Long distance delivery: Logistics project in Namibia carried out from Denmark

During the last year, Covid-19 has forced companies around the world to adapt to a new reality. At NIRAS we have also come up with innovative ways of overcoming the obstacles and delivering projects despite the ongoing pandemic.

A good example of this is a large logistics project our experts have conducted in cooperation with Namibia Breweries Limited in Windhoek. Prior to Covid-19, the brewery needed a site logistics plan and had therefore contracted NIRAS to assist in making the plan

But just as the project was set to start, all of a sudden the world rapidly began closing down due to the spread of the Corona virus. However, instead of postponing the project, both companies worked hard to find innovative solutions to overcome the challenges.

Complete site logistics plan

“Normally we would go to the site and have a close cooperation with our clients, but due to the extraordinary circumstances we had to find innovative ways of getting an idea of the layout site in order to offer the best possible solutions to our client,” explains Claus Fabricius.

The project encompassed a complete site logistics plan for the brewery, including review of packaging and logistics operations, recommendations for future set-up, and calculations for packaging, warehouses size, parking space and loading docks, as well as a visitor centre.

However, it was no easy feat to carry out all these processes from the other side of the world without being able to setting foot on the site in question. Fortunately, Namibia Breweries Limited came up with a solution.

Red dot videos and blue prints

Apart from sending all relevant blue prints and plans of the site, Namibia Breweries Limited also made a complete video of the whole site. The video included a superimposed map where a red dot would show the exact location of what was being shown on the video.

“The video gave us a good understanding of the location. Namibia Breweries Limited also provided us with detailed plans of the site that provided us with the necessary knowledge and insights to carry out the project and support the weekly project meeting via Teams. I am actually amazed that we managed to design and implement this project so seamlessly, but is has been a great lesson for us that we can use going forward,” says Claus Fabricius.

The project at the Windhoek based brewery has among other things resulted in expansion of the packaging hall, plans for a new call and collect building and site, and plans for handling of chemicals and waste among other things.

Digital simulation tools

NIRAS’ experts used advanced digital simulation tools to visualise how the project would effectively turn out. The digital simulation models were also crucial in gaining a common understanding of the impact of the logistics project once it would be completed.    

Furthermore, NIRAS and Namibia Breweries Limited held countless online meeting in order to coordinate their efforts.

“We had a very close dialogue and a very good cooperation with NIRAS, and their experts actually managed to conclude the project. It has been a very instructive experience to realize what can be done through innovative methods and long distance cooperation. We have been very pleased with the dedication and professionalism of NIRAS’ experts,” says Hennie van der Merwe from Namibia Breweries Limited.