Aviko Rixona: digitisation is a must, especially for the new operator generation

Implementation

Selecting a compact line

Aviko Rixona produces potato flakes and granulate for the fast-food industry, among others. The company had been looking for an alternative to their paper-based work instructions and checklists for a while, according to production manager Jimi Aarts: “We used to work with a 30-page document containing all cleaning and inspection tasks. Operators would tick the boxes in hard-copy lists. It was cumbersome, unclear and old-fashioned. Still, it took a while for us to find a good digital solution. Some providers made it too simplistic, others too complex. EZ-GO offers just the right level of user-friendliness and flexibility for us.”

For the implementation, the Limburg-based factory opted for a line that allows for proper testing of all functionalities. Operator Michael is part of the project team: “Line 6 produces potato flakes, making it a true process line. Plus, this is where a lot of new and young operators work, the line is limited to a single space and the process is transparent. Perfect to kick things off with.”

As it turns out, the implementation is a great moment to review the old material, according to Stef: “Departing from the paper-based tome, we updated all tasks, procedures and checklists and made new photos of everything.” Michael adds: “We also subdivided tasks into smaller pieces. Plus, we made instruction videos that have proven very useful because they show the operator what to do at a glance.”

Jimi: “Thanks to EZ-GO, new employees can get started right away. We conducted a survey among the operators at line 6. They rated the app a 4.5 out of 5 and were especially pleased about the user-friendliness.”

Expansion

Well begun is half done

After a good preparation, it is relatively easy to enter the material into the app. Stef booked the project team for a week to get it done. “The first day was more difficult than we had hoped, one issue was that our photos weren’t as good as we thought. By midday, we had only entered three tasks. But once we got the hang of it, we managed to pick up pace and by Friday, everything was done according to schedule.”

In May 2021, the team gave the app a positive assessment on line 6. Stef: “We want the app to contain all lines by the summer of 2022, both for processing and for the filling department. The most time-consuming aspect will be to update procedures and checklists. The team leaders and operators will be conducting the implementation on their own, parallel to their regular work.”

Continuous improvement

Improvement through use and reports

Aviko Rixona haven’t used all of the reporting functionalities yet, but they do intend to. Jimi: “The app is great for easy reporting, which will allow us to use EZ-GO as a tool for systematic improvement. Currently focused on everyday activities, we noticed quite a bit of improvement already.”

Michael concurs: “In the past, a cleaning session was often your first task of the day. But everyone complies with instructions now, which means that much more often than before, the location is in order, everything is stowed in the right place and clean. Way better.”

Deviations

Easy to create actions

The operators love the ability to create actions in the app. Adding a photo, being kept up to date on the status and ticking the box on an action when done; all very useful. When a notification is intended for the technical service, the team leader uses the existing system for deviations to forward the message. In the first months, forty actions were entered and eighty percent was followed up on.

Audits

Faster and better audits

So far, Aviko Rixona entered two audits into EZ-GO: the Good Manufacturing Practice audit and the glass audit. Both are conducted every five weeks via the app, which makes them a lot more user-friendly than before.

Providing information in the event of external audits becomes a lot easier too, according to Stef: “External auditors have their own checklists, of course, but it is now very easy for us to demonstrate, based on the app, that certain things are in order. All it takes is one tap of a button to demonstrate our everyday inspection and cleaning, for example. And historic information is easy to pull up as well.”

Digitisation

Ready for new operators and new machines

Michael, Stef and Jimi all agree: EZ-GO is easier, more transparent and more fun to work with, and it improves productivity by keeping the workplace tidier and ensuring that actions are followed up on more quickly. Conducting internal audits is now a quicker and easier process than before.

But there are other reasons to deploy the platform, Jimi concludes: “For operators who belong to the new generation, the use of digital tools that they know from their everyday life is a precondition. And then there is another important reason from our own perspective: we are investing in our factory considerably and a lot of new machines will be added soon. We will be starting, configuring and testing them. We will want to record our findings, generate instructions and train staff. EZ-GO will be extremely helpful.”