As one of the leading distribution companies in Serbia, Centrosinergija achieves excellence through a focus on clients and responsible processes. By emphasising innovation, automation and sustainability, this company continues to set new logistics and distribution standards
Centrosinergija is one of the largest companies on our market in the field of distribution for e-topups, tobacco products and FMCGs. We were established in 2011 and operate on the basis of strong corporate principles that shape every aspect of our business. Transparency, responsibility and ethics are at the foundation of our approach, which allows us to build long-term relationships with our partners and clients, says Centrosinergija GM Andrijana Đorđević in this interview for CorD Magazine.
We understand that you’re a young company, but how is Centrosinergija’s size and scale reflected?
— We offer a wide range of services that encompass goods imports, exports, warehousing, sales, commissioning and delivery, value-added services such as repackaging, labelling and customisation as well as marketing, merchandising and return logistics.
Apart from our wide range of services, also testifying to our size is the sheer business turnover volume of 430 million euros, which places us among the top 30 companies in Serbia, but also our 800 employees, our distribution at 18,000 points of sale, with up to 4,500 daily delivery points, and the 160 delivery vehicles of various capacities that comprise our own fleet.
Centrosinergija forms part of the Moj Kiosk group. To what extent is that an advantage for you, and which other advantages would you highlight?
— We are the only distribution company that is able to depend on its own retail chain, in the form of Moj Kiosk, the largest retail chain in Serbia. This unique structure provides us with added value, while also enabling our clients and brands to quickly penetrate the market by gaining visibility and a presence in central city areas.
Simultaneously, being able to rely on the developed infrastructure of the country’s largest retail network is invaluable when it comes to the efficient and reliable distribution of goods nationwide.
I would also highlight our focus on the client as a key part of our business philosophy. We strive to never lose sight of our role in the supply chain, which is that of a service provider that is, by definition, focused on the needs of others.
We manage our own ambitions and development carefully, in order to remain consistent with the aforementioned. Our focus on the client, as a commitment, coupled with strong, adaptable and agile processes, ensure that we fulfil our clients’ expectations and desires, while having appreciation for all of their specificities.
How do you maintain such high quality of service standards?
— Strong, adaptable and agile processes are a result of the strength of the resources that comprise them, which is something we work on continuously. Those are primarily competent, dedicated and motivated people who work – through the value system and corporate culture – to continuously improve their competences via programmes provided by Centrosinergija.
Our company’s top management is mostly composed of employees who’ve been with the company since its establishment; people with ingrained loyalty and specific knowledge tailored to us. Another interesting fact is that 70% of our top managers are women, which is a rarity for distribution/logistics companies and is the result of decision-making on appointments based solely on competences and our gender equality policy that’s based on equal opportunities.
I’ve focused on people, which is essential and crucial, while the strength of our processes also lies in other resources: an information system set up in such a way that employees are provided with relevant and up-to-date data; IT infrastructure, both applicative and software, the architecture of which is designed to fully support digitalised processes and information security.
Standardised and documented processes are interconnected through the quality management system, in accordance with the ISO 9001 standard, which we use to turn our employee’s knowhow into company knowhow.
Throughout the organisation we simultaneously promulgate the spirit of the Kaizen philosophy, with its “continuous improvements towards achieving excellence”.
What are your key focus areas when it comes to further company growth and development?
— The continued expansion of our product range and brand portfolio, as well as the further improvement of our services, but also the development of additional new services that we plan to bring to market in the future.
Our priority strategic direction is the automation and robotisation of processes that have already been digitalised and flows of processes through the information system. We are currently working diligently to harmonise with legal regulations governing the monitoring of traceability for tobacco products, within the scope of which we are implementing a system of the latest generation of conveyors and scanners.
The next phase is the complete automation and robotisation of picking process and the controlling and dispatching of goods, which will lead to the more efficient management of warehousing operations.
Through the applying of the latest technologies and software, we plan to achieve the full automation of logistics processes, with which we will gain maximum precision, speed and efficiency in the services we provide.
Which values do you consider as being the most important when it comes to running a company and how do you implement them in your daily operations?
— Permeating all achievements of Centrosinergija are the dominant values of our culture, which are mutual respect and trust, integrity, loyalty and the conduct of a good host.
For Centrosinergija’s employees, working at this company represents a platform for personal growth and development, but also a platform to build a working environment that’s aligned with universal ethical and moral principles. We endeavour to fix the world by fixing ourselves.
How does your company contribute to sustainable development and social responsibility through your operations, particularly in the context of the logistics industry that has a significant environmental impact?
— Half of our fleet is fuelled by natural gas, CNG, which reduces both CO2 emissions and noise pollution levels, while the complete electrification of the fleet using our own power sources is a project that we launched recently.
Warehousing operations imply the handling of materials, primarily cardboard and plastic, which we recycle persistently and consistently.
Alongside our environmental initiatives, we participate actively in donations and support programmes for vulnerable people and marginalised groups. Our aim is to contribute to the community and to represent a positive example of corporate social responsibility, oriented towards protecting the environment and supporting the communities in which we operate.