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Food Manufacturer Reduces Waste by Over 70% in Six Weeks
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
- Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
- Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
Applicable Industries
- Food & Beverage
Applicable Functions
- Quality Assurance
- Process Manufacturing
Use Cases
- Machine Condition Monitoring
- Predictive Maintenance
- Process Control & Optimization
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
Dan Wadyka, Assistant Director of Quality Control at Giorgio Foods, faced a significant challenge. New company leadership was pushing for major growth and change, but some managers and supervisors felt that the current way of working was good enough. Production workers tracked product weights on the production line for frozen pizzas manually, recording data on paper. This manual process meant that line supervisors were only concerned with the current production run, and if problems arose, managers spent hours compiling hand-written data before they could make sense of what happened. The lack of timely information did not allow for impactful insights into production processes, leading to high costs from waste and overpack. Wadyka had an intuition that the impact was significant and inhibiting the growth of the business. He needed data to build momentum for change and appeal to his colleagues' heads and hearts.
About The Customer
Giorgio Foods is a multi-plant manufacturer specializing in pizza and mushroom products. The company has a significant presence in the food manufacturing industry and is known for its high-quality products. Giorgio Foods employs over 1,000 people and operates multiple production lines to meet the demands of its customers. The company is committed to growth and innovation, driven by new leadership that aims to transform its operations. Giorgio Foods faced challenges in its production processes, particularly in managing waste and overfill, which were seen as normal and acceptable by some managers and supervisors. The company needed to adopt new technologies and processes to support its growth initiatives and improve operational efficiency.
The Solution
Wadyka partnered with Hertzler Systems to implement real-time weight control on the production line. The new system put tablets in operators' hands, guiding them to collect weight and compliance data at several points in the process. This real-time data collection allowed the team to monitor and control each ingredient and the final product weight. In just six weeks, Giorgio Foods saw a significant reduction in waste across the entire line. Low-cost items like pizza dough and tomato sauce saw a 70% reduction in waste and overfill, while high-cost items like meats and cheeses saw over an 80% reduction. The GainSeeker system provided the visibility needed to reduce waste and product giveaway. Employees could now interact with information instantly on a dashboard, giving them a complete view of the process and empowering them to act immediately to reduce overpack and waste.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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