors and the project team to make sure the information is correct and to get a good grasp of how the business works. By giving training on the business side, it is important to bridge the gap between analysts who focus on technology and the company.

Making sure that the company makes good use of the projects that are made is a constant task. You can only get a return on your investment if people use the tool. This shows how much training and work needs to go into selling the projects internally. It is important to let people in the company know about the changes and new projects and to promote them. It becomes important to track how the projects are used and adopted, and auditors are working on ways to track how the tools and methods are used.

For encouraging projects and making sure they are used, marketing skills are just as important as technical skills. Marketing helps spread the word about the changes, present new projects, and keep track of how well they are being used. Managing people well means making sure they understand, planning for alignment, giving them the training they need, and doing follow-ups to make sure the tools and processes are still being used.