Last Thursday, December 15th, the CEL 2022 awards, organized by the Spanish Logistics Center, were presented in Madrid. The COHESION project (Customer Orders in HEINEKEN Spain: Improvement and Optimization), developed at HEINEKEN Spain, was recognized as a finalist in the Logistics Excellence category. These are the most prestigious national awards for Supply Chain management.

The PAIDI research group from ETSi collaborated on the COHESION project

The COHESION project was developed and implemented in the company's Customer Service department, in collaboration with the PAIDI "Industrial Organization" TEP-134 research group from the Higher Technical School of Engineering (ETSi). The project involved redesigning the order management process, implementing a new workflow for the Customer Service team. This new workflow incorporates an Artificial Intelligence system that dynamically manages customer orders, taking into account inventory levels at all HEINEKEN SPAIN centers/warehouses, their locations relative to the customer, and other context-specific constraints such as product freshness and projected future demand. The software tool implements mathematical models that allow for the optimal allocation of inventory to orders, maximizing both the number of orders fulfilled and the level of customer service. Artificial Intelligence is capable of estimating future demand, allowing inventory to be distributed based on established criteria, avoiding unwanted stockouts or inventory transfers between centers (minimizing additional CO2 emissions).

The Spanish Logistics Centre has been awarding the CEL prizes since 2005. This leading national and international association for supply chain management in Spain focuses its activity on providing value to its members through knowledge and innovation in logistics management