Technology, Key Differentiator for General Services Business

Q: What distinguishes Grupo SCL from its competitors?

A: We are a general services business founded six years ago. Our main lines are professional cleaning and maintenance, with construction now starting to play a bigger role. We offer our services to department stores, malls and factories. Maintenance primarily relates to electrical units, such as air conditioners, elevators, escalators, electric substations and lighting systems. But we also do carpentry, plumbing and pneumatic system maintenance. At the moment, maintenance is our top service, particularly in the area of air conditioners. However, we are also looking at expanding our construction activities. Our goal is to always keep moving, never missing opportunities.

Our use of technology is among our differentiators. Our use of digital platforms allows us to provide clients with excellent attention. For example, we are implementing our own platform that will allow clients to report an incident, prompting a fast response from our team. One of our personnel will assess the situation and take photos. After analyzing the problem, we then assign the right technicians to fix it. Everything happens across the same communication line, which makes it easy and efficient.

Another factor that will never go out of fashion, is good training of personnel. Every month, we gather our regional team leaders in Mexico City to receive technical training and the latest updates. We have teams in Monterrey, Guadalajara, Leon, Irapuato, Queretaro, Veracruz, Yucatan, Tuxtla-Gutierrez, Oaxaca and Acapulco. Training is even more important to us than the use of digital platforms.

Q: What are the principal challenges you face in your business?

A: The first challenge is to be able to pay our expenses every month. As providers of services to companies, we often have to adapt to their payment dates. These can vary greatly, which is challenging when you are a small company and need to control your finances. The same issue arises with the government, where a 90 to 120-day deadline for payment can be hard to implement. The current administration has exacerbated this problem.

Another challenge we are working on is our expansion into the US. In early 2020, we intend to launch our operations there. It has not been a simple process. As a Mexican company, we face a great deal of scrutiny because of issues such as money laundering, which are more widespread in our country. It took a year to receive the first certifications. One of our advantages is that many of our clients have an international presence. These include retailers such as H&M, Forever 21, Gucci, Adidas and Reebok. This has made our entry into Colombia, for example, much smoother. These companies expect a high standard of service with a focus on detail.

Apart from the US and Colombia, we would like to expand to other South American markets; in particular, Brazil, because of the size of its market, and Uruguay, for its high quality of living.

Q: What plans do you have in the area of construction, and other new services?

A: Because of our clients and the places where we work, construction is a good fit for our company. We would like to construct large buildings, for offices and commercial purposes, such as malls. I estimate that we will be doing this in about two years. We have already worked with Adidas and New Balance to remodel their stores, including design. Construction is still in its infancy for us. We need to build a strong team so that we will have the capacity to meet the demands of our clients.

Another area we are developing is exclusive furniture. In the second half of 2020, we will launch our own line of exclusive furniture based on European design and manufactured in Europe.

Q: What are your principal priorities for 2020?

A: Our principal objective is to launch our operations in the US, and to continue expanding our lines of service there. Second, we want to launch our furniture line. Lastly, with respect to our company’s growth, we want to hire more employees. This is the way in which I measure our company’s growth. In the last few years, we have consistently doubled our company’s staff each year. We now have a team of 450 people here in Mexico, and I would like to see that doubled by next year.