Case study Refresco: efficiency boost with EZ-GO

The company is thriving and growing rapidly. This is partly due to increasing customer demand, but also through the acquisition of other players. Standardizing processes is therefore becoming increasingly important.

Sandor: “Operational excellence is a high priority for us, but some processes were not running smoothly. For example, converting the lines, which we often have to do because we produce many different products, took a lot of time. We regularly conduct assessments to measure our performance. During such an assessment, it was found that many standards were incomplete or outdated, that different factories operate differently, making it difficult to exchange staff, and that the training of new employees was not standardized. Given our rapid growth, this is, of course, an important point.

Additionally, we want to move towards a paperless factory and work more data-driven in line with Industry 4.0. These were reasons to look for a digital solution to address all these improvement points at once. This makes our processes future-proof and scalable.”

Refresco conducts thorough market research and evaluates various solutions through a tender procedure. EZ-GO turns out to be the best fit for the company’s needs. Sandor: “EZ-GO enables us to work according to uniform standards and to capture best practices. This can be done digitally, with many visuals, and is very user-friendly. This helps to improve productivity and to train staff well. As a result, we can deploy them faster and better.

With the data we extract from the platform, we can monitor and improve our performance. EZ-GO also has useful additional features, such as tagging and a data API. Finally, it is a system that we can deploy at our various locations, making it possible to scale further.”

The implementation starts in the Netherlands. At each factory, a ‘superuser’ is appointed per department. These are enthusiastic employees with a digital mindset, who understand both systems and content. The superusers identify what is going well and what can be improved and translate this, together with other users, into work instructions, checklists, and other components in EZ-GO.

Yorick is a management trainee and has this role at the Bodegraven location. “I had already done several improvement projects and could translate that knowledge into the app. For the production processes, we first looked at the best practices. This best way of working has been translated into work instructions and checklists. People were then trained how to use the app. We now use almost all functionalities of EZ-GO in Bodegraven. So tasks, checklists, work instructions, audits, and the skills matrix. We do use EZ-GO within all departments: production, logistics, the QESH department, and the technical service (currently in the start-up phase).”

Sandor adds: “At each location, there is such a superuser who coordinates the process. There is regular consultation with these superusers to ensure that standardization is uniform across locations.”

The digital skills matrix was an important reason to choose EZ-GO. Sandor: “The ‘learning and training’ package falls under my responsibility. The skills matrix helps tremendously with this. We have been closely involved in the development of this component by EZ-GO. We are therefore sure that it fits well with operational practice. With the digital skills matrix, we map out what capacities people have and what skills they master. This allows us to better plan the available manpower. As a result, we always have the right capacity in the places where we need it.”

Yorick notes that the app has been quickly accepted. “EZ-GO is user-friendly and has the power of simplicity. Sometimes users were a bit skeptical at first, but as people get used to it, they become more and more enthusiastic. They can find work instructions on the spot, instead of having to look them up on a PC. It is also nice that the paperwork disappears; everything is now digitally together in one place. That is easier and saves time.”

Refresco has been working with EZ-GO in the Netherlands for over two years now, and the results are impressive, confirms Sandor: “We see fewer disruptions, higher Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and better employability of people. As a result, production at the various locations has increased significantly. Look at Maarheeze for example; just the business case there is sufficient to cover the license fee for EZ-GO for the entire Benelux for a whole year. And that is just one location. Now that everything is running smoothly, we want to use EZ-GO more for continuous improvement. We have also started implementing the platform at our international locations.”