“Thanks to VDS, CCI now steers on hard data instead of assumptions.”

Downtime means going backwards. That certainly applies to one of the largest private-label confectionery producers in north-west Europe. Spread across four sites, more than 300 employees make vegan and allergen-free sweets.

Marten runs the plant in Drachten. It runs three shifts, five days a week. In the packing department two shifts are on duty. “The trick is to run as efficiently as possible without disruptions,” the manager winks.

Disruptions cause downtime, and downtime costs money. And the last thing CCI wants is to disappoint customers and consumers.

Real-time insight

In the past, disruptions still happened regularly. So there was room for improvement. VDS installed a recording and monitoring system in the halls at every production and packing line. Each line now has a screen where operators enter the downtime, its cause and its status straight away. Sensors measure how long the disruptions last, and alerts are sent automatically whenever something deviates. All of this data comes together in a central dashboard, so everyone has real-time insight.

“The good thing is that the people on the shop floor were involved in the implementation as well,” Marten says. “We did it that way to bring staff into the process straight away. Now we can see what they run into and how we can solve it together. And it is easier too: one press of a button and the dashboard is in front of you with all the results of the past 24 hours. The data shows you exactly where things go wrong and what causes the failures.”

Monitoring is a relief

Colleague Alwin Seinen is not only business controller at CCI, he also handles data control, planning and forecasting. “When there are issues, I am the filter between us and VDS. Together we then look at the improvements straight away,” he begins. “We now have more demand than capacity. So how do we use that capacity as efficiently as possible? What is our overall performance? The VDS tools help us a great deal with that.”

For Marten and Alwin the new monitoring system is a relief compared with the old, time-consuming way of working. “We used to have fault forms at the line. The packers filled in the number of boxes there, but the faults were written down on them too, plus the number of minutes everything stood still,” Marten explains. “Every day the planner collected the forms and entered those twenty sheets into the performance system by hand. All in all about an hour and a half of work.”

From assumptions to fact-based data

In the end that produced an OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) figure measuring the effectiveness of the production line. But it proved hard to verify whether every disruption had been recorded completely and consistently. Output, line performance and downtime were not always fully backed up by data, which meant less grip on downtime.

“We worked largely on assumptions. And they were made by people who were not on the production process themselves. That leaves you at risk of taking the wrong decisions. We now work in a more fact-based way and make improvements on the basis of data,” says Marten.

Less downtime, more savings

CCI can now run analyses from the dashboard every day on the basis of real-time, complete data and adjust accordingly. Because the causes of downtime are recorded structurally, the team can improve in a targeted way instead of putting out the same fires over and over. “Without this information you would go purely on what the operator says. And that is often a gut feeling. Once we have the data, your case becomes stronger and factual,” says Alwin.

The first thing the dashboard pointed to was not the machine itself, but a relatively small part of the production process. Staff already knew it caused delays in practice. Just how much impact it actually had on downtime only became clear once it showed up as a cause in the dashboard. “That was a big disruptor,” Marten says. CCI solved it themselves.

That is exactly how it is meant to work: VDS provides the measurement, the people in the plant decide what to tackle first.

Growing awareness

A welcome side effect is the growing awareness among CCI staff. Alwin: “The dashboards simply state how we ran over the past 24 hours. Staff can see, for instance, what the target is and what we actually ran.”

Next step: live dashboards

The collaboration started with Power BI reporting and OEE tooling. Now CCI and VDS are going a level deeper with the rollout of live dashboards. A screen showing the results of the last two hours will be mounted above every production and packing line. This real-time data gives staff an even better insight into performance.

“With this up-to-date information we can act immediately instead of looking back. We can see straight away where performance fluctuates and how we can solve it,” Marten says. Alwin: “And by looking ahead we can also make better estimates for new investments.”

Short lines and good service with VDS

CCI is very pleased with the collaboration with VDS. Marten: “VDS is a young and ambitious company. Down-to-earth people who like short lines and would rather already be looking ahead with you. Their service is really good.”

What Alwin values most is the pleasant dynamic when sparring. “I usually bring the vision, and then VDS comes up with the technical options to make it happen. They always keep to their agreements and try to be one step ahead of you in thinking along.”

Asked which companies would also benefit from the VDS tools, he answers: “All kinds of production sites. But purchasing and sales companies with dashboarding options as well, or factories.”

Alwin also stresses how much work VDS takes off their hands, something that stands out during the collaboration. VDS delivers projects turnkey, leaving CCI completely unburdened. “They immediately think along about what the next step for us would be.”