Our nutrition factory in
This is an acknowledgment of how we're using cutting-edge technologies to boost productivity and efficiency, respond rapidly to shifts in customer and consumer demand, equip our workforce with digital skills and limit our impact on the environment.
Since 2018, the
These sites adopt and deploy advanced technologies to maximise efficiency and competitiveness, and drive sustainable and responsible business growth. They stand as a benchmark and a replicable model for manufacturers of all sizes, across different geographies and industries.
The bulk of savoury products used by restaurants in
As Reginaldo Ecclissato, our Chief Business Operations Officer, says: "To be named a
Despite the huge disruption that Covid-19 has caused to
For instance, we're using data analysis and machine learning to identify how we can better serve existing and potential restaurant customers. One way we're doing this is by offering tailor-made recipes based on their style of cuisine, diner reviews and average cost of a meal. This 'smart selling' approach has doubled the number of customers since 2018.
Implementing agile manufacturing processes, we're able to quickly increase or decrease production in response to changes in customer orders and consumer demand, all while minimising waste and business loss. And through dynamic supply modelling, we integrate our planning systems and synchronise information with suppliers to increase the efficiency of our inventory control and logistics.
Indaiatuba is the largest renewable energy soap powder production plant in the world. The site uses energy produced from locally sourced biomass.
Combined, these have cut order-to-delivery lead time by over 40%, which means we're better able to offer consumers the products they want, when they want them.
We've implemented 'lights-out production' - 24/7 manufacturing with minimal operator intervention. This requires a level of automation and precision that only AI can deliver. The fact that we no longer need operators to carry out routine work has resulted in an almost doubling of labour productivity, freeing up the team's time to spend on more value-adding activities.
The site uses 100% green electricity generated on-site from wind, water and biomass, in addition to solar and geothermal energy from the industrial park where it's located. This is controlled by a smart management system which enables us to identify opportunities to make real-time tweaks and ongoing improvements. This has reduced our electricity consumption by 32% and carbon emissions by 17%.Indaiatuba: speed, quality and optimisation
In
The process used in the manufacture of laundry powders is highly complex, so making changes is time-consuming. The team set up a digital twin which uses machine learning to predict the optimal process parameters for new formulations. This eliminates the need for physical trials, significantly speeding up the launch of new innovations such as our first anti-residue detergent.
The old process was also a big source of GHG emissions and accounted for 80% of the plant's entire energy consumption. We switched to biomass for power and used a machine-learning system to improve the thermal efficiency of the operation. This cut the plant's scope 1 emissions by 96% and energy consumption and cost by over 50%.
Using renewable energy is projected to reduce CO2 emissions at Indaiatuba by 37,000 tonnes every year. That's equivalent to the weight of almost 60 Christ the Redeemer statues.
The team is also using machine learning to achieve right-first-time sealing of packs to increase product quality and reduce waste, and to predict the optimal time to carry out equipment maintenance to reduce maintenance costs - which has almost halved since 2018 - and maximise machine availability.
The ability to ship products direct from the factory is a real competitive advantage for the powders business in
At the heart of this transformation is a digital training programme which has upskilled the entire Indaiatuba workforce as well as more than 70 employees from seven other
As
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