Repeatability

R EPEATA BILI T Y

102

highly profitable business with more than 70 percent of the Bra-

zilian beer market and low-cost-producer status across South

America. Ambev acquired and improved brewers throughout

South America using its repeatable model. After the merger, the

system was extended globally and further codified in the form

of these three cost-oriented programs—the epicenter of the

company’s strategy and differentiation. These repeatable rou-

tines were introduced into Anheuser-Busch, providing a key

reason why AB InBev is on target for aggressive postmerger cost

improvements.

Routines are the “habits” of an organization. Yet, as with

people, these are not easy to change. For instance, only one

person in s