Predictive simulation conquers Britvic’s site logistics challenges

Britvic is the largest supplier of branded still soft drinks, the UK’s #2 supplier of branded carbonated soft drinks and an industry leader in Ireland and France. Its management team has successfully developed the business through a clear strategy of organic growth and international expansion based on creating and building scalable brands.

Challenge: Understanding whether a new manufacturing line would deliver on targets

Britvic was looking to invest in a new high-speed manufacturing line at its Leeds facility. The new line had a production target of 36,000 bottles per hour, and the team needed to understand how it would impact site logistics. "We knew we were going to have a new line, but we didn’t really know the impact. The questions were endless,” explained Neil Brinkman, Operations Optimisation Manager at Britvic.

The first challenge was prioritising those questions, all of which would affect the facility’s ability to achieve its targets. Britvic started by working with the simulation experts from Haskoning to understand what questions needed answering. “That process was really valuable to us,” said Neil. Together, we explored a range of internal logistics considerations, including:

• Can we get the vehicles in and out of the gatehouse in time? If not, what do we need to do?
• How many loads are we going to be loading in an hour?
• How many forklift drivers do we need?
• Are there any traffic pinch points?
• Is it going to be safe?

Understanding what questions to ask – and in what order – laid the foundation for using predictive simulation to model the internal logistics for the upgraded facility.

Solution: Predictive simulation to understand the new line’s internal logistics implications

Britvic had previously used Witness predictive simulation software, with Neil specifically benefitting from it while running a warehouse in East London. Based on this experience, it was a natural choice for understanding the logistics implications of the new line in Leeds.

“It was a 2-phase simulation process,” explained David Rice, GB&I Operations Analyst at Britvic. “First, we looked at whether the outside of the site would cope. Once we were happy with that, we concentrated on the internal movements.”

In terms of outside operations, the model simulated how vehicles would get in and out of the gatehouse and how loading and unloading would work. The internal analyses looked at forklift flows bringing raw materials to the line, taking finished products to warehousing and transporting pallets to loading bays. As part of this, the team looked at the implications of introducing automation for putting pallets into racking and then taking them out for onward transport to customers.

Impact: New operational ideas to avoid pinch points, prevent delays and enhance safety

Using the models in Witness, Britvic was able to design the upgrades in a way that ensured material flows end to end. And that gave confidence the new line would achieve production targets.

Until reviewing the simulation, Britvic hadn’t realised how much congestion would occur on routes to and from the loading bays, causing delays and safety issues. Using the modelling, the team identified the best solution – to create one-way aisles that separate vehicles while maintaining efficiency. As Neil said: “We wouldn't have thought about having a one-way system if we hadn't done the simulation.”

He added: “It's great to see the visual movement through the model, but the power is in the reporting that comes out the back of it. Finding answers to our questions wasn't about sitting staring at a screen. It was about manipulating and looking at reports to get output we could share. It’s a fantastic way to bring things to life and get buy-in.”

Neil concluded: “One of the biggest benefits we got from the simulation was making sure we have the right people available to receive stock off the production line, so we don’t have delays. And there are other benefits, too. In terms of automation, we can be clear about how many forklift drivers we’ll need with and without investments. And we've been able to confirm site running costs and build them into the budget, so there are no surprises.”

Based on this success, Britvic has looked at modelling additional investments in Leeds and at other factories across the UK.