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.