Most companies capture quality data in data silos (per system, process, department, …). Due to this, quality data ends up separated from other data and gets isolated from broader decision-making. Therefore, merging data silos in one central solution encourages information sharing and should be one of the main concerns of any feed  business. Besides this, organizations also want to continuously improve efficiency at the point of data capture.  A smart integration will take care of these business pains. It will not only avoid repetitive tasks, transcriptions and errors but it will also make sure that information is available on time and at the correct place.

In this article,  we will guide you through three real-world scenarios, showing how smart integrations lead to increased efficiency in a central QC platform.

First scenario: Intake of raw materials

In the first scenario we focus on the creation of a sample from the intake of raw materials to the approval for unloading the truck.

The ERP or MES software of the company sends the relevant information for the intake to the BESTMIX Quality Control software in an XML file. After a sample is created, the smart QC software, BESTMIX, will assign analyses to the sample based on the quality control plan, all without any user interaction. After this, the plant operator, based on the number of the sample label, knows how many samples to take, which type of bag to use and where it needs to be sent to.

After printing the labels, the operator can start the QC process by taking samples from the intake, checking the delivery note and truck cleaning documents. After the operator has filled out the document conformity status in the QC software, he or she can execute a visual control of the raw materials and can fill out these results in the sample.

Here the sample is scanned by the NIR and afterwards, the sample data is automatically sent to the NIR instrument in the plant. Thanks to the limits in the NIR device, the operator immediately sees an evaluation and can choose to rescan if necessary.

After starting the scan, the prediction is generated by the instrument and the results are compared to the limits by the NIR software. Meanwhile the predictions are also automatically captured in the QC software without user interaction. Furthermore, the results of the Don-test that are saved in an Excel file, are automatically processed into the QC software after saving in a predefined folder. This is the third integration that shows the increase of the efficiency by focusing on limiting user interaction.

These elements clearly show that using smart integrations, to bring all quality data from multiple data sources in one central platform, leads to increased efficiency.

Second scenario: Production of extruded products

In this second scenario, where the production is again generated in the ERP or MES software, we focus on the production of an extruded product.

The production of extruded products demands multiple process steps and equipment. Since a finished product needs tight limits of moisture content, it will be analysed in the mix via a Sartorius instrument. Again, there is a possibility to capture the results automatically in the QC software, without user interaction.

The different processes that follow after that (preconditioning, extruding, drying, cooling and finally coating) are regulated by multiple variables and set points that are very complex. This requires experienced operators who get a time-based logging of the settings and variables in a centralized QC software. The logging improves the understanding of the process and steers it, whenever necessary, to get towards the correct set points and enables the reuse of this knowledge for future production orders. The set points and variables are captured multiple times during the production process in the QC software.

In the final step, the testing of the finished product for nutritional content can be done via a NIR scan and here again, the automated interface can be used to upload results.

Third scenario: Sales order handling

Like in the two scenarios before, the sample in the QC software is also created from a transaction in the ERP or MES software. Checks (e.g. Are the labels readable? Is the label content correct? Etc.) can be filled into the QC software directly to handle the sales order process. When an operator notices that something is wrong with the label, he/she can take a picture, that is automatically attached to the sample. This way, all data is stored centrally in the integrated QC software, allowing full traceability.

Conclusion

If you want to see how these scenarios work in a live environment be sure to check the webinar recording below.