Manufacturing / McCain

Revolutionizing Defect Management: How McCain Reduced Production Issues by 70%

Global Food Leader McCain Partners with TribalScale. From paper to digital excellence: learn how McCain reduced production defects by 70% through smart automation.

logo

Challenge

In McCain's packaging and processing lines, the organization faced critical inefficiencies in defect handling. The production facility lacked a system for users to create and assign defects within these manufacturing areas. There was no mechanism to ensure defect identification through work order notification in the production lines, nor a process to kick defects back to Operators, raise Work Order notifications from the Defect Log, or notify Operators of defect status.

The goals for the project were:

  • Ensuring swift identification, assignment, and resolution of issues across packaging and processing lines for efficient defect management.

  • Establishing clear accountability for work items within the production facility.

  • Providing status transparency to gain insights into defects across manufacturing operations.

  • Implementing resolution tracking to identify patterns and areas for improvement in production lines.

  • Enabling a cycle of continuous improvement by automatically revisiting unresolved defects in the manufacturing process.

Key results

icon

Defects submissions decreased by 70%

icon

Improved Performance, Stability, and Scalability

icon

Comprehensive testing

Solution

Our solution, Digital Defect Handling (DDH), was driven by a singular imperative: speed. Tailored workflows and layouts unique to each user's role at McCain ensure that users only encounter defects pertinent to their department, maximizing the application's effectiveness. Functioning akin to a project-management tool, DDH facilitates intuitive ticket creation for day-to-day interruptions such as wet floors or machinery defects. It also enables seamless communication through real-time updates and notifications as defects are resolved.

PROCESS:

To discover the solution, we conducted intensive Domain Driven Design and Event Storming sessions spanning two days. Our objective was to establish a common language with McCain stakeholders and comprehensively understand the business problem. Led by a Solution Architect and Anchor Engineer, these sessions aimed to identify the AS-IS process and devise a TO-BE solution that addresses the pain points of end users, ensuring clarity for stakeholders with varying levels of technical expertise.

IMPLEMENTATION:

The initial DDH development phase focused on integrating with SAP, essential for efficient data access. The architecture prioritized SAP Data Synchronization and Power Platform Data Exchange. SAP Data Sync ensures real-time alignment for defect tracking, while Power Platform Exchange enables bidirectional data flow. These components form DDH's backbone, integrating with SAP and leveraging Power Platform's capabilities. We evaluated two strategies for SAP Data Sync: middleware or Power Platform's SAP custom connector with Synapse. Power Platform Exchange uses post and get requests managed by Azure API Management (APIM).

Technologies

  • Azure

  • Microsoft Power Apps

Outcome

The Digital Defect Handling project exemplifies the transformative impact of digitalization in manufacturing. Through the utilization of cutting-edge technologies and a user-centered approach to solution development, we implemented a system that not only enhances defect management efficiency but also cultivates a culture of ongoing improvement and operational excellence.

End Result

  • Enhanced Customization and Efficiency

  • Improved Performance, Stability, and Scalability

  • Increased Client Confidence

Yellow Quote

TribalScale’s expertise with Agile development has been key in this project, which is ultimately a great learning opportunity for McCain as we are focused on building a capability to build digital tools.

Yellow Quote

Caroline Morissette

VP of Digital & Data at McCain Foods

section-logo

Ready to ignite your idea?

If you have a vision and the determination to make it a reality, the TribalScale Venture Studio wants to hear from you. Let's explore the possibilities, turn ideas into action, and create success stories together.