8 minute read
The Winners
MC SHELLY HORTON ANNOUNCED FOUR SUPPLIER AWARDS IN A VIRTUAL PRESENTATION WATCHED BY THREE HUNDRED PEOPLE FROM THE INDUSTRY RIGHT AROUND AUSTRALIA ON THURSDAY EVENING, 5 AUGUST. MS HORTON ANNOUNCED THE SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR WINNERS, CATEGORY MANAGEMENT, SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, AND MOST IMPROVED SUPPLIER.
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CEO of the Drinks Association, Georgia Lennon said, “These awards carry particular significance after a year of unpredictability, starts, stops, win, losses and sudden lockdowns. Advantage tells us that feedback from retailers and wholesale partners shows an unprecedented level of trust in suppliers.
“This has made these awards more competitive than ever. And an indication of which suppliers have engaged with their partners in the best way through these difficult yet highly collaborative times.
Drinks Trade congratulates the following well-deserved winners of the Annual Australian Drinks Supplier Awards.
HOW RESULTS ARE REACHED
All winners are determined via Advantage Australia’s survey of on and off-premise retailers.
Winning means the company has achieved the highest “Net Favourable”(NF) result from the combined total retail/wholesale network across all the critical aspects of business engagement for the year.
A high Net Favourable result means that the supplier has the most significant difference between having “Promoters” in the industry, or those retailers who rate the supplier as best or better than average, less the “Detractors”, those retailers who rate the supplier as worst or worse than average.
The performance areas that make up the rating are Business Relationship & Support; Personnel; Category Management; Consumer Marketing Support; Customer Marketing / Promotion Practices; Supply Chain Management.
“One of the most interesting things we learned while researching supplier feedback for their retailer and wholesaler partners earlier this year is that trust levels in the industry have improved to the highest levels we have measured yet,” noted Steve Andrews, General Manager at Advantage.
“Suppliers who are recognised in these awards are those who have best helped their partners manage the fast-changing expectations of today, as well as helping them get ready for the evolving requirements to be successful tomorrow,” said John McLoughlin, CEO of Advantage Global.
Of the award winners, Mr McLoughlin said, “In order to stand out, you have to drive excellence across all the disciplines. From account, management to supply chain, from category management to marketing and innovation.”
John McLoughlin, CEO Advantage Global
SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR 2021 – DIAGEO
Diageo has been named Supplier of the Year again at the annual Australian Drinks Awards for the second year running. The business also took out the award for Category Management, again for the second year in a row.
Of its Supplier of the Year Award, David McLoughlin, Client Services Director of Advantage Australia, said: “Another outstanding result for Diageo holding the number one position and highest NF scores for three of the last four years. Diageo’s result is unique as it relates to their ability to provide a consistency of high performance across all the practice areas, reflecting the attributes of a highly engaged customercentric organisation.”
Chris Shaw, Diageo’s Commercial Director, said the accolades were exciting and humbling for the business and thanked Advantage Group International for supporting awards that “challenge all of us in the industry to continue improving and delivering high-quality experiences for our customers and consumers”.
“The last 18 months have been an extraordinary and challenging time for everyone in our industry, and at Diageo, we are proud to be part of this amazing community.
“We are proud to stand side by side with our extraordinary retailers, pubs, clubs and bars, our friends, the brewers and winemakers of Australia and our magnificent supply chain partners,” he said.
“Together, we will keep giving Australians great products and amazing experiences, and we will continue to be a significant driver of economic and job activity for our economy. At Diageo, we are always working to support and improve the experience for our customers. We look forward to doing more in the year ahead.”
Chris Shaw, Sales Director (VP), Diageo Australia
CATEGORY MANAGEMENT AWARD 2021 – DIAGEO
Shelly Horton
The Category Management Award was introduced to the Australian Drinks Awards last year. It celebrates the “critical competency of category management, including planning to meet category objectives, providing valuable insights, optimising category assortment and shelving”.
“Diageo is acknowledged by their retail partners as a category leader, holding the number one position for the fourth consecutive year and NF score of 55*. [The business is] recognised for the provision of quality insights, a collaborative approach to building category plans and engaging retailers in the development and execution of NPD,” said Mr McLoughlin.
BevChain sponsored the Category Management Award this year. BevChain President Misha Shliapnikoff said, “Diageo has continued to show leadership in category management for several years now. BevChain is proud to partner with an organisation that leads the way in the beverage sector with this critical expertise and strong customer focus.”
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AWARD 2021 – AUSTRALIAN VINTAGE LIMITED
Craig Garvin, CEO CEO John McLoughlin was delighted with AVL’s win of the Supply Chain Management Award, saying: “Retailers acknowledge the ‘step up’ in engagement and collaboration Australian Vintage has demonstrated to drive Supply Chain efficiencies and ensure ongoing supply throughout a challenging environment.”
AVL’s General Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Jeff Howlett, said: “We’re really proud to receive this trophy and appreciate all the feedback we receive from Advantage. It’s evidence of all the hard work our incredible team has been doing and a reflection of the consistent, collaborative and innovative supply chain management within the business.
“Efficient supply chain management is key to company success and customer satisfaction. We are excited and committed to continuing to build a transparent and traceable supply chain that upholds high standards of business conduct and respect for human rights and the environment.”
Head of Operations Thomas Jung has worked at AVL for more than twenty years alongside National Logistics and Customer Service Manager, Tim Green who has been there for fifteen years. The business appointed its new site and supply chain manager, Mark Alexander, in January this year. Together they lead the supply chain team to distribute some of Australia’s most recognised wines around the globe.
“A supplier will win the Supply Chain Management award based on the highest Net Favourable result by combining all supply chain measures,” explained Advantage Australia’s Steve Andrews. “The award recognises excellence in the capabilities and behaviours for managing both short- and longer-term supply complexities in collaboration with retailers and wholesalers, as well as the ability to consistently drive high-quality service outcomes and deliverables,” he explained.
The Supply Chain Management Award is sponsored by GS1, in a partnership intended to drive industry standards and improve business and supply chain efficiency in the drinks industry.
“Australian Vintage Limited has won this award because they have demonstrated exceptional skill around the fundamentals of supply chain management as well as an ability to collaborate with partners. Nothing happens in supply chain without collaboration,” said Maria Palazzolo, GS1 Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer.
Jeff Howlett, GM, Australia & NZ AVL celebrates the win Tim Green, National Logistics and Customer Service Manager and Mark Alexander, Site and Supply Chain Manager
Suppliers who are recognised in these awards are those who have best helped their partners manage the fast-changing expectations of today - John McLoughlin, CEO of Advantage Global.
These awards carry particular significance after a year of unpredictability, starts, stops, win, losses and sudden lockdowns – Georgia Lennon, CEO, Drinks Association.
MOST IMPROVED SUPPLIER AWARD 2021 – ACCOLADE WINES
The Most Improved Supplier of the Year award has been awarded to Accolade Wines. It’s an award that bodes particularly well for Accolade Wines with Regional Managing Director, ANZ, Andrew Clarke, commencing his role just 18 months ago.
Of the win, Mr Clarke said: “This year, the Accolade team set out to greatly improve our partner experience and add tangible value to their businesses. We have focused on the core imperative to be customercentric: to put the customer at the heart of what we do, be first-class in how we show up, and create value in the way we partner.”
Advantage Australia’s Client Director, David McLoughlin, said, “A standout in Most Improved Supplier, Accolade’s performance has been driven by a strong focus on resolution of Supply Chain issues, a more proactive approach to collaboration and establishing a strategic orientation to retailer engagement which has driven an NF33 improvement in overall performance.”
Mr Clarke explained that the Supply team had made significant inroads over the past 12 to 18 months by putting customer service and proactive customer communication as the priority and being agile to the changing consumer demand of this most challenging year.
“We are delighted to receive the recognition from our customers and appreciate the support and feedback we’ve received. I believe we are doing something special here at Accolade Wines, and we get to represent some of the best wines and wine brands in the world, which makes our jobs even easier!
“I am very proud of my team, who are grateful for the recognition from our customers and the industry. This really is a significant achievement, but we won’t rest here! We will continue to drive our Customer Engagement agenda, and as their needs and demands evolve and change, so too will our approach and focus,” he said.
The Most Improved Supplier Award was introduced in 2018 to celebrate suppliers who have successfully set and executed a plan of improvement and been acknowledged by retailers for improving their professionalism and delivery across the entirety of their commercial relationship. ALM has sponsored the award since it began.
Accolade Wines top sparkling brand, Croser
Andrew Clarke, Regional Managing Director, Accolade Wines
