deserves
The handling of each order seems
very complicated and extensive, but
Barja sees many benefits in the new
system. "This system is a great deal
faster and also more accurate. We no
longer need to do a lot of manual pro
cessing. The system automatically
ensures that a number of specific
data, such as the production location,
are displayed on-screen. And, of
course, we can make changes in
those if we need to."
When processing the orders, one
of the things that Barja and her col
leagues can specify is the loading of
the containers. "Naturally we try to
ship as many fully loaded containers
as possible. The computer system can
provide a bit of help for the simpler
orders. But sometimes we still have to
draw up a loading proposal ourselves.
At Van Munching they know exactly
how the containers can be filled as
efficiently as possible and try to
match the orders with that. If that is
not entirely successful, then we send
a fax or give them a ring. The contact
between VMCO and ETD is really
smooth and positive."
Service
Most of the containers with
Heineken products are shipped from
Rotterdam, the world's biggest
seaport. ETD checks whether the
shipping line and the despatch date
specified by Van Munching are in line
with each other and contacts the ship
ping line to book cargo capacity on a
specific vessel.
Heineken products are shipped to
a total of 33 ports. The staff at Van
Munching therefore decide on the
shipping line and the vessel which
will carry the products. That respon
sibility is handled by Van Munching
for the simple reason that it is
cheaper to arrange transport in the
U.S. Moreover, Matt Nestor knows
exactly which port terminals can offer
the best service and he is also the
person most qualified to take account
of local circumstances in the deci
sion-making.
The beer is then transported from
the ports to the distributor. This may
be handled by Van Munching itself
(the transport costs are subsequently
charged through to the distributor) or
by the distributor. Often trucks are
used to transport the beer, but trans
port by railroad is an option for longer
distances.
Winter
Seasonal influences may have a
bearing on the mode of transport that
is chosen. Heineken Beer destined for
Chicago and Detroit, for instance, is
carried by ship to Montreal in the
summer period and then transported
further by rail. In the winter the St.
Lawrence Seaway to Montreal is not
navigable because of ice and Van
Munching then uses the Eastern
seaboard ports of Baltimore or
Richmond. The furthest destination
for the ships is Los Angeles. The voy
age to L.A. lasts 3-4 weeks, depending
on the intermediate ports of call.
Deliveries to distributors usually
represent big volumes. Rarely does
this involve a number of cases, more
often the number of containers. But
sometimes there are also small ship
ments, for example when a new prod
uct is being introduced. In September
1994 Heineken Tarwebok came on
the market. Small batches of that pro
duct (sometimes just a single palletlo-
ad) were sent to the distributors. Such
shipments call for the same careful
attention as the big batches. For Matt
Nestor it is 'very rewarding' if an
order is subsequently received for two
full pallets of the newly introduced
product.
It is this supply flexibility, coupled
with a sensitivity for what's going on
in the market, which has made the
position of Heineken in the U.S. grow
from strength to strength over the
past decades.
THE WORLD OF HEINEKEN
