Diseño de una propuesta de mejora para el proceso de compra y consumo de la línea de Elementos de Protección Personal (EPPs) de la empresa Incubadora Santander S.A., ubicada en Piedecuesta, durante el periodo 2025–2026

Abstract

This consultancy project aimed to design an improvement proposal for the purchasing and consumption process of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) line at Incubadora Santander S.A. (Huevos Kikes) during the 2025 - 2026 period. Faced with an unjustified 32.48% increase (approximately $278 million COP) in PPE expenditure, the project began by consolidating order and delivery databases, which allowed for the identification of critical price and quantity deviations. During field visits across operational processes, the actual consumption behavior of each PPE in use was verified, proving that the problem extended beyond the initial purchase price. The main root causes identified were the acquisition of low-quality PPE that required constant replacements, erroneous requisitions by leaders due to the difficult interpretation of the existing PPE matrices (2023 versions), and inventory leakage resulting from not requiring employees to return damaged equipment. As a comprehensive solution and innovative contribution, an interactive visual PPE catalog and a formal delivery and replacement policy were structured, and a digital mobile application was developed using AppSheet. The project concluded with the successful execution of pilot tests in operational control zones, mandatory socialization completed with 100% of national leaders in February 2026, and executive approval for the officialization of deliverables and their national rollout starting March 2026, alongside the establishment of a joint working committee with the purchasing department for continuous indicator monitoring.