Production and delivery reliability as success factors

AUSTRIA JUICE assigns great importance to sustainable procurement and a responsible purchasing policy. A central element here is the handling of fruit for juice concentrates or flavours. Here, the Ybbstal-based company pursues high standards for quality assurance. Furthermore, special emphasis is placed on production- and delivery reliability.

AUSTRIA JUICE has been focusing on sustainability for many years. On the one hand, this is in order to make a contribution as a company to the environment and surroundings and, on the other hand, in order to stay economically safe in turbulent times and to be a reliable partner for customers. The last two years in particular have shown how the comprehensive sustainability strategy is proving its worth.

Compared to large corporations, AUSTRIA JUICE is characterised by flexibility and a strong customer orientation. Many of our competitors do not conclude annual contracts with customers, but orders are placed on an ad hoc basis. In times of crisis, such as during the container shortage and in times of high logistics prices, this sometimes led to missing deliveries or considerable delays. Thanks to its contracting system, AUSTRIA JUICE has been able to guarantee excellent production and delivery reliability.

Contracts bring reliability and quality

Sustainability at AUSTRIA JUICE does not only mean sustainable cultivation and production, but also that only stock volumes are sold. To this end, AUSTRIA JUICE concludes contracts directly during the season. "The success factor in sourcing has been particularly evident in the challenging last few years. These are  our conservative purchasing policy and a careful planning," explains Johann Amon, Director of Procurement. "The fruit for the juice concentrates is purchased on a daily basis from various suppliers. Our priority is to work with reliable suppliers where we know we receive the quantities we need as well as the best qualities," says Johann Amon.

A core product of AUSTRIA JUICE is high-quality apple juice concentrate. By providing a continuous supply of consistent quality, AUSTRIA JUICE enables its customers to plan for the long term. Because out of season it can be difficult to obtain certain products. "By contrast, thanks to the continuous contracting system, our customers benefit from reliable delivery and long-term cost advantages," says Stefan Brendler, Head of Sales Compounds.

Sufficient storage capacity ensures availability 

The comprehensive storage capacity of AUSTRIA JUICE ensures that AUSTRIA JUICE's customers receive exactly the quality they ordered. If the acidity of the current harvest deviates from the customer's specification, sweeter qualities are purchased to ensure the desired, consistent taste.

The company also focuses on a combination of sustainability and quality when purchasing ingredients for its basic products. With over 1,000 different raw materials ranging from grams to container sizes, it is ensured that AUSTRIA JUICE products are always in stock. "Since June 2021, we have achieved an impressive production fidelity of 97.8%. This means that the ingredients are always available to produce our products.

After purchasing the raw materials, all relevant parameters such as colour and turbidity are checked by the quality department. Sensory tastings are carried out when developing customised requests before bottling. The results are compared with samples and previous deliveries to ensure consistent quality. The procedures and processes are standardised to ensure efficiency and quality. 

Short paths ensure quality

Quality management plays a central role in the company and is an internal success factor. As a smaller company, AUSTRIA JUICE benefits from short paths and decision-making processes, which leads to high flexibility and closer cooperation with suppliers.

The planning of quantities and contracts for the concentrates is controlled centrally from the headquarters in Kröllendorf. "We coordinate which customers are supplied from which countries and which sites can provide the appropriate quality for the customer's requirement," explains Andreas Sachslehner, Director of Quality Assurance. "Our procurement and production are diversified so that we can draw on several countries and raw material sources. In case of failures, we are able to deliver from another plant. We attach great importance to responding quickly and flexibly to our customers' wishes and fulfilling them in the best possible way. Special requirements, such as kosher or halal certifications, can also be fulfilled at AUSTRIA JUICE. Furthermore, the company is an active member in relevant associations and networks, such as the Fruit Juice Association and AIJN.

The strategy: reliable and customer-oriented

So how does the guarantee of delivery reliability work in detail? To ensure planning reliability both internally and for customers, the "Frozen Zone" was introduced. This means: once an order has been placed, there is a time frame of 15 working days, whereby no more order changes may be made in the last seven days. "This provides planning security and prevents possible wastage of raw materials in the event of a reduction in order volume. This approach is in line with our sustainability philosophy and enables efficient management," explains Stefan Brendler.

The delivery time is usually three weeks, and thanks to effective contract management and prior securing of quantities for the entire contract, AUSTRIA JUICE has an exceptionally good delivery performance. "Even in the challenging last few years, this has enabled us to meet our delivery deadlines and customers to implement their production plans without any delays," says Stefan Brendler.

Conclusion:

In times of crisis, the established contracting system proved to be a great advantage for AUSTRIA JUICE. By concluding long-term contracts with our customers, we were able to plan sufficient lead time and coordinate tight delivery schedules and forecasts with them. This enabled closer cooperation and better planning reliability. Another advantage is the comprehensive and centrally controlled quality control and assurance of the products across all production sites.