BrazilAccenture to help AB InBev with sales and distribution across Africa
Accenture has added to its global relationship with the world’s largest brewer AB InBev through a new agreement to help improve the latter’s sales and distribution processes across the African continent. Improvements will be implemented via the Accenture NewsPage Distributor Management System (DMS).
Management consultancy Accenture has prior experience with AB InBev, having implemented a $100 million build-operate-transfer contract for the firm in India up until earlier this year. Now, the firm is set to help the brewing giant with optimising its operations in Africa.
AB InBev’s African operations constitute a major part of its $45 billion empire across the globe, which employs over 200,000 professionals. The brewer’s African outfit is set to receive a comprehensive boost via Accenture’s comprehensive DMS solution.
Accenture DMS offers optimisation for every link in the supply chain, specifically offering quality data on secondary sales, which allows its clients (primarily consumer goods companies) to manipulate its promotional activity, in addition to streamlining the supply chain to increase productivity.
The DMS also leverages cloud-based Salesforce technology, which AB InBev can use to improve its customer relations across the continent. Over 2,000 African AB InBev employees who will have access to the DMS will now have the ability to track the entire distribution network and make improvements where deemed necessary.
The contract with Accenture is due to last three years, and will cover a number of crucial markets in Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique and Zambia. In addition, Accenture has helped upgrade the DMS in Tanzania and Uganda, where the firm already helped set up the DMS three years ago. AB InBev is among a number of brewing companies currently bolstering their operations in the growing African economy.
Commenting on the partnership, Lee Dawson, Vice President at AB InBev said, “Accenture’s DMS solution has enabled us to enhance our sales and distribution operations in Tanzania and Uganda over the past three years, and we’re excited to upgrade to the latest version and expand its use to other countries in Africa, With DMS, we’re better positioned to achieve our goal of becoming the number one brewer across the continent.”
Managing Director at Accenture Marlize Claasen added, “AB InBev understands that expanding sales, enhancing efficiency and improving profitability requires full visibility into its sales and distribution operations. We’re excited to be able to continue our successful collaboration with them as they seek to expand their market share in Africa, while developing a more connected and modern relationship with consumers.”
