Experience, Design Critical to Efficient Layouts
Meeting Layout Optimization Needs with Partnership
- Insights
- August 12, 2022
Optimized layouts come down to two critical components: experienced partners and good design. When a supplier and an OEM come together for your layout and business needs with the goal of bringing you value and long-term profitability, you’ll see results from the very start.
A partnership that begins in the early stages of your project allows you to make optimized layouts with the foresight and experience of trusted experts. It unlocks opportunities that enable immediate improved performance while reducing costs.
To better understand the importance of these critical components, we spoke with two of our expert partners: Marcos Fregati, M. Dias Branco Industrial Processing Manager, and Valdeci Kossar, Águia Sistemas Automation Commercial Manager.
These experts shared with us how a good design and experienced partners can bring value and save on costs while enabling more efficient layouts.
Experience
“Experience is even stronger in a partnership,” says Kossar. “Working in many industries and distribution centers, we have a lot of learned experience. We combine this experience with a skilled supplier who has deep industry knowledge and work together with the management and production team of the food manufacturer to help draw the best possible solution together.”
Experience in the form of specialized market knowledge is just as valuable to food manufacturers seeking to optimize their layouts, particularly when you rely on the expertise suppliers can bring. “When a supplier can share experiences from other projects and installations, you never start layout optimization projects from zero. Instead, you acquire knowledge to save you time and total cost,” says Fregati.
Layout optimization experts at Intralox searching for and presenting innovative solutions to us that come from global experience is very valuable. Their expertise comes from an unceasing desire for innovation and excellence.
Marcos Fregati
M. Diaz Branco Industrial Processing Manager
Early Alignment
Fregati and Kossar agree that a deep understanding of the food manufacturer’s needs and goals as well as alignment with all involved in the early stages of a layout optimization project will yield greater success than without them.
“In general, we need to ensure we maintain a triple equilibrium of cost, lead and execution time, and quality,” says Fregati. “Once that is understood by all members of the project, the next step is the development of the prework. At that stage, choosing optimal suppliers and integrators who understand our triple equilibrium will allow us to achieve the best integration possible.”
Kossar shares this sentiment. “The most important thing is that everyone gets together. The integrator, the supplier, the food manufacturer including various departments at the plant. If even one of these groups and their expertise are not taken into consideration during the prework of a layout optimization project, the risk becomes very high.”
This prework with all stakeholders ensures full alignment to best deliver a future-ready, optimized layout that addresses inefficiencies. And that is overall goal, according to Tiago Poletto, Intralox Activated Roller Belt (ARB) Solutions Seller. “When it comes down to it, a food manufacturer is most concerned with how much layout optimization can improve efficiencies,” says Poletto.
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Design
Good design yields the highest results when optimizing layouts. And 3D layout sketches or simulations of critical areas in a layout are crucial for delivering a clear overview of the design’s proposed solutions and benefits.
“A 3D simulation changes everything from the start,” explains Kossar. “It changes the perspective the food manufacturer has of the entire operation. 3D simulations allow us to see issues or inefficiencies and solve them before installation. This creates a lot of value and efficiency in project execution.”
Fregati agrees. “Seeing the layout in 3D helped us see and correct errors in the project that were not noticed before,” he says. “This was a huge learning for us and resulted in using the 3D platform to guide the project moving forward.”
Team Tip: In the early stages of a layout optimization project, focus on the total cost of ownership as opposed to the acquisition cost of the equipment. With a project focused on total cost of ownership, the payback will be achieved sooner.
The right tools in the hands of layout optimization experts ensures that a food manufacturer receives the most reliable and best performing conveyance solutions, lowered total cost of ownership, and flexible layouts.
Successful Partnership
Layout optimization is effective partnerships ensuring the best possible line layouts. Listening objectively and thinking creatively guarantee early alignment and experienced design. As a result, you experience the most reliable and best performing conveyance solutions and a lowered total cost of ownership.
With the help of Intralox’s trusted consulting experts in the early stages of your project, you can optimize layouts with foresight and experience. Unlock opportunities by using innovative technologies that enable improved performance and layout flexibility.