The oom Hotel hosted the first edition of the "SOTTINA" ceremony (because we made it) this Tuesday. This event, the result of a partnership between the African Center for Performance and Operational Excellence (CAPEO) and ADEPME, marked the awarding of the label to eight Senegalese SMEs committed to the "DAMEL" excellence program.

Placed under the chairmanship of Mr. Serigne Gueye Diop, Minister of Industry and Trade, the ceremony celebrated the transformation of small businesses into true champions in the making.

The concept of "DAMEL," chosen to name this certification program, is not accidental. As Dr. Soïnbou Diouc, Director of Growth at ADEPME, pointed out, the term evokes resilience, sovereignty, and the ability to face adversity. He clarified that local content cannot be decreed but is built company by company, emphasizing the need for SMEs capable of meeting the challenges of the oil and gas economy, where quality and delivery standards are extremely high. Of the 20 companies initially selected, only eight successfully completed the intensive 15-month process to obtain the prestigious certification.

A 15-month journey towards excellence

Operational excellence, as championed by CAPEO and its founder, Mr. Alassane Batimera, is based on a rigorous process divided into three levels of certification. Level 1, or Admission, focuses on mastering stability and reliability. Level 2, or Acquisition, validates the company's performance. Finally, Level 3, or Appropriation, certifies the mastery of sustainable performance over time. Cheikh Moubarak Wade, Executive Director of CAPEO, emphasized that this success is the result of close collaboration between top management and operational teams, with companies having overhauled their processes to focus on performance management.

ADEPME leads by example

A notable aspect of the ceremony was that ADEPME does more than simply support SMEs. Under the leadership of its Director General, Mr. Alpha Thiam, and building on the legacy of his predecessors, the agency has itself embarked on this path. Ms. Djeynaba Niang presented the progress of the agency's development plan, which also aims for the highest level of certification. To date, ADEPME has a streamlined management cycle that allows it to monitor its activities in real time, thus ensuring greater transparency and efficiency in serving Senegalese entrepreneurs.

A breeding ground for national champions

The ceremony concluded with testimonials from the award-winning business leaders, who shared their stories—the sometimes challenging but rewarding journey to success. From the highly skilled engineer to the "Domou Darra" (a term used to describe a Senegalese term for a small, independent business), the diversity of profiles demonstrates that operational excellence is accessible to any Senegalese company determined to become a leader. This DAMEL program aligns directly with the vision of national economic sovereignty, aiming to create an ecosystem of robust, reliable SMEs ready to conquer international markets.