Customer
Carlsberg Britvic
Industry
Life Sciences & FMCG – Food & Beverage
Key technologies
Go-live
March 2024
Country
United Kingdom
Driven by the rising customer expectations and market demands, Carlsberg Britvic, a prominent British soft drink producer, recognized the need to transform the warehouse management system for their UK and Ireland warehouse operations. In response, they opted for SAP EWM and partnered with Westernacher Consulting for the implementation. These choices proved to be highly rewarding, resulting in remarkable improvements across their warehouse operations. The implementation of SAP EWM led to significant gains in efficiency, productivity, visibility, and automation within the warehouse, ensuring that Carlsberg Britvic’s warehouse operations are future-proofed and equipped to meet evolving industry demands.
Carlsberg Britvic, established in 1930, is a renowned British soft drink producer with operations in the UK, Ireland, France, and Brazil. In the UK and Ireland, the company produces and supplies the PepsiCo’s soft drink brands. With a long-standing history and heritage, Carlsberg Britvic has expanded into an international enterprise, offering 39 beloved brands that are enjoyed in over 100 countries worldwide.
Soft drinks serve as a crucial foundation for the non-alcoholic beverage industry. Carlsberg Britvic plays a significant role in this sector by producing beverages for PepsiCo and offering its own portfolio of brands, including J20, Robinsons and Tango. The industry has seen a strategic shift towards operational efficiency while seeking out novel products that can cater to specific market niches.
Carlsberg Britvic’s quest for industry excellence.
Carlsberg Britvic used SAP WM (Warehouse Management) in all their finished goods and raw materials warehouses. Over the previous 15 years SAP WM had been extensively customized, particularly in the areas of mobile and scanning transactions, to accommodate site-specific requirements and support local processes.
One notable challenge was that warehouse task and pick lists were generated and distributed manually to warehouse operatives, introducing potential inefficiencies and room for errors.
Furthermore, the traceability capability within their warehouse operations was limited due to the lack of effective batch management. Only one batch per SKU per month was managed, primarily driven by the need to optimize warehouse space utilization within the constraints of their WM system.
Additionally, there was a lack of traceability for raw materials, as most sites had a single large bin where all raw materials were stored, without individual tracking or backflushing.
Given these limitations and the evolving landscape of technology and business practices, Carlsberg Britvic recognized the need for a comprehensive solution redesign to enhance efficiency, enable better traceability, and align with industry standards and best practices.
According to Sheetal Sachdev, IT Strategy and Delivery Director at Carlsberg Britvic, there were three key reasons the company launched its SAP EWM program: “The first was to enhance visibility across the entire supply chain, from raw materials to finished goods. The second was to implement system-guided picking, automated replenishment, and efficient putaway processes. The third was to optimize inventory management, reducing write-offs and minimizing aged stock.”
Success through partnership.
Westernacher Consulting, a renowned and experienced partner specializing in SAP warehouse management solutions, successfully implemented SAP EWM (Extended Warehouse Management) to meet Carlsberg Britvic’s specific requirements and optimize their warehouse operations.
By working closely with Carlsberg Britvic and managing their unique requirements in SAP EWM, Westernacher was instrumental in delivering a successful SAP EWM implementation.
Working alongside Westernacher and the Carlsberg Britvic IT team, as a supply chain team, we had a lot to learn about the technology and the system to make sure that we could then fundamentally pass that on to the teams on each site.
Mick Wilson, Head of Supply Chain programmes, Carlsberg Britvic
“I think it’s a case of that together, we delivered a really good project at Beckton. As the project evolved, we’ve been reviewed and we’ve had fantastic feedback,” remarked Neil Pickering, Site Production Manager Beckton. “We’re not just set on the standards that were initially set. We’ve actually enhanced those. So, we’ve perfected it continuously and the people we’ve got on site live and breathe it every day.”
Maximizing benefits for warehouse operations.
Through this implementation, Carlsberg Britvic gained access to a robust and efficient warehouse management solution that offers a wide range of benefits. These benefits include:
Consolidation on a single platform
The adoption of SAP EWM allows Carlsberg Britvic to bring all warehouse operations under a unified platform, streamlining processes and enhancing efficiency.
System-guided picking, putaway,
and resource management
Elimination of paper picking lists and manual task allocation.
Improved productivity and reduced labour costs.
Reduced onboarding time for new warehouse staff.
Improved productivity and reduced labour costs.
Reduced onboarding time for new warehouse staff.
Real-time monitoring and alerts
Faster average turnaround times.
Improved customer service: Real-time monitoring allows Carlsberg Britvic to proactively manage orders, ensuring timely deliveries and enhancing customer service.
Improved customer service: Real-time monitoring allows Carlsberg Britvic to proactively manage orders, ensuring timely deliveries and enhancing customer service.
Cross-dock capabilities
Direct loading from production line to trailer.
Raw material traceability and
stock visibility
Carlsberg Britvic gained enhanced traceability of raw materials and improved visibility into stock levels, ensuring better inventory management and control.
Elimination of full physical
stock counts
stock counts
Increased availability and improved ongoing stock accuracy.
Yard management integration
Together with SAP ECC shipments planned by third-party logistics provider, ensuring efficient coordination of transportation activities.
1
%
reduction in order-to-delivery time
10
%
increase in inventory accuracy
1
%
increase in picking, loading and
bin utilization
bin utilization
Meeting future requirements with SAP EWM.
The SAP EWM implementation by Westernacher for Carlsberg Britvic has resulted in significant improvements across their warehouse operations, such as improved process automation, streamlined inventory management, enhanced traceability, and increased operational visibility.
Westernacher’s partnership approach and expertise ensured a smooth transition from the previous system to SAP EWM, minimizing disruptions and maximizing the benefits for Carlsberg Britvic. Their collaborative approach and understanding of Carlsberg Britvic’s unique needs played a vital in role in the successful implementation of SAP EWM, providing Carlsberg Britvic with a robust and future-proof warehouse management solution.
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