Innovation

The innovation consists of the company lending its transportation equipment to their employees at the end of the workday and planning a route. Employee groups are created where the one who lives the farthest, drives and drops off those who live on the way, and then takes the company vehicle to his home for the night. The next day, the person who has the car picks up his coworkers from their homes to the workspace and they go to work together.

This innovation directly contributes to the goal of health and well-being, mostly because during the covid-19 pandemic the company seeked for a way to avoid employees taking public transportation so that they could avoid getting covid-19, a virus which could put every person's health and well being at high risk. At the same time, this innovation prevents each person from using a different car to get to the same place (their job) in the case of those who had their own car or the ones whose one of their relatives took them to work. This demonstrates the company's initiative to contribute to the climate action SDG since using a single vehicle among several people reduces pollution and the impact on the environment.

At the same time, employees can be provided with a safe mean of transportation where they are not exposed to the insecurity experienced in Mexico's public means of transportation. By doing this, the innovation is also entering the SDG's of decent work and economic growth since this innovation is seeking to provide the entire work team with safety in the workplace and social protection.

All in all, this innovation seeks to find a way to use the resources that the company itself already has and to find a way to use these resources and get the most out of them to support collaborators in as many ways as possible. And by doing these, they can feel in a workplace where they are supported and considered as part of a team.

Inspiration

What inspired the leader to create this innovation was the situation that was being experienced in the COVID-19. At first it emerged as a security measure for employees and the entire company to prevent employees from getting on public transportation and therefore avoid contagion of COVID-19, to ensure their health, and also the health of their families and the clients. The owner of the company took into account that there were many collaborators who were people with health problems and that if they contracted COVID-19 they could find themselves in a serious health situation.

At the same time, the owner considered that many people who work in the company were in difficult economic situations at home and this was a way to alleviate an expense for them. Likewise, in the words of the owner, "several employees have been victims of assaults on public transportation," so this innovation would provide security for their integrity.

Another thing that motivated this innovation is the culture of support that exists in this company. In the words of the owner "the employees are the driving force of the company, so just as they help us, we also have to support them in whatever way we can as a company." Over the years the owner has always looked for ways to help employees in one way or another. He mentioned during the interview that he has helped different employees to acquire means of transportation "I helped one worker financially to buy a motorcycle and another to buy his car, and the fact that they can obtain that with the business help, makes me very happy." The owner likes that employees can grow within the company. During the interview he also mentioned that he donated his bicycle and the bicycles of his family members to his employees so that those who live near the company could have that facility of riding a bike to work.

Really, what most motivated the owner to carry out this innovation was his strong culture of support within the company. In his words he mentioned that “between all of us, we created a beautiful relationship of joint help.” And supporting employees motivates everyone and makes them feel happy in their workplace and “they are more productive, and we all win.”

Overall impact

In the long term, this has allowed employees to gain a sense of belonging to the place where they work and also know that the company seeks to ensure that they are safe and healthy. It has even been shown that employees have improved performance and work hours have improved.

Currently, preventive measures continue to be taken to preserve the health of employees in addition to the accessibility of the company's transportation so that employees avoid using public transportation. Many of the employees no longer need this innovation because they were able to purchase their own vehicles with the support of the company and money they saved by avoiding using other means of transportation and paying for gasoline, “at the end of the day it is support and there are employees who still need it but what interests me most is that these employees can obtain their own vehicle with our help” commented the founder of the company, since there are employees who not only need transportation to get to the company but also some have more than one job or need transportation for personal use.

Business benefit

Thanks to the company implementing the innovation of providing secure transportation to its employees during the pandemic, a series of benefits for the business have emerged. First, this has significantly improved the well-being of the employees by ensuring their safety and comfort during their commutes to work, leading to an increase in their morale and job satisfaction, which contributed to higher employee retention and the creation of a more positive and collaborative work environment.

Furthermore, it has impacted the company’s operational efficiency, by providing transportation to their employees and reducing the delays related to public transportation and mobility issues, resulting in an increase in punctuality and productivity inside the workspace. This improvement in the company’s efficiency has contributed to an overall increase in the company revenue by streamlining work processes and ensuring the continuity of the business operations.

The innovation of providing transportation to employees has generated a series of tangible benefits for the company, such as higher employee retention, a more positive work environment, increased operational efficiency, and higher revenues. These benefits have not only improved the quality of life for employees but have also strengthened the company’s competitive position and overall success in the market.

Social and environmental benefit

By offering transportation to their employees, the company has fostered a culture of sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility by reducing the number of cars on the streets, which has decreased greenhouse gasses emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2). These reductions have had a positive impact on the environment by mitigating climate change and improving air quality, benefiting public health and the well-being of the community as well.

On the other hand, promoting carpooling among employees has reduced the number of individual vehicles on the road, therefore the carbon footprint associated with transportation, contributing to the conservation of natural resources and the protection of the environment. This approach has also facilitated the adoption of more efficient and environmentally friendly transportations practices in the community.

This innovation not only benefits the company in terms of operational efficiency and employee well-being, but also has a significant impact on reducing carbon emission and promoting sustainable mobility. This approach reflects the company’s commitment to the environment and its responsibility and contribution to build a cleaner and more sustainable future for all.

Interview

Enrique Sosa Herrerías, Founder