Agidens Introduces MES at Guylian: Insight into production, digital monitoring & improved quality control
Chocolatier Guylian, known for their iconic chocolate seashells, turned to Agidens to digitize their production processes and quality testing. Agidens implemented an advanced MES solution that connects the ERP system with the factory floor.
NEED FOR DIGITALIZATION
At Guylian, the time was ripe for further digitalization. The operators on the production floor used a paper checklist with up to 100 items that needed to be checked off before they could start production. “For our experienced operators, this was business as usual since they know their craft and the production machines, but we believed it could be done much more efficiently. This way, they can focus even more on their expertise,” says Patrick Clapdorp, Production Manager & Safety Officer at Guylian. “Without a digital system, we didn’t know exactly what we were producing at any given moment, which was a barrier to further automation.”
SCOPE
- Retrieving data from SAP and digitally forwarding orders, which are then manually scheduled in the MES platform.
- Digitizing various production lines, including those for fillings, seashells, chocolate tablets, and the melting process.
- Integrating counters on the production lines into the MES platform.
- Digitizing quality tests to eliminate the need for numerous paper checklists.
Enter Agidens. As experts in process automation and the implementation of MES solutions, we tackled the issues and challenges faced by Guylian. “In recent years, we’ve implemented numerous MES systems for production companies in the food industry,” says Eric Quintijn, Business Analyst at Agidens. “Our experience and references with companies such as Kim’s Chocolates and Manufacture Belge de Chocolats convinced Guylian to partner with Agidens for an extensive digitalization of their production floor.”
After thorough analyses and several workshops, Agidens chose to implement Momentum from Brighteye. Eric Quintijn explains, “Within the Food & Beverage industry, Momentum is the go-to software platform, and with various tweaks, it provided the right functionalities and modules to address Guylian’s challenges. For example, Agidens ensured that the setup of the production lines could be configured while the previous order was still running, and that automatic notifications are sent in case of any failures.”
REALISATION
The software engineers at Agidens set up various workcenters within the MES platform. In these workcenters, products are scheduled per line along with their associated processes, allowing Momentum to precisely manage what needs to be done. Parameters were added to these processes to configure the setup and startup. We ensured that this setup is scalable, making it relatively easy to add new production lines with the correct configurations.
- Data from the production lines, including output and reasons for losses, are visualized in the MES platform and automatically forwarded to SAP. This integration enables accurate OEE calculations and provides a clear overview of production efficiency.
- Downtime reasons and waste registration are also integrated into the system.
EXTENSIVE DIGITAL WORK INSTRUCTIONS
- A major challenge of the project at Guylian involved the extensive inspections and quality controls, which until recently were managed in overly complex Excel files.
- The setup and startup of the production lines were manually documented, often without verification. This paper-based system led to errors and lacked traceability.
- Our business analysts translated all inspections for each production line into the appropriate functionalities. Today, Guylian has a clear and digital overview of what needs to be done, when and how.
- The quality tests have been fully digitized. Operators are required to take photos and document their steps when necessary. This digital trail is crucial for audits, ensuring that all steps are verified and traceable. This documented evidence also helps reduce disputes.
- The digitalization at Guylian also serves as a guidance tool for operators. It ensures that all operators follow standard procedures, which enhances quality and reduces human variability.
PRODUCTION TO A DIGITAL & HIGHER LEVEL
The implemented MES solution at Guylian demonstrates how industrial process digitalization elevates production to a higher level. By thoroughly understanding the challenges and providing tailored solutions, Agidens enabled Guylian to achieve greater efficiency, enhanced quality control, and improved production management.