VISION

As a critical enabler of the company’s mission to be the “preferred distributors of premium local and international brands” we have a vision of being a world class Distribution Centre (DC).  Our path to success first requires us to be effective at what we do and then move towards greater efficiency in our activities.  Improving efficiency becomes increasingly critical as we approach challenging economic times. 

PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

With exceptional growth, aggressive business plans and the desire to effectively supply the market and exceed the demands of an increasingly sophisticated customer base we undertook to construct a warehouse capable of meeting our business needs. 

The project was completed in 2006 and boasts a versatile 100,000 square feet (9,290m2) of ambient, chilled and bonded storage.  The facility is located less than 10 minutes from the capital city and the primary port, Port of Spain, providing close proximity to this key business hub.  Our bonded warehousing also provides us exporting capabilities that our competitors cannot provide.  We also benefit from being located on the same premises as our administrative offices, thereby ensuring visibility and involvement of key management within the Company.

Below is a summary of key statistics relating to our Distribution Centre:
• Over 75 monthly and weekly paid workers
• Over 1,000 containers emptied each year
• Over 6,500 delivery vehicles dispatched each year



SYSTEMS

In August 2007, after two years of design, testing and training, A.S. Bryden implemented a Warehouse Management System that is fully integrated with our commercial and accounting systems.  This initiative has been a key enabler of our DC’s vision.  The tool ensures optimal stock rotation, lot / expiry control, location management, real-time stock visibility, improved use of available storage space and visibility of critical information.

Each employee in the warehouse is equipped with a hand held Radio Frequency (RF) terminal that updates all product movements in real time.  The result is improved quality and timeliness of information, seamless order processing, picking and verification, greater productivity, better stock rotation, less product expiry costs and improved fill rates (customer service).

TRANSPORT / CUSTOMER DELIVERIES

Our standard order cycle is 24 hours from receipt to deliver anywhere in Trinidad or Tobago.  We also have specific arrangements with key customers that allow us to offer a same-day service based on agreed time for order receipt.

To attain the depth of service across the two islands, we have designed a hybrid Distribution model consisting of vehicles owned by A.S. Bryden and operated by Brydens personnel as well as vehicles owned and operated by private transport contractors.  The network offers over 60 vehicles of different sizes suited to the specific needs of the products, customers, channels and geographies served.



ACHIEVEMENTS

In the past two years (2006-2008) our Distribution Centre can boast the following productivity improvements:
• Picking per labour hour:
Food & Grocery    -    38%
Hardware        -    89%
Spirits & Wines    -    80%
• Turnaround time for offloading containers reduced from 3.4 days in the first quarter of 2008 to 1.1 day in the last quarter of 2008, resulting in a significant reduction in demurrage cost.
• Operations during our peak season, October to December, showed improvements from a three-shift 24 hour operation, in 2006 & 2007, to a two-shift, sixteen hour operation in 2008, meanwhile maintaining the 24-hour turnaround time for deliveries throughout Trinidad.

THE WAY FORWARD

Over the past two years the DC has invested heavily in equipment and systems and as we move forward our focus will shift more towards process and people development, thus building the competencies required to have a team of professionals capable of serving our customers and principals alike. 
Present economic trends will also encourage an even more aggressive pursuit of efficiency in our distribution operations that will help us maintain a competitive advantage versus other local distributors.