Correo Uruguayo sets the pace for the nation’s logistics development

CAF-development bank of Latin America- established a technical and financial cooperation agreement with the state-owned company in 2013, in order to promote the modernization of Uruguay’s postal service and enhance the nation’s logistics sector. The project is part of the construction of a postal logistics hub, which will launch operations in early 2019, as one of CAF’s flagship projects in Uruguay.

It is an innovative logistics hub, located in a 25-acre plot in the Pando Industrial Park, in the Department of Canelones, and will concentrate reception and dispatch of correspondence and parcels, logistics services, and offices. The plant is expected to improve the company’s efficiency by centralizing processes, and to increase the processing capacity of parcels and correspondence while improving working conditions, reassigning 200+ staff, who will work in three shifts, in tasks with higher value added.

“Public and private companies must adapt their services and infrastructure to this new era, streamlining their processes and becoming more efficient in order to be profitable and competitive. We identified a huge growth potential in this project, and as a development bank, we strive to see it through. This pilot hub will have facilities like no other in the region to support logistics of Uruguayan companies, and will improve not only the management of a company with vast experience in the nation, but will also provide high-value services for all Uruguayans,” said Germán Ríos, CAF representative in Uruguay.

CAF’s support included consulting and financing. Thus, the institution provided a technical team that monitored the entire process and granted a USD 9.6-million loan, which is 80% of the investment needed to complete the project.

While the construction is almost complete, the company has opened a bidding and procurement process for the necessary cutting-edge equipment to start operations. The plant is divided into two sectors, national mail on one side and international mail on the other, with a restricted area for National Customs Directorate facilities.

One novel feature is a mail sorter, a machine that sorts packages by destination, which will optimize process efficiency, thus minimizing the handling of parcels and errors. There will also be nine leveling platforms to receive packages and trucks, including technology to streamline various operations, allowing, among other things, billing in real time.

On the other hand, although Correo has a tracking system in place, the new software will increase automatic registration of events, ensuring that 100% of the post will be monitored throughout the process. It will also offer high value-added services associated with stock management, delivery preparation, cold chain, and collection of goods and freight costs.

The new building is adapted for 100% accessibility, with ramps, elevators, handrails and disability toilets, and features a breastfeeding room as well. It also features an innovative fire detection system, solar panels and LED lights to improve energy efficiency and preserve the environment.

“A plant of this kind will be a major step for a country that needs infrastructure and technology,” said Solange Moreira, President of Correo Uruguayo.

Moreira said that the postal company “enforces public policies, as it is responsible for the distribution of the cattle traceability system, neonatal screening, the Ceibal Plan and the Ibirapitá Plan,” among others. She recalled that the entity has a “constitutional obligation to reach all populations of over 500 inhabitants,” a goal to which the new plant will contribute.