Nobody knows our products better than we do. By taking distribution in-house we control every stage and provide the best service possible V WINNING WITH CUSTOMERS the correct specifications and branding for each specific customer, and it's all carried out by trained technicians. Controlling Sustainability When it comes to facilities, Ton is also proud of their green credentials. "Sustainability is taken seriously by every HEINEKEN operation, including us. Being in control of the logistics means that we can be 100% confident we're taking every measure possible to reduce our environmental footprint. We look at everything, from LED lighting in the warehouse and 100% recycling of plastic and paper to minimising our use of space. Even our location next to our main brewery in Zoeterwoude gives us access to more environmentally responsible forms of transport, such as boat." Ton has a solid reputation within HEINEKEN for finding solutions, so was extremely active in resolving some of the initial challenges. "Most of the initial issues were due to missing or inaccurate information. For example, estimates of volumes being way lower than reality, or product packaging measurements being unavailable. But once again, being in-house, we are able to offer more flexibility and go in search of missing information internally ourselves. The difference is that internally, we're quality driven whereas in many instances, third parties are cost driven. Furthermore, HEINEKEN is our only customer, so they receive 100% of our focus." As a result of this focus on quality, Ton's team has also implemented a process for continuous improvement. They are fully involved at an early stage in the innovation process for new products. This results in additional efficiencies, such as tweaks to the design that potentially speed up assembly, reduce stock holding, or simply ensure that the team receive specifications with sufficient detail. Guaranteeing Quality The in-house team's distribution experience can also be called upon to look at ways of avoiding quality issues. "When this was outsourced, a quality manager was employed," explains Ton. "But it's far more effective to look at quality from the bottom up. The people best equipped to spot potential issues are the people who are handling or assembling these units on a daily basis. They know our products inside out, and have first hand experience of weak points in terms of packaging, assembly or storage. In short, through in-sourcing we control every stage of distribution, from inbound through assembly to outbound delivery to the market. "Of course, on the rare occasions that something does go wrong, I personally make sure it's fixed and doesn't happen again. I'm happy to say, we've only had one issue since we started, so this doesn't take up much of my time. And I intend to keep it that way!" Being in control allows HEINEKEN to reduce the environmental footprint in the warehouse Edition 1 2013 World of HEINEKEN 19

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World of Heineken | 2013 | | pagina 19