Poka > Case Studies > IoT Implementation in Food Manufacturing: A Case Study of C.H. Guenther

IoT Implementation in Food Manufacturing: A Case Study of C.H. Guenther

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS)
Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

Applicable Industries

Education
Packaging

Applicable Functions

Maintenance

Use Cases

Time Sensitive Networking
Virtual Training

Services

Training

About The Customer

C.H. Guenther is a well-established food manufacturer with over 150 years of operation. The company's Pioneer Frozen Foods plant, located in South Carolina, began operations in 2002 and currently employs over 200 individuals. The facility is equipped with four main production lines that are responsible for the production of a variety of products including dry mixes, doughs, pancakes, and cinnamon rolls. Prior to the implementation of Poka, the plant relied on traditional communication methods such as radio and face-to-face conversations, which led to several operational inefficiencies.

The Challenge

C.H. Guenther, a large food manufacturer with a history of over 150 years, faced significant operational challenges in their Pioneer Frozen Foods plant in South Carolina. The plant, which employs over 200 people and has four main production lines, relied heavily on radio and face-to-face communication among workers. The lack of technological devices on the shop floor led to limited visibility and inefficiencies, with many issues going unnoticed and unresolved. A recurring problem on one of their lines, where the product was not being correctly deposited into the packaging, was causing regular three-minute stops. These minor stops, while seemingly insignificant, added up to approximately 40 hours of lost production time over a year. Additionally, the plant faced potential downtime due to a lack of trained employees to operate a new workstation.

The Solution

The company implemented Poka, a connected worker app, to modernize their operations. This provided their workforce with access to iPads on the shop floor, enabling them to capture and share issues through pictures and videos. This visual support helped the maintenance team to quickly identify and solve problems. For the recurring line issue, a call for help was created on Poka, including a video showcasing the problem. This visibility led to a maintenance head suggesting a solution that permanently fixed the issue. To avoid downtime due to untrained employees, the company used Poka to provide access to the workstation’s standard work instructions. This allowed an untrained employee to operate the new workstation within an hour, significantly reducing potential downtime.

Operational Impact

The implementation of Poka brought about significant operational improvements in C.H. Guenther's Pioneer Frozen Foods plant. The use of iPads on the shop floor facilitated better communication and problem-solving, replacing informal conversations and radio chatter. The visibility of issues increased, leading to quicker and more effective solutions. The recurring line issue was permanently resolved, eliminating the regular minor stops that were causing significant annual production loss. The ability to quickly train employees to operate new workstations also helped to avoid potential downtime. The company learned valuable lessons from the implementation, including the importance of creating good standard work instructions, focusing on employees as customers, and the agility of Poka in improving material and adding content.

Quantitative Benefit

Created 2,600 documents and 300 skills using Poka
Completed 70,000 forms and identified 57,000 training opportunities
Reduced recurring line issue that was causing approximately 40 hours of lost production time annually