I am responsible for logistics at Brasserie de Silly. Bertrand recruited me in January 2012. Ever since then my job has seen tremendous changes. I started off as a warehouse operative. I now enjoy the full confidence of Bertrand and Lionel within a brewery that is going places. In my role I am the link between goods in, orders, production, drivers, transporters and customers. I arrange the transport of deliveries by our drivers, through the client’s own transportation department or by loading containers at the brewery that were rented by our clients. I am also in charge of those orders from our clients in the hospitality trade that do not originate from the brewery. I maintain our good relationship with the transporters. This allows me to respond more quickly to unexpected circumstances in production or other events that can be outside your control. I try to be flexible so I can prevent the hauliers carrying the burden when delays occur. For example: by loading a truck earlier or later the driver can spend the weekend at home or avoid restrictions on driving in countries like France or Switzerland. I also have to check all incoming and outgoing goods. If goods are missing, this causes very high delivery charges (which we bear). A complete, well presented, undamaged delivery is important to a good business relationship. I’ll tell you an anecdote: a few years ago we were en route to the south for a family holiday and stopped off to see a customer in Saint Vincent de Tyrosse. He had placed an order two weeks prior. He welcomed us and showed off his equipment. He introduced his to his team whereupon the warehouse manager started to have a go at Brasserie de Silly. Missing orders, not delivered to the right address (the customer has two warehouses). I asked him to show me the order form and the shipping document. He refused and his boss had to intervene before he gave in and came up with the order form. I showed him that he had forgotten to specify that there were two separate shipments and that is was therefore common practice to deliver everything to the main location. He also stated that there were barrels of scotch missing from the delivery. I assured him that the order corresponded with the packing slip and that he had received everything in good order. He denied and called me a liar. I proved that the barrels were in his warehouse after all, albeit in the wrong place. I took out a fork lift truck and picked a pallet of scotch barrels off the shelf, after which things went quiet. Two days later I met up with the client at his bar in Biarritz. In the meantime he had fired his warehouse manager and asked me to come and work for him (as you can see, I am still with Silly). In my job I am dependent on production and delays of only one or two days put me under a lot of pressure: itineraries are drawn up for each region, customers’ companies closed, events finished… I place a lot of importance on a good relationship with my colleagues in production. I am in touch with several departments within the brewery and for me it is key to have a good working relationship with the people from production, reception, the customers, transporters and suppliers.