WHOLESALE
SHARING BEST
P R|A C T I C E S
ACROSS THE
COMPANY
Best practices
A best practice is simply a process or a methodology that
represents the most effective way of achieving a specific
objective - or in simplest terms, the straightest line to the
desired result. Until now, the many Heineken-owned wholesalers
have carried out their work across the globe using systems and
methods which have evolved and developed in each country
more or less independently from one another. Commercial
Excellence has started to encourage the different countries to
share experiences.
When France Boissons in Paris wanted to improve overall efficiency
between the moment of the order and the moment the driver
delivers to the customer, Commercial Excellence arranged for
them to go on the road with drivers in Amsterdam to see how
things were done in The Netherlands. Yves Degouve, Logistics
Manager for France Boissons, who made one of the operational
visits to The Netherlands last year, reports: "In The Netherlands
we found it very interesting to see that the products were picked
up and delivered to the client using a roll container system,
which is in general more efficient than our method and saves
time for the drivers."
The French decided to try the Dutch system in Lille for one month
using the roll containers, which are basically wire cages on wheels
into which the goods can be loaded. Overall the test worked well.
Some of the benefits the drivers listed were: being able to park
further away from their clients, quicker loading/unloading and
fewer breakages.
"What is happening now is the result of the combination of
benchmarking and operational visits that were launched to
improve wholesaling activity, starting with Italy, France and
The Netherlands," says International Wholesale Managers
Serge Labatut. He continues: "In this case the Dutch methodology
was the most effective out of the practices shared between the
countries involved. The complete process is more cost effective,
saves time and increases productivity and the service level while
reducing mistakes in the selection process".
Wholesale in Italy, who are running a test at their warehouse in
Viterbo, are happy with how the test is going and are already using
the roll container system. "We are happy to adopt new methods if
this improves our efficiency and makes our work easier," says
Nicoletta Crovato, who works in Italy with Logistics Manager
Arturo Frattini.
