Beverage Digest Article about CONA Services

Beverage Digest in their May 13th Issue published the following article: Coca-Cola Creates Joint Bottler IT Services Company.

CONA Services CEO Discusses New Platform On April 20, Coca-Cola’s major North America bottlers announced a new information technology services company called CONA Services. The Atlanta-based company provides the bottlers with an IT service platform called Coke One North America, or CONA. The platform is an offshoot of a broader Coke program developed and tested in various global markets during the past decade. CONA provides “a common set of processes, data standards, manufacturing and customer solutions for the Coca-Cola bottling system in the United States,” according to Coca-Cola. BD talked to CONA Services CEO Reinhard Meister, a 20-year veteran of Coke’s global bottling system, to learn more about the new company and the CONA platform.

Players. CONA Services is a standalone company owned jointly by Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Reyes-owned Great Lakes Coca-Cola Distribution, Swire Coca-Cola, USA, and Coca-Cola Refreshments, which is the North America bottling unit of the Coca-Cola Co. The CONA platform is currently processing $6 billion of sales representing 30% of U.S. volume, said Meister. By the end of 2017, CONA is expected to process 90% or more of U.S. volume, he said.

Purpose. The Coke One North America platform is designed to create a “consistent experience” and “transparent system” to service customers, Meister said. In addition, the pooling of resources allows the bottlers to create value for customers by offering new IT-based capabilities that member bottlers might not be able to afford individually, he said. The collaboration also is intended to cut costs for bottlers and be more efficient. The CONA platform creates a common set of business processes in North America for customer care, account management, supply chain management and warehouse operations, Meister said.

Structure. CONA Services’ Board of Directors includes representatives from each of the six bottling companies, as well as a non-voting “observer seat” held by Coca-Cola North America, Meister said.

For a full version of the article see the Beverage Digest Issue of May 13. http://www.beverage-digest.com