Page 57 - QUALITY Magazine (Volume 03 - Issue I)

01. Can you briefly introduce yourself the bakery industry reflects this dynamism,

and your industry experience? with new products and outlets constantly
emerging to meet market demands. For
My name is Kushan Chanaka Amarasinghe. instance, Finagle Lanka works with around
Basically, I am from the supply chain domain 5,000 bakeries nationwide, most of which
and have over 14 years of experience, are small to medium-scale operations.
predominantly in the food and beverage Many of these bakeries aim to provide
manufacturing sector. My journey includes affordable products to cater to their target
working for globally recognized companies segments. To support this, operational
like Nestlé, where I served as Assistant excellence is pivotal and it ensures we
Manager - Supply Chain, Coca-Cola can produce high-quality products at a
Beverages as Head of Manufacturing, and lower cost. For example, bread, a staple
Asian Paints as National Operations Head. food and the second most consumed
I am currently working at Finagle Lanka item in the country, relies on efficient
(Pvt) Ltd as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). production processes that optimize a
Finagle Lanka is Sri Lanka’s largest industrial minimal set of ingredients, primarily
investment in the baking industry and the flour, to keep costs low while maintaining
first to achieve FSSC 22000 certification. quality. Additionally, the perishable nature
As the CEO, I am driving a major business of bakery products means efficiency in
transformation, transitioning the company supply chain management is crucial.
from a traditional bakery model to a Goods produced today must reach outlets
specialized foods enterprise. Additionally, by the end of the same day. This demands
I am focused on positioning Finagle Lanka agility in operations, from production to
as a truly local international brand. My delivery, ensuring freshness and customer
academic and professional background has satisfaction.
been instrumental. I am a food scientist by
profession and also hold qualifications in Operational excellence also extends to
marketing and financial economics, which meeting the needs of specialized segments
provide a strong foundation for strategic like hotels, restaurants, and cafes as well
decision-making. Beyond that, I am as franchise chains such as Burger King,
currently pursuing my doctorate, further Pizza Hut, and KFC. These clients often
enhancing my expertise. My combined require premium and innovative products.
experience in supply chain, operations, To cater to them, continuous innovation
and leadership has given me a holistic view and process improvement are essential. By
of business and industry dynamics. That is refining recipes and upgrading production
my background and industry experience in methods, we can deliver better products
brief.
that meet these specific requirements. In

02. How do you explain operational summary, operational excellence is the
backbone of our ability to stay competitive
excellence in relation to the and meet the diverse demands of the
baking industry?
Sri Lankan bakery market. It drives cost
Operational excellence is all about being efficiency, supply chain agility, and product
better, faster, and more cost-efficient in innovation, enabling us to support a wide
terms of operational performance. This is range of customer needs while maintaining
especially critical in the baking industry, a sustainable business model.
which is highly dynamic and driven by
evolving consumer preferences. In Sri Lanka,