New categories added to db Awards 2015

Entries for the drinks business Awards 2015 are now open, with a collection of new categories broadening the opportunity to highlight industry excellence.

2014’s drinks business award winners

In addition to the return of existing awards, including Retailer of the Year, Best Launch, Drinks Company of the Year and many others, db is delighted to introduce a series of awards which will recognise outstanding achievement in various aspects of the supply chain.

Conceived in association with specialist supply chain consultants Crimson & Co, the new categories will cover an award for Best Supplier Collaboration Project, as well as separate awards for Supply Chain Innovations in the Beer, Wine and Spirits sectors.

Explaining the value of drawing attention to this corner of the drinks industry, Crispin Mair, Director at Crimson & Co, commented: “Supply chain dynamics in the drinks sector have changed in the last few years. The pace of product churn has increased to equal that of FMCGs and drinks companies have had to respond accordingly.”

While noting that “many have struggled with this, and continue to do so,” Mair added: “There are some great examples of drinks companies out there where a serious effort has been made in re-configuring their supply chain operations and those of their suppliers. They are role models for the future of the drinks sector and we felt that they should be recognised as such”

With Crimson & Co bringing its expertise to the judging process, Mair outlined the key criteria required for success in these new categories.

“The qualities we will look for in the collaboration award are partnership, mutual benefit and sustainability in cost reduction,” he explained. “We would expect both the drinks company and its supplier to see collaboration as central to their supply chain strategies and be able to demonstrate this.”

Meanwhile the supply chain innovation awards will consider the specific needs of both the on- and off-trade sectors of the beer industry, with similarly independent focus being given to both wine and spirits entries.

Turning to these categories, Mair commented: “We are not expecting to see that brand new supply chain concepts have been implemented, but rather that a business has adapted concepts from outside its own business to make a change for the better. We are interested in qualities such as awareness of new ideas, pragmatism in using them and clarity on the benefits the change has brought.”

For more information about all the categories in this year’s db Awards, click here.