Electronic Catalogue
Beer coasters, glasses, neon signs, special promotions and
hundreds of other items. Each one an instrument for effectively
bringing our beers to the attention of consumers. And these
merchandise materials are becoming more important all the
time. Enough reason for Heineken to launch a separate, company-
wide Merchandise Materials Unit (MMU).
Regarding the establishment of the MMU, a phased introduction
was opted for. The first customers from 1st January 2001,
include Heineken Nederland, Heineken Export Group and Corporate
Marketing. As of May 2001, Heineken Ireland (Murphy's) has been
added to that list. Soon, all other Operating Companies can make
use of the services provided by the MMU.
The new MMU supports Heineken's Operating Companies in
optimising their supply chain of merchandise materials. This support
entails advice, design, development, purchase, warehousing and
distribution, but also the monitoring of environmental standards.
The Operating Companies themselves, however, remain responsible
for the actual materials that are chosen and deployed.
The aim of the MMU is clear. By clustering knowledge and
experience, an expertise centre is created within Heineken that
can operate more efficiently and offer better quality. The MMU
helps to ensure that the Heineken brand is presented consistently
throughout the world.
One of the most striking features of the MMU is the electronic cat
alogue - the E-Merch - on the Heineken intranet. The E-Merch con
tains a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of articles available,
including prices, ordering quantities etc. Heineken's goal is to
eventually do away with the paper catalogues now in circulation
throughout the company. Depending on the agreements the
Operating Companies and the MMU mutually reach, the E-Merch
forms the starting point for a fully automated process regarding
merchandise materials, from ordering up to and including invoicing.
Now that is what we call added value.
