Coca-Cola, Pepsi Sending ASNs to 4,500 Retail Stores

MICHAEL GARRY

CHICAGO - Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been engaged in a direct-store-delivery project, making use of advanced shipping notices (ASNs) with five food retailers encompassing about 4,500 stores, according to Ann Dozier, vice president, strategic industry initiatives, Coca-Cola, and John Phillips, vice president, customer supply chain and logistics, PepsiCo. Dozier and Phillips discussed the project yesterday in a session at the Food Marketing Institute Show/Marketechnics here at McCormick Place. The project, which has been taking place over the past 30 months, marks the first time ASNs, a form of electronic data interchange (EDI), have been applied to the DSD process rather than to the delivery of goods to retailers' warehouses. Dozier and Phillips declined to name the retailers in the project, but noted that they were three national chains and two regional chains. ASNs represent a way to "drive efficiencies and more accurate deliveries" to retail stores, said Phillips.