Beer Keg / Cask Tracking and Management Leader Taps into Repatriation Business

Further growth sees InteliTap enter keg & cask repatriation market with aplomb – revamps pricing strategy and revolutionises processes using technology & supply chain knowledge pedigree.

Barnsley, South Yorkshire, December 8th, 2009 – InteliTap Limited today announced they would be the new contractor to Keg Watch Limited for the South East of England.

The service recovers ‘at risk’ kegs, casks and beer gas cylinders that have fallen outside of the owner’s distribution network and which are unlikely to return through the traditional returns route.  These containers are deemed to be ‘at risk’ of theft or misappropriation.   Over recent years, the on trade beer market has been hit hard by outside influences that have resulted in unparalleled levels of pub closures and significant increases in alternative routes to market. In turn, this has lead to increases in instances where containers fail to find a natural return to their beneficial owners and a need to further enhance the services provided to the Industry by Keg Watch. The containers are brought safely back to their rightful owners, who pay a small fee in return.

InteliTap are brewing supply chain experts. Their VisibiliTy container asset tracking solution, combined with deep domain expertise, is already helping clients such as Coors, Heineken and Sharps to understand their asset fleets, using information based on factors such as accurate population, cycle times, and losses, which helps them to support their business decisions that apply directly to the bottom line.

InteliTap will now manage the actual physical repatriation of lost, misappropriated or simply abandoned beer kegs and casks in the South East of the UK, working on behalf of the Brewing and Gas Supply Industries as a contractor to Keg Watch. This can offer brewers enhanced value and even deeper supply chain information if required, since containers are tracked and managed as they are received inbound.  In addition, this segment of the contract will offer a revolutionary business model, currently unavailable anywhere else in the UK.  

Speaking about the model, Andy Dorr, InteliTap’s General Manager told us: “I am delighted that Keg Watch have selected us for this contract. After many years experience of working with Keg Watch and dealing with these ongoing issues, it became a natural progression and a firm fit within our organization to extend our Supply Chain Security Services to include these elements.  I previously worked for Carlsberg, and the service was very valuable to us indeed.  At InteliTap, because we already have a very in-depth picture of the brewing supply chain, we believe we can offer a completely transparent service with a new commercial model, which is designed to save the industry money as a whole. A fundamental part of our VisibiliTy offering is traceability, and we’re combining this with a commercial structure that allows Keg Watch the transparency to understand and justify costs to their membership. We have stripped out unnecessary costs, and reduced risk. Our previous experience of asset ownership means we are easily able to do that, and any excess profit that is made will be distributed back to the brewers. This isn’t just a service, it is part of a blueprint for a complete industry solution.

Dave Hopwood, Chairman of Keg Watch said: “I am delighted at this decision to move forward with the agreement. We have always had a good relationship with InteliTap and we feel that they are ideal for this role as they have the industry pedigree and ethics to back it up. They know what the plague of the brewing industry is, and they know how they can make that less painful. Their ethos is to help the industry as a whole and this is already obvious through their other work.”

 Jon Quinn, InteliTap’s Chief Commercial Officer told us: “This venture fits perfectly as part of our overall strategy. One of our key skills is listening and responding directly to client needs on an individual basis, and blending this with knowledge and data to offer real value. This benefits industry as a whole, especially since we’re dealing with assets, which can be considered an industry commodity. The result is that everyone wins. We’ve applied this once again, and the result I am sure will be received positively by the marketplace. ”

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