The Feldschlösschen Beverages Group plans to simplify its organisational structures and to increase centralisation over the coming months. At the same time, greater emphasis will be placed on the sale of the group’s own beverage products. As a result of this strategy, the group management expects significant increases in efficiency in its operations, which will in turn boost the group’s profitability and competitiveness in the long term. These changes will result in a reduction of around 150 positions out of 2400, i.e. approximately 6% of the workforce, by the early part of 2002. Around 40 redundancies are expected.
The management of the Feldschlösschen Beverages Group has been reviewing the organisational structures over the past months. In the course of this analysis, it became apparent that the group’s organisation is too decentralised and that there is therefore considerable potential for streamlining the group’s operations. Hereby, it will be possible to approach the market more efficiently and also to improve profitability. The end effect should be an improvement in the group’s most important focus areas, namely customer care and customer service in the restaurant trade, the retail business and the independent beverage trade. The aims are to achieve a noticeably better quality of service and a higher degree of customer satisfaction. The following changes will thus come into effect on 1st January 2002:
- The sales and logistics sectors, which until now have been grouped together, will in future be managed separately, with each sector being divided into three sales and logistics regions. The number of sales areas throughout Switzerland will be increased from 10 to 18. As a result, two hierarchical levels will be phased out, thereby simplifying the decision-making procedures and delegating more responsibilities to the lower levels. By doing this, it will be possible to achieve even greater proximity to the customer.
- The group’s administrative functions, which have been decentralised in the various sales areas and production locations, will now be centralised to Rheinfelden and partly to Fribourg.
- The exceptionally wide product assortment of beers, mineral waters, soft drinks, wines and spirits will be reduced. Emphasis will be placed on the group’s own-produced beverages as well as on nationally well-known third party products. Marginal products that generate insignificant revenue will be removed from the product range. As a result of these measures, a total of around 150 positions will be eliminated over the coming months, these being predominantly management and middle management positions. This reduction in the workforce will largely be absorbed by natural fluctuation, internal transfers and early retirements. The details of the new organisational structures will be worked out over the next few weeks. The workforce has been notified of the measures to be implemented on Thursday. Personal discussions will be held with staff members who will be affected by the changes about their future working situation. The Feldschlösschen Beverages Group will be also further be looking to identify areas for more efficient production and more streamlined sales of its products.