Industry: Chemicals
Establish IT for the global process optimization: This was the goal of the Swiss powder paint specialist for the year 2003. The first step in this direction was the introduction of a new ERP system. 15 years later, the digitization of the group of companies has made huge progress. The production facilities and processes are linked via the CSB-System.
“Our IT solution is a seamless system that can be extended anytime if needed. Our global growth is supported optimally by the multi-language, multi-company and multicurrency abilities of our ERP system. “We benefit from the internationality of our IT partner”, says Roger Küng, Head of IT. The industry-specific software of the CSB-System links the head office in Switzerland with the subsidiaries in Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Sweden and Poland. The advantage: there are no stand-alone solutions and interface problems at the leading powder coating specialist for high-quality system solutions in architecture, wood materials and the transport industry.
Fast processes are important
IGP produces 15,000 tons annually in 18,000 batches and processes approx. 13,000 active recipes into 40,000 sales items and 180,000 deliveries. Speed is an important competitive factor. Smooth processes and fast processing of customer orders are only possible if the international data handling functions optimally.
At IGP, all use the same software: from planning to the development of recipes and enterprise resource planning up to hazardous substance management. This strategy works out well: “We can supply our customers with the desired powder coating ex works within 24 hours. The goods are at their destination within five to eight days from production,” says Leo D´Anna, Head of Operations and member of Executive Management at IGP.
Mobile batch management secures high quality and traceability
For Roger Küng, head of IT, processes are only really good when they are paperless. All data should come directly out of the ERP system and flow back to it. At the same time, process reliability must be safeguarded.
One example from production: raw materials are weighed at the beginning of the seven-level production process. As IGP processes very expensive raw materials, precision and endto-end documentation are very important. Therefore, IGP uses mobile data capture devices. The scanners are linked directly to the ERP software by radio and receive all relevant information for the production batches in real time. Overall, 23 devices are permanently in operation, ten access points with 20 antennas guarantee impeccable connections with the ERP software.
The procedure is easy: first, the respective raw material is scanned and the system checks automatically, whether the raw material really is a component of the recipe. The weighing area of the 33 connected scales and 14 mixers is checked. The employee in charge logs on to the scale with the mobile data entry device. Automatic tolerance tests during weighing make sure that exactly the right quantity is weighed. Finally, the completed batch is moved on to production.
Leo D´Anna: “By mobile batch processing, we can monitor the weighing processes better, minimize weighing errors and increase the quality of our products. And it enables a consistent traceability up to the raw material batch.” As the solution has proven to be good, it has been implemented in the newly built production work in Poland as well.
Benefit for all
The digitization of processes is not a one-off thing for IGP. The powder coating specialist continues working on the vertical and horizontal integration of the system. In the end, the whole group of companies shall benefit of the software and boost growth. In 2017 and 2018 alone, the Polish subsidiary and an external warehouse in Switzerland were integrated into the ERP system. The production plant of the North American subsidiary will follow in 2020. As of 2019, the product calculation is to be executed via CSB and Business Intelligence is to be used. “Our digitization strategy is quite simple: We want to gradually improve all processes with our ERP system. For us, the CSB-System is vital,” says Leo D´Anna, Head of Operations at IGP.
