CCSWB - May 2024

When you pick up your favorite Coca-Cola beverage at the local market, you may not realize the masterfully orchestrated feat of logistics it took to deliver you your drink of choice. Behind the scenes are the people of Arca-Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages (AC-CCSWB)—a family of 8,600 strong united by a passion to serve 31 million consumers in Texas and parts of Arkansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. CCSWB is investing in digital solutions technology designed to enhance their external customer engagement experience, improve safety measures, optimize trade promotions and empower their workforce—all so when you drop by the market, your favorite drink is there waiting for you.

Empowering Employees and Enhancing the Coca-Cola Experience: Your People-Driven, Digital Bottler

By StoryStudio on May 31, 2024

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Empowering Employees through Innovation

CCSWB associates are first and foremost members of communities. In this light, digitalization isn’t mere technology, it’s an innovation that empowers people. Associates can be confident that CCSWB invests in them. Through supportive training, associates learn to effectively utilize digital solutions at every stage of the bottling process. This makes their job easier and the company more productive. For CCSWB customers, this investment means superior service, enhanced ordering and maintenance with the MyCoke app, safer streets, trade promotions that work and a manufacturing process they can count on. The power of digitalization is seen in action across the entire business – even in ensuring the safety of its associates. Consider the comprehensive steps CCSWB takes to ensure safety. In transportation, digitalization is helping keep drivers safe on the road through CCSWB’s Drive Shield program. Implemented in 2021 to integrate new safety technology into company vehicles, this data-driven program promotes safety in delivery drivers and the communities around them. CCSWB data analysts manage safety and risk with in-depth studies of data that help craft actionable strategies that mitigate risk on the delivery route. At CCSWB, digitalization is more than just complex technology, it’s an opportunity to improve the capabilities of its associates to better serve their local community. From bottling to delivery, the company approaches technology from an omnichannel perspective ensuring that the digital and physical execution of each aspect of the business are aligned. This means a better customer experience and a more efficient, creative work environment for associates. Whether you’re searching for a lasting career, a trusted supplier, or a leader in efficiency and sustainability, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages is proud to serve the communities where their facilities reside and beyond. Learn more at cocacolaswb.com.

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One of the company’s most recent projects has been to update its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. This system integrates multiple software solutions that manage day-to-day business activities, providing real-time data from a sole source. Now that’s power at your fingertips. Operators who oversee this system are now able to make quick adjustments thanks to improved analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning – but machine learning doesn’t stop inside of the warehouses. To help supply chain operations, CCSWB launched a digital twin supply network that leverages machine learning to optimize the shipping of finished products throughout the company’s five production and thirty-seven warehouse facilities. CCSWB is also seeking to integrate its information technology network with all its facilities’ operational technology networks. They call it an “Internet of Things” or IOT for short. This technological advancement is expected to offer simplicity while wielding more power for a brand that is focused on carving a more efficient path forward for the future.

“Our goal is to provide our associates with differentiated technology solutions that will enable them to perform to the highest standards in their roles, in the marketplace and with our customers,” Parkinson says. “Our goal is to simplify complex processes to drive service and value to external marketplace customers and internal company customers — the associates. They are as important to us as our external customers.” Several instances of this symbiosis are evident in the everyday operations of the company. Starting with business customers, CCSWB offers 24/7 customer engagement, order placement, tracking, service requests and digital payment capabilities through the MyCoke platform. Plans to update the platform have already begun in an effort to continue supporting its customers with key digital solutions. CCSWB supplies companies that do business anytime, from the early morning to well after midnight. MyCoke allows customers to conduct business when it’s convenient for them right on their tablet, phone, or laptop. Order quickly with repeat delivery functionality, formulate an order template or browse new products—the experience is user-friendly and designed around customer needs. The digital app allows for easy access to customer service chat and appointment scheduling.

Creating Better Communities through Digitalization

We have an unwavering commitment to sustainability, and it guides everything we do as a company.”

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Abraham Tueme, Director of Sustainability, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages

People—both employees and customers—are the backbone of CCSWB. Digitalization and advanced analytics are the tools supporting the backbone both from an organizational growth perspective and a customer satisfaction imperative. By adopting innovative technologies, CCSWB supports its frontline associates with digital solutions that streamline tasks, optimize operations and boost overall productivity so associates can better meet customers’ needs, all while minimizing environmental impact. “We are a people-driven digital bottler,” says CCSWB Chief Information Officer Simon Parkinson. “We’re not using technology for the sake of it, but to improve the work of our associates. If we digitally improve how we support our frontline heroes, each and every one of our associates in their work, that will totally benefit our customers. If we win together, we all win.”

We are constantly thinking about how we drive digital innovation to empower our workforce to do their jobs well while giving our retailers the best processes and service."

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Simon Parkinson CCSWB Chief Information Officer

For more information regarding CCSWB sustainability, communities, and partnerships, visit: cocacolaswb.com.