Interview ¦ IDM
faster and more precisely. In a herd management
program, data of the milking system (e.g.
milk quantity, color of the milk, ingredients, cell
content) can be linked as well. All in all, advanced
robotics not only relieve the burden on
farmers, but also ensures better results and efficient
processes.
IDM: What possibilities do dairies have for further
digitization?
Lütke Entrup: A key topic in the coming
years will be integrated planning and control
of the value chain. For this purpose, powerful
solutions are now available which, on the
one hand, enable algorithm-based sales planning
and, on the other hand, check the sales
data against available capacities at all levels.
This is done with consideration all relevant
restrictions (e.g. best before date / remaining
shelf time) while also solving bottlenecks. The
software can furthermore generate marginoptimal
utilization proposals for milk surpluses
and shortages. In addition, the connection
of the machines to the ERP systems via MES,
the further automation of production as well
as the use of process data for improved plant
control (filling quantities, water contents etc.)
are relevant for many dairies.
IDM: What forms of digitization and automation
can be expected to be introduced in retail?
Lütke Entrup: Massive competition and in
particular the increasing shortage of qualified
workers are forcing retailers to automate their
warehouses and stores. Automation and robotics
solutions can support warehouses or take
over processes completely. For example, individual
retail warehouses do not store full pallets,
but individual products/cases, which in turn can
be specifically controlled during retrieval. In this
way, roll containers are picked in such a way
that the goods can be optimally moved around
the store (roll cage sequencing). In addition,
more and more sophisticated sales forecasting
and disposition procedures will enable a real
fine control of stocks and deliveries.
IDM: What does all this now mean for a medium
sized company in the dairy industry?
Lütke Entrup: It is clear that not every company
in the dairy industry is able to implement the
entire spectrum of digitization due to limited financial
and personnel resources. The core issue
for these companies is to identify the relevant
topics and projects, while considering the opportunities
and benefits for their own business,
as well as the use of resources and risk. This requires
employees who demonstrate the triad of
a detailed understanding of digital ecosystems,
the right business sense, and the required social
competence. In addition, the risk must always
be assessed: for example, about 50% of venture
capital investments are completely lost and
about 75% are not profitable. Medium-sized
companies should therefore start with proven
solutions (e.g. OCR scanners, checkweighers,
etc.) – if these have not yet been implemented,
then existing data should be used more extensively
(e.g. for complex batch size optimizations
or better forecasts) in order to use the resulting
savings to finance next projects.
IDM: In a presentation you said recently: "The
holy cows of today are the dinosaurs of tomorrow"
– what does that mean exactly?
Lütke Entrup: By that I mean that the meteorite
of digitization will fundamentally change
many processes and structures that are still
taken for granted today – and it will do so faster
than many people suspect. Companies in the
dairy business should therefore take a comprehensive
look at these issues and develop a roadmap
to profit from the opportunities that arise
to not end up as dinosaurs.
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