Europe’s leading manufacturer of sweet biscuits implements preventive maintenance with Ultimo / Cross-site introduction planned
More than 100,000 tons of sweet biscuits per year, delivered to over 80 countries worldwide: Bahlsen is the leading biscuit manufacturer in Germany and one of the leading suppliers in Europe. The company uses IFS Ultimo for Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) to optimize maintenance management for its systems, achieve maximum uptime with preventive maintenance and standardize processes in four plants.
In February 2023, Bahlsen introduced the cloud-based software solution at its production site in Berlin. A blueprint for desired maintenance processes was developed and tested here. Initially, 24 users used the Standard Asset Management. An important part of this is the integration of production, whose employees can report failures directly in the system or resolve reported failures straight away. The aim of the pilot project was to define the requirements for the system solution and establish common KPIs, which are then measured at group level. Ultimo was then transferred to the company’s other plants using the experience gained in Berlin. Ultimo is also to be implemented at the logistics site. As a result, Ultimo is used to implement, centrally monitor and optimize standardized maintenance processes across the company.
Monitoring of maintenance activities
“Bahlsen produces bakery products in a total of five plants. With IFS Ultimo, we achieve the greatest possible transparency across all sites regarding the condition of our equipment and improved reporting and monitoring of maintenance activities. This data enables us to move from reactive to preventive maintenance and thus reduce downtimes due to unplanned maintenance to a minimum“, says project manager Aimal Khan, Digital Manager at Bahlsen regarding the introduction of IFS Ultimo.
Necessary downtimes can be efficiently planned and managed with IFS Ultimo. Operators, maintenance staff and management access the same centrally managed data. In the long run, Bahlsen also intends to use the integrated Long Term Asset Planning module (LTAP). This enables maintenance staff to draw up long-term budget plans for their equipment based on the condition of the assets and the costs of maintenance, renovation and replacement.
This allows informed decisions on maintenance measures and the implementation of preventive maintenance with maximum cost efficiency.
Flexible and powerful modules
Heike Roth, Team Lead Inside Sales, IFS Ultimo, adds: “With IFS Ultimo’s cloud-based EAM software, Bahlsen benefits from shared maintenance KPIs that are defined, measured and monitored at group level. Together with the wide range of asset management functions, this maximizes productivity and efficiency. This strategic approach underlines the company’s high standards of quality and innovative strength.”
In addition to the flexible and powerful modules for planning, optimizing, executing and monitoring maintenance activities, the integration of Ultimo into intelligent Asset Performance Management (APM) platforms was also a reason for the decision to use IFS Ultimo for Enterprise Asset Management. The two companies work closely together in a strategic partnership to enable customers to make fast, accurate and data-driven decisions and to help the industry improve its operational performance and sustainability.
IFS Ultimo is a cloud-based Enterprise Asset Management software with numerous modules for managing assets, work orders, projects, maintenance, and health, safety and environmental (HSE) issues. It helps to map and manage processes transparently and to simplify their execution. All data is centrally available to users in IFS Ultimo and can also be used on the move thanks to the cloud-based solution – whether on a PC or laptop or the operator’s or maintenance manager’s mobile device directly at the equipment. For this purpose, dedicated Android and iOS apps are available.
Frequently Asked Questions
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If your organization utilizes capital-intensive assets, IFS Ultimo’s best-of-breed EAM is an invaluable tool for optimizing your asset management. Ultimo excels in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, infrastructure and utility sectors.
