As part of Arla's Empowered and Connected Shopfloor initiative (also known as Paperless Production), Arla has embarked on a comprehensive digitalization journey encompassing three key areas: empowered and connected shopfloor, advanced technology, and data led production. Simultaneously, Arla is preparing for a future where access to data is instantaneous, and users have access to even more integrated IT to enhance their digital capabilities even further.

"With our Empowered & Connected Shopfloor initiative, we want to simplify the frontline work on our production lines. A key element is a tablet with apps, so production operators always have what they need at their fingertips. Essentially, it's about making it simple for each employee to deliver a quality piece of work and have the ability to, for example, move employees around in case of illness. That's one of the main reasons we reached out to Delegate because we knew they're at the forefront at Power Apps," says Steffen Lundsgaard Jørgensen, Head of Digital Development, Digital & Optimized Production at Arla Foods.

Before Delegate came into the picture, Arla didn't have a digital tool for shift handovers. Handovers took place on whiteboards next to each production machine. While this method was adequate on a day-to-day basis, it did not leverage a lot of untapped potential, such as tracking valuable data upwards in the organization on a daily or weekly basis.

Furthermore, tracking KPIs from the shopfloor to the site director and across multiple locations was limited, and the time allocated for handovers was insufficient.

A key element of Arla's Paperless Production push was to enhance and streamline workflows at its production sites by implementing tablets. To achieve this, a custom Power App called the Performance Corridor has been developed together with Delegate. This innovative app replaced traditional whiteboards, offering a comprehensive system for monitoring and improving performance metrics. It was designed with features similar to previous manual tools, such as "Handover boards" and "Task cards," and featured a user-friendly interface tailored for those without technical expertise. This design facilitated easy integration into daily operations, significantly increasing efficiency and productivity across Arla's facilities.

The Performance Corridor app was developed swiftly, from idea to deployment, using a user-centric app development methodology. This ensured rapid adaptation to changing needs and requirements. The app was built on Microsoft's PowerApps platform by Delegate, which allowed for customization to meet the specific needs of each Arla production site, thus supporting a transition to a paperless shop floor.

The app's architecture was designed for scalability to support Arla's multinational operations. Its modular design ensures that as Arla grows and their needs evolve, the app can adapt seamlessly, maintaining operational efficiency and effectiveness.

At the heart of the app is performance optimization, where a structured method was introduced for tracking KPIs across operational areas, including Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, Motivation, and Environmental Impact. This approach underpins Arla's commitment to continuous improvement and expansion of its digital capabilities.

Choosing the Power Platform

"Our production sites are quite different regarding machines as well as processes. So, there will be solutions we can provide globally for all sites but also solutions that need to be done locally. We see that Power Platform can help us gain speed in developing both types of solutions," says Steffen Lundsgaard Jørgensen.

The solution implemented for Arla uses the entire Microsoft Power Platform and encompasses Power Apps, Power Automate, Data Flows, Power BI, and Azure DevOps Pipelines. Several custom pages and Power BI reports have been embedded to focus on a simple and unified user journey. Behind the scenes, Power Automate and Dataflows control data processes and movement.

"The Performance Corridor application has turned out to be slightly larger than we had originally expected. It has been a good, agile process where we have learned a lot. We didn't have a complete requirements specification from the beginning, so it has gradually evolved. We've also added some new things and changed many original ones. And it's probably only because we've worked with Power Platform that it's been possible to make 'fairly' drastic changes to user interfaces," says Jonas Dinesen, Senior Strategy & Digital Analyst at Arla Foods.

The first version of the Performance Corridor app is currently being used at 25+ sites, marking the initial phase of its deployment. The intuitive user interface makes site adaptation quick with low training effort, and the solution is expected to be running at around 30 sites in 2024.

Production workers now work in a standalone canvas app to meet their operational focus, and the apps are built to be user-friendly to non-tech people. The Management Team works in a custom model-driven app.

The solution's implementation enables Arla to follow up on and improve its main KPIs through 7000+ site measurements across various operational aspects. Each day, hundreds of comments are generated through the system, and the numbers grow by week, reflecting Arla's workforce's active engagement and utilization of the platform. The number will be many times higher when the solution is rolled out globally.

The solution's impact is profound, as it empowers Arla to monitor and optimize operations at scale while fostering a culture of continuous improvement. By formalizing KPI tracking and enabling real-time data analysis, Arla can identify areas for enhancement and take proactive measures to drive efficiency and quality across its global dairy operations. The successful solution roll-out signifies a significant milestone in Arla's Empowered and Connected Shopfloor initiative and positions the company for sustained growth and competitiveness in the dairy industry.

"The Performance Corridor is the daily "heartbeat," which provides insight into how a site runs, from the individual line to the site director. This way, we can have a dialogue about what has happened during the day: What has been good? What can be improved, and who will act on it? All of this should result in an even more efficient site," says Steffen Lundsgaard Jørgensen.

"Working with Delegate has been really positive, and they have been extremely proactive consultants. They have pulled out all the stops and created a really good solution for us, where they have always had an eye for the end user," says Jonas Dinesen.