Maasland achieves digital goals with FOBIS

Maasland Vleeswaren B.V. carefully produces hams, liver sausages and cooked sausages to be delivered to its customers as agreed. To support all administrative, production and quality processes, Maasland is implementing a completely new automation system. 

Owner Piet Groot explains that Maasland Vleeswaren B.V. was still working with an older digital system. It was therefore high time for a digital improvement: to continue to respond to customer requirements and to gain a better insight into the production process. Together with his brother Ad, co-owner of Maasland, he selected several suppliers in 2017. RBK Group and the FOBIS and FOPRO programmes appealed to them most. "I had confidence in RBK because of its flat organisation and saw advantages in the software and compatible hardware," Piet explains.

The implementation

"In 2018, we made a dynamic start with the implementation of the production control system in Almere," says Piet. Maasland produces hams at this location. This will be followed by Belfeld, the new factory for the production of liver and cooked sausages. "The implementation was initially difficult. We needed someone from within our organisation with full focus on the project. That person was Patrick Wierks from Aim-Prove. Patrick is an independent consultant for mainly food producing companies in the field of production automation. RBK also refreshed the focus, with client manager Erwin Neijmeijer: "We have renewed structure", he says, "and have thus proceeded energetically. We discussed preconditions and made agreements."

First of all, a project organisation and steering committee were set up. Then, together with Maasland employees, Patrick mapped out all the requirements for a thorough plan with a dot on the horizon. "The implementation went smoothly after that," says Piet. "We had enough time. The plan was specified down to the smallest detail, which meant there were few discussions along the way. In the few discussions that did occur, we could fall back on the requirements document, so we could determine the right approach, decide if it was good or if we wanted to revise it."

From left to right: John Hoek (RBK), Piet Groot (Maasland Vleeswaren), Patrick Wierks (Aim-Prove)

The cooperation

"The cooperation with RBK is pleasant." Patrick nods emphatically. "Together we have tuned in to what is important. We are now getting a better grip on the process on the production floor, step by step, and we can see what is happening." According to Piet, this digitisation also brings out the vulnerability of the company: "It exposes the weak points, but we can now quickly improve them." The cooperation between RBK and Maasland employees is also going well. "It is a team effort," confirms Erwin. "Our consultant and project manager work closely together with the right key users. Patrick has supervised this well within Maasland."

The ability to support

When asked how the employees reacted to the desire to digitise, Piet answers with 'positive and sympathetic'. "Some were afraid to start working with computers. Partly due to Patrick's efforts, this was overcome. As project leader, he takes them through the process step by step, and knows how to carry out the implementation seamlessly in manageable portions. This takes time, but you eventually win it all back through less paperwork and faster insight." 

Patrick agrees with Piet's words. "For Maasland, it is most important that the employee has his own work process in order. Managers want processes to be transparent and they also want to have a grip at a distance." He offers a tip to anyone who is about to embark on such a process: "Start small, don't aim to create the perfect model in one step. Make a thorough step-by-step plan, that is easier and more fun for the organisation and the people."

The result

Erwin Neijmeijer points out that RBK works with standard software that is customised for the client. "We discuss every adjustment and realisation desired by the client beforehand. If any changes to the software are necessary, we then include them as standard in FOBIS making them available to every other client. After implementation, it will be tested by the client and fine-tuned by the RBK consultants. We do this until the test setup is approved. Then the conversion to the live environment follows." In Almere, that was mid-2020. "There is now an integrated quality and tracking system available with the FOBIS and FOPRO systems." 

Piet on the first result: "The audit 'Beter Leven Stromen' was now a piece of cake! With one push of a button, the system came up with the required information." He confirms that digitisation is an investment that will save you time in the long run and provide much more relevant management information. "This is a basis for further development. For example, 'steering on purchasing and sales'. You can achieve wonderful things with it." "But first we are working in small steps towards the final tip in Belfeld. We will go live there in June," concludes Patrick.

www.rbk.nl/en
www.maaslandvleeswaren.nl

Photos: © Ton Kastermans Fotografie