George Washington Vanderbilt Award for L.van Munching Jr. In previous issues of Heineken International Magazine much attention has already been focused on all sorts of projects and methods aimed at boosting the quality of our products. Quality Assurance, often shartened to Qualass, is another such method. Developed in France at what was formerly the Union de Brasseries (now part of Frangaise de Brasserie), adapted further by Heineken Technisch Beheer (HTB) and meanwhile operational in Greece and (shortly) in Italy. Murphy's Brewery in Ireland and El Aguila in Spain have also expressed interest in this method. Report Tuas Training In the previous issue of Heineken International Magazine we were able to include a last-minute item about Mr. L. van Munching Jr. being awarded the George Washington Vanderbilt Trophy. This trophy, instituted by the Nether lands Chamber of Commerce in the United States, was presented for the first time this year to commemorate the 85th birthday of this Dutch Chamber of Commerce. PAGET?HEINEKEN INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE NR. 17 Finger on the pulse with Qualass Peter Wever, an engineer in HTB's Information Technology department, is closely involved with Qualass. In cooperation with technologists from HTB, his department redesigned the French computer program to make it suit able for use in all Heineken operat ing companies. "Qualass is a means of learning how to approach and control quality. The computer now decides whether all the analytical findings that are fed in comply with the standard we have set in advance. Then the results of all measurements are sent to the persons involved in the form of reports", explains Mr. Wever. Reports are issued only if discrepancies are found, which cuts out a whole pile of paperwork. One illustration: several samples of a brew are taken for testing in the laboratory. The results of the tests are entered into the computer. The computer collates all the data, produces a diagram - where neces sary - and sends a report to the management staff concerned. They can then see at a glance whether the results of the measurements comply with the standard. If not, remedial action can be taken straight away. There are various types of report ing procedures. For example, the management may request a report on a series of tests so that it can check how frequently the test result deviated from the set standard. It is also possible to request a report based on the result of one single test. And, of course, the computer can also issue a report when the fault has been put right. However, Qualass is used for more purposes than simply brew samples. Raw materials, finished product, the brewing process, the equipment - measurings are taken at all points in the brewery and all of these can be entered into the computer and evaluated with the aid of Qualass. Before HTB introduced Qualass in Greece and Italy, the program was incorporated within 'CIM', or Computer Integrated Manufactur ing. This superb example of an advanced technology system was developed by the brand-new brewery which Malayan Breweries is currently building in Tuas, Singa pore. All departments there, such as engineering and maintenance, utilities, planning and control, logistics, production and technological services, are inter linked by this computer system. From a central control room every aspect of the brewing process can be accurately monitored and (where necessary) adjusted. All significant data can be summoned up in a flash using CIM. The ideas underlying Qualass and CIM are based on fairly similar concepts. So it was not surprising that HTB developed the two systems jointly. For Greece and Italy Qualass was regarded as a separate project and was modified to fit within the local situation. Athenian Brewery has been using Qualass in its Athens brewery since May and last month saw the intro duction of Qualass in the breweries at Patras and Thessaloniki. "If Qualass is to be a success, training is tremendously important. We have brought several local people from Athenian Brewery to Zoeter- woude to follow an extensive course. If the training's not up to the mark, you might as well forget the whole project," says Mr. Wever. At the moment Dreher, together with HTB, is busy with the start-up of Qualass in Pedavena. Plans are for the other Dreher breweries to follow suit at a later date. All breweries will then be able to exchange their Qualass informa tion, since the Wide Area Network - the computer system that links all the breweries together - can process and transmit the data collected by the Qualass program. Mr. L. van Munching, second from right, holds ttie George Washington Vanderbilt Trophy. To his right: Mrs. Van Rooy, Dutch State Secretary for Foreign Trade. On the extreme right of the picture: the Netherlands Ambassador in the United States, Mr. R.H. Fein. Standing next to him is Mr. K. de Jong, managing director of the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce in the United States. Some 350 guests, including Holland's State Secretary for Foreign Trade, Mrs. Y.M.C. van Rooy, and Mr. G. van Schaik, vice- chairman of the Heineken Board, witnessed the presentation of the George Washington Vanderbilt Trophy to Mr. Van Munching. The Award was set up to honour the most outstanding contribution made by an individual or company to the expansion of trade and investment between the United States and the Netherlands. The trophy is named after one of the founders of the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce in the United States. Over the past two centuries the Vanderbilt family has made a major contribution to the growth of the United States economy. The intention is that the Trophy, crafted by Dutch jeweller Hans Appenzeller, will be presented each year from now on. From the start of its importing activities way back in 1933 the firm of Van Munching has been a solid foundation for the success of Heineken beer in the United States. Under the leadership of Mr. Van Munching Sr., and subse quently his son, the current Presi dent of Van Munching Co., Heineken beer grew to become the number one imported brand in the USA. Up to this very day that top position has proved unassailable. Right: Peter Wever and colleague Mike Janssen are coordinating the Qualass project.

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Heineken International Magazine | 1988 | | pagina 2