Lots of people deal with IMA DAIRY & FOOD products on a daily basis without even knowing. From yoghurt pots to mustard sachets, many packages for food and dairy products come from one of the IMA Group’s machines. The specialists for tailor-made products ensure that no design request remains unfulfilled. But the more customised the packaging, the more complex it is to develop the machine. Therefore, instead of standard components, IMA DAIRY & FOOD often installs custom machine parts, which is a challenge for the entire supply chain.

The machine components are procured on the global market by the brands ERCA, GASTI, HAMBA, HASSIA and INTECMA, which all belong to IMA DAIRY & FOOD. Almost 3,000 suppliers service the companies in Germany, Italy, France and Spain. In such a market, it is impossible to maintain a group-wide overview and strategically optimise procurement without using digital tools.

Within the IMA DAIRY & FOOD Group, several companies worked in their own organisational structures with different suppliers and different ERP systems. A uniform view of the entire supply chain was therefore not possible. Due to the spread-out locations and systems, a comprehensive evaluation of the data was not performed. Potentials regarding the cooperation with suppliers remained unutilised as a result – and these are of particular importance for IMA DAIRY & FOOD. It is part of the company’s philosophy to see suppliers as partners and to maintain long-term business relationships in order to work with them to mutually optimise quality and processes.

In order to get a uniform view of their supply chain, IMA DAIRY & FOOD developed a central data model together with adesso. The technological basis for it was the Qlik platform. Different data sources were merged using the data analysis tool Qlik Sense Enterprise for Windows. Data from ERP systems from SAP, Sage and RPS, as well as from other systems, such as PLM (product lifecycle management) systems, were connected via interfaces.

The centralised data model provides the packaging machine manufacturer with a consolidated representation of its supplier structure, outgoings and savings. The information is displayed in a customised dashboard, which means everyone involved has a quick overview of everything that is important – across systems and companies. The dashboard, which is updated daily, not only provides rigid reports, but it is also the starting point for performing flexible analyses and more in-depth evaluations, for example, according to commodity groups, countries of origin or quality criteria.

With adesso’s help, IMA DAIRY & FOOD has created a transparent system that offers all companies a consolidated view of the supply chain. Delivery qualities and outgoings are easy to record, and expenditure is analysed quickly. The bottom line is savings in purchasing volume and noticeable value creation within the entire IMA Dairy & Food Group.